SOCIETIES. 



16i 



series of Colias edusa, including the var. $ helice captured last season 

 at Loughton ; Mr. Gates, living examples of the local Adela cuprella 

 from Wimbledon, and specimens of Gelechia ntripliceUa from Hammer- 

 smith. Coleoptera : — Mr. Heasler, a series of Paromalm Jiavicornis 

 from Richmond Park ; Mr. Clark, who had just returned from the New 

 Forest, reported the capture of Aleucis pictaria and Notodonta chaonia in 

 that locality, also Arctia fnlujinosa at Bournemouth ; he further stated 

 that he had taken a ? sj^ecimen of the glow-worm (Lampi/ris noctilma) 

 on April 12th ; Mr. Lewcock stated that Panolis piniperda had been fairly 

 common at Farnham ; and Mr. Nicholson recorded A. strataria (prodro- 

 maria) from West Wickham. 



Tuesday, 2nd May, 1893. — Exhibits : — Mr. Clark, Nt/ssia hispidaria, 

 with a pale marginal band, a pale grey specimen of Tceniocampa instahilis, 

 with a dark central band, and Notodonta chaonia, all captured recently 

 in the New Forest. Mr. Oldham, Trachea piniperda, a dark form of 

 Tceniocampa instahilis, and Brephos parthenias. Dr. Buckell, series of 

 Folia chi, from various localities, including the var, suffusa, from 

 Sheffield. 



Mr. Hollis, melanic specimens of Diurncea fagella, from Highgate, 

 and living larva^ of Ocneria dispar. Mr. Battley a variable series of 

 Tceniocampa munda, from Epping Forest. Caj^tain Thompson, a living- 

 larva of Geometra pajnlionaria. Mr. Adye,a series of Boarmia repandata, 

 from the New Forest, including some fine specimens of var. conversaria. 

 Mr. Tremayne, living larvae from Epping Forest, including Nola cucu- 

 latella, Himera pennaria and Miselia oxyacanthce. Mr. Bacot, Amphidasys 

 prodromaria, Tceniocampa popideii, and a pale variety of T. instahilis, all 

 from Epping Forest. 



Coleoptera : — Mr. Heasler a series of Anchomenus thoreyi, from the 

 Plumstead marshes. Mr. Lewcock, a living larva of Pulex irritans. 

 Mr. Tutt then read a paper on " Melanochroism in British Lepi- 

 doptera," being a criticism of Mr. Eobson's paper, " Is moisture the 

 cause of melanism ? " read before the Society, in February last. 



In the discussion that ensued, Mr. Lewcock drew attention to the 

 fact that species frecpiently showed a distinct and constant tendency to 

 vary in a jmrticular direction, apart from the more polymori^hic ten- 

 dencies to general variation frequently observed. Mr. Bacot said that 

 he could hardly understand the application of the suggestion that dark 

 colours on the wings of lepidoi^tera were more advantageous to them 

 than lighter colours, by absorbing more heat, as it was the bodies of 

 insects which were required to benefit by such an advantage, and not 

 the wings. Mr. Tutt said that some observations he had made under 

 the microscope seemed to bear out Mr. Bacot's view, as the wing 

 appeared to cease to be a vital organ very early indeed in the imaginal 

 life, and that the absorption of heat by the wings would, under those 

 conditions, scarcely affect the vital functions of the imago. 



On the motion of Drs. Buckell and Sequeira, a vote of thanks was 

 accorded to Mr. Tutt for his paper. — A. tJ. Battley and J, A, Simes, 

 Eon. Sees. 



Penarth Entomological and Natural History Society. — In 

 connection with the Fifth Annual Meeting of this Society, a most enjoy- 

 able gathering was convened on Wednesday evening, March 22nd, in 

 the Public Hall, taking the form of an exhibition and conversazione. 

 The large room was suitably fitted up for the occasion, and decorated 



