The species exhibited iiichided Pi/rameifi atalanta, At/lais nrticac and 

 Kurancssa antiopa. Mr. Merrifield said tliat the effects on the 

 imago produced by temperature were being made the subject of 

 systematic research by Professor Weismann, Dr. Standfuss, Mr. E. 

 Fischer and others. Mr. Elwes asked if these experiments had been 

 made on pupae only, or on the larvae as well. Mr. Merrifield said that 

 the results were only noticeable when the experiments were made on 

 pupje. The effect of them on larvae was not apparent. Mr. Kirkaldy 

 exhibited and made remarks on ova of Xotoiurta i/lauca var. ftiirata. 

 Mr. Tutt exhibited living larv.e of Apamea ophiogramma, together with 

 the grass on which it was feeding. He said the species was formerly 

 considered rare in Britain, but was now found freely in any localities 

 where Ribbon grass {r)iitrai>/iis araniJhiarea) was plentiful. The Secre- 

 tary read a communication from Mr. E. Meyrick on the subject of 

 Prof. Radcliffe-Grote's criticisms, contained in his paper published 

 in the proceedings of the Society, 1896, pp. x. — xv., on the use of 

 certain generic terms by Mr. Meyrick in writing on the group of 

 Lepidoptera known as the Geometridse. Mr. Meyrick stated that he 

 rejected the main assumption on which the criticisms were based, 

 viz., that the genera used by Mr. Grote were without descriptions. 



The South London Entomological and Natural History Society. 

 — May 14th, 1896. — Mr. Enock exhibited specimens of two very rare 

 aquatic Hymfnoptera : Prestiric/iia aquatica, Vfhich uses its legs in swimm- 

 ing, and which has not been recorded since its first capture in 1865, and 

 C'araplirartiis rinctm= Pdli/jirnia natans, which uses its wings in swimm- 

 ing. Mr.R. Adkin : a bred series of Melanippe hastata, from Suther- 

 land, with series of the same from Sussex and co. Cork. The larv;e of 

 the first were fed on Mi/rica <ialf. The Cork series had a pale ochreous 

 tone, instead of the usual dead-white ground. The southern series 

 were very uniform, whereas the northern examples varied considerably 

 in the black markings. Mr. Barrett : series of Abraxas ulmata and 

 Pieris rap.e, v. cruciferarum, from Japan. The former were of 

 the British type, but the latter equalled P. bmssicae in size, had a 

 considerable suffusion of black from the base, and in some of the 

 females a partial fusion of the spots. In the discussion which ensued 

 it was suggested that it might be the result of abundance of succulent 

 food. Mr. Carrington remarked on the hardy constitution of the 

 species in Canada, where it experienced extremes of temperature from— 

 -60*^ F. to 188° F. Mr. Tutt noted the increase in abundance and the 

 variation of P. rapae in America, where it had survived, after a great 

 struggle with a closely allied indigenous species, with which it was 

 supposed to have interbred, and which Avas now very rare. Mr. Tutt, 

 for Mr. Merrifield : a number of species of butterflies bred from pup.e 

 subjected to different temperaturks, riz., A(jlai>< nrticac, Pi/ranicis 

 atalanta, J^uvanesaa antiopa, and (Toncpteriix rhainni. He described 

 the vaiiations in detail, and remarked that it was mainly the upper 

 sides which had been affected, whereas the undersides, which in the 

 Rhopalocera Avere developed for protection, were less influenced. The 

 melanism of Triphaena orhona, and that of such a species as A. 

 nrticac, were not parallel cases of variation, as, in the dark aberrations 

 of the former, it was the upper side that was protectively coloured. 

 ])Ir. C. Clark : living specimens of the parasites of the stickleback, 

 with a micro-photograph x 80 of the same, the organs of attach- 

 ment being well shown. Mr. Tutt read a paper entitled, " Is cold 



