SOCIETIES. 163 



etc., also SmerintJius tilke from Stanbury Park ; Mr. W. Harrison, 

 Ampliidasys jjrodromaria from Arley, etc. Mr. G. H. Kenrick read a 

 joaper upon "The occurrence of the black variety of A. betularia.'" 

 He said it was first described by Milliere in 1859 from a specimen 

 from York, Avhen it seems to have been a new and excej^tional form ; 

 in 1869 Newman says of the species some are black ; since then it 

 appears to have been getting more and more common, till now it forms 

 a large proportion of the whole. Mr. Kenrick mentioned the various 

 theories of the cause of black forms, but did not think them sufficient 

 to account for the origin of this. He thought the form might have 

 arisen in this manner : — In all cases offspring more or less resemble 

 their parents, sometimes both, sometimes only one, occasionally the 

 tendency to follow one parent only being very strong ; in breeding 

 doubledayana even if one parent be the type form, the tendency seems 

 to be for most of the offs^^ring to be black ; may not a chance sport, a 

 chance black variety have been perj^etuated in this manner, most of the 

 offspring resembling it ? The species is a hardy one. The black 

 A-ariety does not seem to have an advantage over the ty^je, nor does 

 its colour seem to injui-e it at all. There Avould be no selection of type 

 or variety, but the black 2)arent would bring more and more black 

 offspring into the world even when mated with the type, and thus the 

 form would increase in proportion. The pajjer was discussed at length 

 by the Rev. E. T. Nurse, Messrs. G. T. Bethune-Baker, E. C. Bradley, 

 and C. J. Wainwright. — Colbran J. Wainwkight, Hon. Sec. 



Leicester Entomological Club. — April 11th, 1893. — F. Bates, 

 Esq., in the chair. The Eeport of the Easter Excursions to Charnwood 



Eorest were read by the Hon. Sec; some of the best records being: 



Lepidoptera. — Ampliidasys prodromaria, Lohoplwra lohnlata, new to 

 Leicestershire, Breplios parthenias, Xylocampa Jitlioriza, Taeniocampa 

 pulvendenta, in bright sunshine. Coleoptera. — AmphicyUis globus, 

 Ips qundrigidtatus (new to county), Rhizophwjus dispjar, R. hipustnlatus 

 Bhinosimus ruficollis, B. planirostris, Bemhidium tihiale (Charnwood var.). 

 The Hon. Sec. gave a record of the captures w]} to date, and some notes 

 on the earliness of the season, everything being five weeks earlier than 

 usual. Exhibits. — Mr. Dixon, a fine lot of variable Tceniocampa instahilis 

 and T. stabilis, Amphidasys betidaria and var. donbledayaria ; the 

 Chairman, a box of Coleoptera ; Mr. C. B. Headly, Eupnthecia dodoneata, 

 vars. of larvEe of Phlogopjhora meticulosa ; the Hon Sec, a box illus- 

 trating the life histories of several Lepidoptera and ova of various 

 species. The next excursion was arranged for Swithland Wood on 

 April 22nd. May 1st, 1893. — The report of the excursions and records 

 since the last month were read by the Hon. Sec. ; the following are 

 some of the captures : — Lepidoptera. — Euchlo'e cardamines, Heinerophila 

 abruptaria, Tephrosia crejmsctdaria, T. biundidaria, Geometra papilionaria 

 (larvge), Lobophora lobulata, Cidaria corylata, C. stiffumata, Drepana 



lacertinaria, Xylocampa lithoriza, Hadena thalassina. Coleoptera. 



Bhaguim inquisitor, Ips quadriguttattis, Silpha thoracica, S. quadripimctata, 

 Anchomenus jimceus. Exhibits. — Mr. E. Bates, 20 boxes of Coleoi^tera, 

 containing the British Carabidce ; Mr. Dixon, larvae of Tieniocampa 

 stabilis ; Mr. C. B. Headly, Asphalia ridens, and vars. of Bumia cratcegata, 

 larvae ; Mr. A. M. Corali, a fine series of Papilio machaon from Wicken 

 pupae ; the Hon. Sec, a long series of Hybernia marginaria and vars. 

 fuscata, with a number of intermediate forms, also Demas coryli, ova 



