SOCIETIES. 255 



Papilio macliaon, from Cambridge, among which was a specimen in 

 which the marginal band of the hing wings was so extended as to 

 unite with the discoidal spot. Mr. H. Moore : a specimen of 

 Vanessa urticae from Vienne, in which the two spots were only re- 

 presented by a few dark scales. Mr. A. Hall : about twenty species of 

 Khopalocera from Japan, identical or almost so with British species, 

 and including P. machaon, Lencophasia sinapis, Gonepteryx rJiamni, &c. 

 Mr. Adkin : Zi/gaena exidans from Braemar ; Sesia scoU'/forriiis from 

 Eannoch. Mr. Tugwell (per Mr. West) also exhibited Zipjaena exulans 

 taken this year at Braemar, with cocoons in situ on crowberry. 



At the meeting of the Birmingham Entomological Society on 

 August 2Uth, Mr. C. J. Wainwright showed Stratiomys potamida taken 

 in Sutton Park ; it is the first Stratiomys which has been taken in the 

 Birmingham district. Mr. R. C. Bradley read some notes upon Merodon 

 eqnestris which he had been breeding from larvae sent to him by Mr. 

 McLachlan ; he said that they took a very long time to dry their 

 wings — 24 hours after emergence some of them were still quite limp — 

 this he attributed to want of sun ; the sjjecies was getting not at all 

 uncommon round Birmingham, and he had taken a number at Sutton, 

 though probably a few years ago it did not occur here. Mr. A. H. 

 Martineau had been making a series of experiments upon different kill- 

 ing substances in order to ascertain their effect on the colours of in- 

 sects ; the fumes of sulphur seemed to preserve and even heighten the 

 colours of Diptera and Hymenoptera ; yellows and reds, if affected at 

 all, seemed to become more brilliant and never turned black, as was the 

 case when cyanide of potassium or ammonia was used. 



City of London Entomological and Natural History Society. — 

 Sept. Uh, 1894. — Exhibits: — Dr. Buckell : Epinephele tithonus (3's) 

 from Leigh, Essex, showing extra ocelli. Mr. C. G.Jia.iTett (Lepidoptera 

 of the British Islands) remarks, that this species is liable to develop 

 extra ocelli in maritime localities. Mr. Nicholson : Eugonia quercinaria, 

 bred from ova laid by a female, which was bred from a larva beaten in 

 the New Forest in 18^*3 ; many of the specimens were strongly suffused 

 with brown at the base, and hind margins of the fore wings, although 

 neither parent was specially cons})icuous in that respect. Mr. Clark : 

 Dicranura bifida from Monmouthshire ova ; he stated that he found it 

 impossible to obtain eggs from this species in captivit}^. Mr. Mera : a 

 very beautiful and variable, though short, series of Agrotis tritici from 

 the East Coast. Mr. Sauze : a series of Formica nigra, showing males, 

 females and neuters, also a female after the wings had been snapped 

 off. Mr. Bacot : young larvje of Dipterygia scahriuscula ; also a short 

 series of SeJenia tetralunaria, V)red from the ova on which he read a note 

 at the meeting on June 5th. Dr. Sequeira : a specimen of At/rotis 

 pyrophila among other insects taken at Ilfracombe. Mr. Huckett : 

 Dianthoecia albimacuJa and Sesia chrysidlformis from Folkestone. Capt. 

 Tliompson : Enpithecia nanata, Scodiona belgiaria and Pleuronota bicos- 

 teUa from the West Riding of Yorshire, and Grapholitha nlgroinacuhina 

 from Rainham. Mr. Tutt then read some interesting notes of a holi- 

 day spent with Dr. Chapman in the Alps.* 



Sept. ISth, 1894.— Exhibits :— Mr. Oldham: males of Odonestis 

 potatoria from Wisbech ; one of them was of a buff colour, except the 

 usual obli(jue dark streak whi(;h was somewhat faint. Mr. Riches: 

 Ocneria dispar, and some " Ribbon-grass " (Phalaris ariindinacea varie- 



*See ante p. 233 



