SOCIETIES. 23 



insect was Nocttia augur. The longitudinal streaking near the outer 

 margin of the wing seemed to be quite a general (although rare) 

 character among some Agrotids. lieferring to the unusual variation 

 that Mr. Burrows had found in A<jrotis exdamalionis this year, he re- 

 marked that excessive variation in this species appeared to be 

 somewhat connected with meteorological conditions (probably extreme 

 wetness), as he found the species to vary remarkably in the wet and cold 

 summer of 1888. The peculiar aberrations in shape which frequently 

 occur in this genus had previously been discussed, and malformations 

 appeared to be not uncommon in many Agrotid species. Xijlopliasia 

 Hcolopaciua, as seen in Mr. Southey's exhibit, had a mottled form exactly 

 parallel with X. hepatica var. characterea. Visitors at sugar, who ap- 

 peared as poachers, were now a rather numerous family — mice, toads, 

 frogs, &c. The series of Acjrotis nigricans exhibited, was a very fine 

 one, and illustrated well the range of variation which a polymorphic 

 species could attain in a single season in a given locality. The vote of 

 thanks was carried by acclamation. 



Nov. C)th, 1894. — Exhibits: — Mr. Nicholson: a series of five ^ and 

 four 2 Trichiura crataegi, bred from twenty larva3, beaten from black- 

 thorn in Epping Forest ; the remaining eleven were either cripples, or 

 were sacrificed for ova, of which he obtained about 200. Mr. Clark : a 

 brownish specimen of Vanessa nrticae from Tottenham. Mr. Bate : 

 Boarniia repandata var. conversaria, and a fine banded form of Oporahia 

 dilatata, from the New Forest. Mr. Bacot : Qdias electra and var., 

 from S. Africa, with C. ednsa for comparison ; the variety closely re- 

 sembled C. ednsa var. helice, but was much suffused with blackish. He 

 also exhibited 84 specimens of Orrhodia vaccinii, which varied a good deal 

 in colour though the female jiarent (also in the box) was of a uniform 

 purplish-brown. Mr. Southey : some very fine specimens of Acheta 

 domesfica, the house-spider, one of which had legs measuring about 2^ 

 inches in length. Mr. Tutt : a box of Lepidoptera (mostly Rhopalocera) 

 from Gres}'-, near Aix-les-Bains, representative of those caught during 

 a stroll on the morning of Aug. 21st, and comprising among others 

 Sdtri/rns dryas (both sexes), Hippurchia a)7^</<7<stt exhibiting considerable 

 variation in the depth of the orange colour and extent of the transverse 

 band, Colias ednsa, C. hyale, second brood of Lencophasia sinapis, I'ieris 

 daplidice, Argynnis latona, Melitaea cinxia, M. athalia, Lycaena argiades, 

 L. bellargus, L. corydon, Satyr ns hriseis, with a fine male variety of the latter, 

 which the central band was much restricted and clouded with fuscous, in 

 together with many other s^Decies. He exhibited also Zygaena car.iiolica, 

 and vars. from Courmayeur and other localities in Savoy and Piedmont, 

 on which he read notes relative to their habits and variation. Dr. 

 Sequeira exhibited sam^jles of wood naphtha, and Mr. Clark applied 

 some to the bases of the wings of a dr^' s^jccimen of Spilosoma hibrici- 

 peda, with the result that in less than five minutes, the specimen was 

 suificiently relaxed to allow of its being reset. Dr. Sequeira extols the 

 virtues of the spirit thus : — 



R RHYME OF REIaaXRTIOjq, 



It's bother'd many an Ento' when he's had a valued moth, 

 With wings set unsymmetric'ly, how best to get theiu both 

 As even as a plumb-line, without the laurel jar 

 Or sand that's wet and mucky — too troublesome by far. 



