REVIEWS AND NOTICES OF BOOKS. 93 



form of Jfdia'Ua acuta, Miill." (E. R. Sykes, M.A.), " Classification " 

 (E. W. W. Bowcll), " Collectanea " (by the Editors). Under the 

 latter head the main points of Mr. Frost's article in our own columns 

 (rt7i«c, viii., 811) are very fairly criticised. The Part, as a whole, is 

 excellent reading, presents a high level in its scientific contents, and 

 the Editors show considerable critical ability. These should make the 

 magazine a success. Published monthly, it would become a powerful 

 rival to Scioive (Jos.sip, in its present form. 



j^OCIE TIE S. 



The City of London Entomological and Natural History Society. 

 — Tuesday, 5th May, 1H96. — Exhibits : — Mr. May : a series of 

 Asphalia ridens bred from larvte from Thaugh Bridge, Devon; the 

 specimens were variable in colour and markings, but were, generally 

 speaking, considerably marked with grey. 



Mr. Bate exhibited Ephestia kuhniella in all its stages, and 

 read the following notes: — "Last year our respected past president 

 gave me some larviP of Kjilwstia kiiJiuidla, feeding on a packet of 

 AUinson's food. Finding that there were very few of them inside, I 

 determined to breed a number if possible, and therefore shut them up 

 and left them to their own devices in a large glass jar — a very large 

 number of larvie was the result. They mined away during the winter, 

 occupying little silk-lined runs, and quickly demolished the whole 

 quarter-pound packet, when I gave them wheat Hour. Mr. Tutt 

 having kindly drawn my attention to the fact that the sexes could be 

 differentiated in the larval state, owing to the genital organs of the 

 male being visible, I sorted out a number, and fed them separately. 

 The result is shown in the series of 10 bred from the spotted ones, and 

 11 from the unspotted, which I venture to hope represent the two 

 sexes. Of course, where the ovipositor is protruded, there can be no 

 doubt of the sex, but I freely confess I am not able to go beyond this. 

 The larvje are cream-yellow until the last few days before pupating, 

 when they become pink ; all have, all through, brown head, brown 

 shield on second segment, a row of 22 black tubercles each side of the 

 dorsal line, each of which emits a brown hair ; one central shining- 

 brown spot on the 18th segment"' with no hair, brown anal flap ; a row 

 of 11 tubercles either side of the first row, that on the third and 12th 

 segments having a black ring round it, and each emitting a single 

 hair. The spiracles are lighter brown. The spot on the ninth seg- 

 ment'"'* is distinctly an organ situated in the interior of the larva, and 

 shifts its position as the creature walks. The pupa is ochreous-brown, 

 shaded, and darkens considerably before the insect emerges. The 

 larviB have a great liking for eating the pupse. The eggs are oval, 

 quite white when laid, but turning slightly yellow soon afterwards, 

 and may probably alter further before hatching. I have been nnable 

 to see copulation taking place in either of the jars containing imagines 

 bred from all spotted or all plain larva^ although they pair freely in 

 the jar where the larvie were mixed. Realizing that the females may 

 be parthenogenetic, I have saved the presumed males in their jar, and 

 will report if I obtain larvie there, as that will indicate that the spot is 



* We would suggest to our contributors that this antiquated method of de- 

 scribing larv£e should be dropped. A larva consists of (1) Head. (2) Thorax 

 (prothorax, mesothorax and metathorax). (3) Abdomen (segments 1-10).— Ed. 



