SOCIETIES. 215 



found in fens and similar localities in June and July, and sometimes 

 again in September; he also adds that the larva hybernates, feeds on 

 some marsh plant, and will also eat knot-grass {Polygonum). Mr. 

 Seymour St. John gives purple loosestrife, plantain, yarrow, valerian, 

 and meadowsweet as regular foods, and chickweed, groundsel, dandelion, 

 whitethorn and clematis as plants upon which the larva will feed in 

 confinement. The natural foodplants appear to be quite as much 

 hedgerow plants as fen plants. The best time for the imago would 

 appear to be about the second week in July. Those shown were taken 

 on July 15th, and on the 26th they were passe. They rise out of the 

 long grass as one walks along. Ova were deposited last year on July 

 26th, hatched on August 12th. On the 30th, I noticed that the larvae 

 were growing very slowly ; they rested on the stems and leaves of the 

 chickweed, curled up in the shape of a note of interrogation {?), a 

 similar attitude to that assumed by the larvae of many Eupithecia, etc. 

 The colour was of a dingy green without any characteristic markings. 

 The larvcX were exliibited before this Society on October ist, and on 

 the 4th I noticed that some appeared nearly full-grown, whilst others 

 remained quite small ; some of the larger ones began to make earthen 

 cocoons on October loth, and the first pupated on the 17th of the 

 same month. None of the moths, however, emerged. The insect 

 seems to be widely distributed, but local. It does not figure in any of 

 our London lists, but is recorded from the neighbourhood of Swansea, 

 Leigh, Romsey, Hertford and Warrington. Mr. Tutt also records it 

 from Wicken Fen, Mr. Simes from Matley Bog near Lyndhurst, and 

 Mr. Fenn from Deal." Mr. Tutt also read a paper on his work at 

 Wicken Fen.i In Coleoptera Mr. Heasler exhibited two very local 

 species from INIitcham, Trechus discus and Hydroporits ferrugineus ; he 

 states that his example of the latter species was taken in his hand, and 

 that he felt sure he could have procured more if he had had a water 

 net. — A. U. Battley and J. A. Simes, Hoji. Sees. 



Birmingham Entomological Society. — August S>fk, 1892. — Mr. 

 C. J. W^ainwright exhibited some nice specimens of Xylota sylvarum 

 from Wyre Forest, forms oi Amphydasis betularia, intermediate between 

 the type and var. doubledayaria, etc. Mr. G. W. Wynn, a box of moths 

 taken on sugar during two nights at Wyre Forest, including a nice row 

 of Aplecta tincla, Cossus ligjtiperda, Cymaiophora or, etc. Mr. A. 

 Johnson showed series of Cheerocampa elpetior, Sphinx ligustri, etc., 

 and some varieties of Arctia caia from larvce fed on lettuce. — Colbran 

 J. Wainwright, Hon. Sec. 



South London Entomological Society. — Thursday, August 2^tii, 

 1892. — Although there was only a small attendance, a few good exhibits 

 were made. Mr. Nussey exhibited a specimen of Polyonunatus phlccas 

 with only the central spot on the fore-wing, and another with entirely 

 dark hind-wings, Lyccena icarus with the dots on the undersides deve- 

 loped into dark dashes, and a dark banded Argynnis euphrosyne. Mr. 

 Allbuary, a fine series of Colias edusa and its var. heiice, taken near 

 Gravesend ; also two living Vanessa uriicce, in one of which the whole 

 of the normal bright red colour was of an ochreous tint ; a large 

 specimen of Melanippe hastata from Shepherdswell ; Deiopeia pulchella 

 taken on Whit Monday at St. Margaret's; Lobophora hexapterata from 

 ' Piinled ante, p. 196. 



