so THE entomologist's RECORD. 



Altogether, it is to be hoped, that the Society will receive a larger 

 amount of financial support than hitherto, in order that it may extend 

 its meritorious labours. It is suggested that a wider circulation of this 

 volume would assist in this direction, and that copies, price 2s., can be 

 obtained of Mr. C E. Nicholson, 202, Evering Koad, Upper Clapton, 

 N.E.— H. E. P. 



] 



gOCIETIES. 



City of London Entomological and Natural History Society. — 

 February 2nd, 1894. — Exhibits : Mr. Battley ; the jaw-bones of a fish 

 called the Thornback Kay, which feeds on crabs, &c. ; the bones were 

 each provided with a set of flattened, tooth-like plates, which slightly 

 overlapped and seemed to be of very hard material. He also showed a 

 spine of the same fish, and called the attention of the members to the 

 fact that this spine Avas hollow and very hard. Mr. Clai'k ; Biston 

 hirtaria. Lobophora lobulata, Zyyaena trifolii (a yellow var.) and Abraxas 

 grossidariata (dark var.), all from Perth. He also exhibited, at Mr. 

 Tutt's request, the fine series of Aryi/nnis paphia, taken in the New 

 Forest last year. In consequence of some remarks by Mr. Froliawk 

 {Entomoloijist, Feb. 1894) relative to these sjiecimens, the opinion of the 

 meeting was taken as to whether any of the male specimens showed 

 traces of greenish coloration ; th.e members were unanimous that such 

 was the case with two of the males. The whole series consisted of 

 twenty-four butterflies, of which the spotted specimens were as follows : 

 Six males with straw-coloured spots, two of them having also distinct 

 greenish blotches on the hind wings ; six females with greenish blotches, 

 two of them having also bleached looking markings on the fore-wings. 

 Mr. Prout ; 3Iamestra sordida (anceps) bred last January. He stated 

 that he found this larva at Culver Down, Isle of Wight, feeding on grass 

 at night ; it strongly resembled the larva of Apamea basilinea ; as it 

 seemed disposed to hybernate, he kept it feeding in a warm room, with 

 the result that it pupated in December. He also showed a specimen of 

 A. basilinea reared under somewhat similar conditions in 1892. He 

 was inclined to think that sordida should be removed from the genus 

 Maviestra and placed before Apamea gemina, A. unanimis and A. basi- 

 linea, as in Kirby's " European Butterflies and Moths," with which 

 insects he considered it had more affinities tlian with the genus Mamestra. 

 Mr. Bacot ; ova of Ni/ssia hispidaria, laid in captivity. Dr. Buckell 

 remarked that they very much resembled those of its ally Amphidasys 

 betularia. 



Mr. Bayne, who exhibited a good series of the insect, which included 

 brown, greenish, light grey, melanic and white-margined forms of the 

 ^ and gi-een and brown forms of the 5 , then read the following 

 paper : — 



NOTES ON NYSSIA HISPIDARIA. 



On February 1st, 1893, two apterous ? s emerged in my breeding 

 cage from pujoas dug in Epping Forest in the late autumn of 1892. The 

 preceding week or ten days had been very mild for the time of year. 

 J'higalia pedaria {pilosaria) had been observed in the open on January 

 22nd and eight Hybernia de/oliaria had been bred indoors between the 



