SOCIETIES. 185' 



JmiP 1th, 1893. — Mr. W. C. Boyd exhibited varieties of Fklonia 

 pmiaria and Thecia rttbi, taken at Bournemouth on May 20th, 1893. 

 Mr. CO. Waterhouse exhibited certain large galls on oak leaves from 

 Mexico, one of which was apparently- produced by a species of Cynipiche^ 

 Mr. W, M. Christy exhibited a series Zyr/cena trifolii, including very 

 many j^ellow forms, all with one exception, taken at one spot during 

 the latter half of May, 1893, and belonging to one colony. Some of 

 the specimens were more less incomplete, both in structure and colour, 

 and Mr. Barrett stated as his opinion that this was due to their having 

 been forced by the unusually fine weather. Lord Walsingham, Mr. 

 Merrifield, and others took part in the discussion which followed.. 

 Canon Fowler exhibited cocoons and specimens of Coniatus siiavis var. 

 chrysocMora, Luc, taken by Lord \yalsingham in great abundance on 

 the ilower-shoots of tamarisk in the West of Italy. Mr. Chitty 

 exhibited black varieties of the following Coleoptera from the slopes 

 of Ben Cruachan, N.B. : — Carahns violaceus and arcensis, Pterostichus 

 versicolor, PhyUopertha horticoht and Telephorus fignratus, and stated 

 that the latter seemed a permanent race, as it occurred both in 1892 

 and 1893. The President remarked on the great abundance of Coleo- 

 pliora laricella in Gloucestershire, and stated that they were committing: 

 great ravages among young larches. Lord "Walsingham stated that he 

 had seen young larches at Carlsbad com^^letely bleached by this moth. 

 It Avas suggested by several Fellows of the Society that care should be 

 taken to observe the occurrence of second broods of insects during the 

 year. Mons. Wailly exhiljited cocoons of various silk-producing 

 Lepidoptera, and stated that the larva of Attacus pernyi, whose food- 

 plant is oak, had been reared in Trinidad on Ternu'nalia latifolia. — 

 W. W. Fowler, Hon. Secretary. 



South London Entomolocucal Society. — 11th May, 1893. — Mr. E.. 

 South exhibited a series of Diurncea fageUa, Fb., from Buckinghamshire, 

 the light and dark forms being about ecpial in number. Mr. South 

 said that the trees in the wood in Avhich they were taken were darker 

 on their western side than on their eastern, and at the time he collected 

 these specimens, the wind was in the east, and most of the moths were 

 at rest on the western side of the trees, the dark insects being incon- 

 spicuous, and he thought that if this often happened when this species 

 was on the Aving, it would, ))}' natural selection, tend to produce a 

 darker race. Mr. Barrett, in referring to the breeding of Bomhyx 

 eastrensis, L., in captivity, said the larva? should l)e well wetted at 

 times, and exposed, when possible, to the sun, and lie thought the 

 absence of the latter in some years might account for the uncertain 

 appearance of this species. Mr. Turner said that he had bred B. 

 eastrensis very successfully on rose leaves dipped in salt water. The 

 discussion was continued hj Messrs. Tutt, Frohawk and South. Mr. 

 Adye exhibited a long series each of Moma orion, Esp., Enrymene 

 dolobraria, L., Amphidasys betularia, L., HylojMla prasinana, Lnc. and 

 an odd specimen of Acronycfa alni, L., Notodonta chaonia, Hb., N. 

 dodoncea, Hb., iV. trepida, etc., the majorit^^ having been bred in March 

 and April, indoors, from lava? taken in the New Forest last autumn. 

 Mr. Tutt said that on the 6th May, Lyccena hellargns, Eott. was on the 

 wing in Kent, also Nemeophila plantaginis, L., Enclidia glyphica, L., &c., 

 whilst pupa? and larva? of Vanessa urticce, L. Avere reported for the 

 .same date. Mr. Jiiger mentioned that Cidaria trttncata, Hufn. was. 



