SOCIETIES. 165 



including the following species, vi-., Agrotis vestigial is, A. tritici 

 and A. cursoria, not previously recorded from Orkney ; Neiaeopliila 

 plantaginis, having the usual yellow ground-colour of the hind-wings 

 replaced hy red in many of the females ; Hcpidlus hnmnli, males of 

 the ordinary white form, bearing no resemblance to the Unst (Shet- 

 land) form, var. hethlandica ,• Tri/phaena orbona, all very dark, the 

 fore-wings almost black, the yellow of the hind-wings of many of the 

 specimens much obscured by blackish scales. Epuiida, Intulent r, 

 some almost uniformly black, others pale grey with dark markings ; 

 Taeniocavipa golhica, including var. gothicina ; Hndeiia <tdusla, one 

 almost black, others much variegated ; Them juniperata, many 

 having the central fascia and apical streak very dark brown ; and 

 Hysipetes sordidata, varying from blackish brown to pale green. 

 Mr. Tutt exhibited a series of Emydia cribrum var. Candida, which Dr. 

 Buckell had bred from eggs obtained from a specimen caught by Mr. 

 Merrifield in May, 1895, in Northern Italy. He stated that the 

 beautiful bead-like eggs Avent through a series of colour changes from 

 yellow to leaden or blue-black, as the embryo matured within, and 

 that when they hatched being perfectly unable to get what is generally 

 considered their food-plant, viz., ling, he remembered that "ling" did 

 not occur where they were found — rough grassy spots — and accor- 

 dingly tried them with the ordinary grass growing in his garden, and 

 gave them, in addition, that excellent all-round food for lepidopterous 

 larvae — knot-grass (Polyi/oniaii ariculair). They took to both, and by 

 July had moulted twice, and were evidently still feeding on when they 

 were sent on to Dr. Buckell to deal with whilst he was away on the 

 Continent. On his return, Dr. Buckell informed him that they had 

 gone ahead, and in early September gave him a number of the earliest- 

 formed pupie, which emerged in about three weeks. The later larva? 

 pupated during the next fortnight or three weeks, and the imagines 

 have since emerged, the last on October 16th, and it Avas a part of the 

 brood that was being exhibited to-night. Mr. Tutt added : " It occurs 

 to me to draw attention to the following points : — (1) That breeding 

 them in England (even indoors) has resulted in producing the brood 

 at least six weeks later than the corresponding one on the Continent. 

 It will be remembered that British 7'.'. (■/■/i/-!f/», is single-brooded, it being 

 only on rare occasions that an odd specimen of the second brood is ob- 

 tained. (2) That this delay in feeding up has not been accompanied 

 by any change whatever in the general appearance of the insects. 

 They have bred true to type, and are of the same type exactly as the 

 ? parent. (3) That of the first 21 specimens bred only two females 

 occurred ; that of the last 23, only five were males. (4) That there 

 should now be no difficulty in breeding our British form on two such 

 excellent substitute (natural?) foods as ordinary grass and knot-grass." 

 The Eev. Canon Fowler exhibited, on behalf of Professor Poulton, living 

 specimens of Diapheromerafemorata bred from eggs received from Prof. 

 E. B. Titchener, of Cornell University, New York. He stated that 

 the young larvae had emerged from the eggs in July and August last 

 and fed on lime. Several pairs had arrived at maturity, and were 

 feeding in cases in the' Oxford Museum. The Eev. J. H. Hocking 

 exhibited a specimen of XyJiva lambda, taken by him at sugar on the 

 trunk of an oak tree, at Copdock, near Ipswich, on the 30th September 

 last. It was in beautiful condition, and had apparently only recently 



