SOCIETIES. 21 



Martineau ; Bombus muscorum, B. sylvarum and B. eognatus, and pointed 

 out that these three bees, though remarkably alike in appearance, might 

 easily be distinguished from one another by the arrangement of the 

 hairs. Mr. Bradley; males, females and neuters of Vespa crahro from 

 Astwood Bank ; also Ammophila sahulosa from Cannock Chase, and 

 remarked that Mr. Saunders in his Hymenoptera Aculeata gives no 

 Midland localities for the latter species. Mr. Harrison; a nest of 

 B. eognatus from Harl)orne with males, females and neuters ; also 

 lepidoptera taken during the Society's trip to the Cotswolds in June, 

 among them being N. lacina, E. jacohaece and N. plantaginis. Mr. 

 Urich, of Trinidad, communicated " Wayside Notes of a Naturalist," in 

 which he described a walk in the neighbourhood of Port-of-Spain. A 

 number of photographs of the district were shown, also a boxful of 

 insects which had all been captured during a single walk. It contained 

 about 50 dragon-flies and 130 lepidoptera. — C. J. Wainwright, 

 Hon. Sec. 



Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society. — December 

 llih, 1893. — Exhibits: — Mr. Harker; living specimens of a Corynetes 

 feeding in Copra, from Singapore, and S. scoliiformis from the North 

 of Scotland. Mr. Newstead ; a nest of Vespa vulgaris which had been 

 built to a rafter inside an outhouse. Mr. Gregson ; a specimen of 

 H. peltigera captured at Wallasey in 1887. Mr. Schill read " A Few 

 Introductory Eemarks on the genus Vanessa and its allies." He 

 insisted upon the importance of studying single groups rather than of 

 attempting to form gigantic collections of whole orders, and pointed 

 out the chief characters by which the genera and species could be 

 differentiated. Mr. C. G. Barrett contributed some remarks on Mr. 

 Merrifield's recent experiments upon the effect of temperature on the 

 genus Vanessa. Mr. C. E. Stott showed a specimen of Ammophila 

 lutaria, Fb. caj^tured near Blackpool in July, 1892, and read some notes 

 on the species. — F. N. Pierce, Hon. Sec. 



City of London Entobiological and Natural History Society. — 

 Tuesday, December l^th, 1893. — Exhibits : — Mr. Battley ; a short series 

 of Hiviera pennaria from Epping Forest and bred specimens of 

 Eiqnthecia lariciata, also several doubtful " Pugs " from Hale End, most 

 of which were thought to be E. castigata. Mr. Prout ; bred Emmelesia 

 alchemillata from Sandown, also E. affinitata from various localities ; 

 there was no appreciable difference between the specimens, excejjt the 

 slightly superior size of the afjimtata. Mr. Riches ; Orrhodia vaccinii 

 from Salisbury. Mr. Clark ; a series of Thera jtiniperata (bred) from 

 Perth, concerning which he remarked that they were paler than the 

 southern form, as is usually the case with this insect. Mr. Gurney ; 

 Hybernia defoliaria from Hale End, including some pretty varieties. 

 Mr. Nicholson ; one of the new opera glasses brought out Mr. Aitchison 

 of Poultry ; this instrument is particularly suitable for field work on 

 account of its extreme lightness (being made of aluminium), its com- 

 pressibility, and the power and beautiful definition of its lenses. Dr. 

 Sequeira ; a short series of TripJuena fimbria, including a magnificent 

 red specimen, also Dasychira pudibunda and Hybernia defoliaria. Mr. 

 Southey ; Dicranura bifida and D. furcula, Notodonta palpina and N. 

 dictoea, Cucullia chamomillue and C. uinbratica, Epione apiciaria, Hypsipetes 

 elutata and Camptogramma Jluiriata, all from Highgate and mostly bred. 

 — C. Nicholson and A. U. Battley, Hon. Sees. 



