148 THE entomologist's record. 



Would the insects not dry up, and have to be relaxed ? Most collectors 

 of my acquaintance use zinc boxes, in which the cork has been well 

 damped. 



Mr. Kirby had a rare chance given to him to write a book for " the 

 man in the street." The advertisement which Edward Lloyd, Ltd., 

 is able to afford will carry the book into more humble homes than any 

 other book of a similar nature will have ever before reached. Is it too 

 much to ask that "the man in the street" have correct, if 

 simple, instruction imparted to him, and that such instruction be 

 up-to-date, and not derived from quotations, two, three, and four 

 pages in extent, from Duncan's book, published — well, just a few 

 decades ago? — ^J.B. 



SOCIETIES. 



South London Entomological and Natural History Society. — 

 On May 28th, Mr. Mc Arthur exhibited Insects from Hoy, as 

 follows : — A bred series of Hypsipetcft ruherata and //. trifimriata, 

 which as imagines were inseparable ; the latter species was reared on 

 heath ; Kupitlwcia venosata, E. inilclwUata and Mdamppe fiwtuata 

 \ar. neapolisata. Also specimens of Clin/souu'la arrensi.s a,nd ('. san- 

 (juinexi (from Hoy), with (J. distiiKjucnda from the South of England, for 

 comparison with the local northern ('. sanfininea. Mr. Edwards : a 

 twig of fir containing the nodule and lauva of Tortrix piceana, 

 from Brockenhurst. In reporting on the Field-meeting at Brockkn- 

 hurst, Mr. Edwards said that imagines were more plentiful than 

 last year, and that larva-beating was very successful. The weather 

 was tine, and some twelve members were in attendance during the 

 three days. Marnii/lossa fucifuDiiis and M. bombi/liforjiiis were both 

 captured. Larva' of Lhncnitis si/billa, i'atovala praDiissa, C. spansa, 

 Taeniocaiiipa viiiiiosa, tSpilosonia )iu')i(Uca, Zi'phijni,'^ ijuercu.s and X. 

 betulae, were among the species found. On June 11th, Mr. Lucas 

 exhibited specimens of the following Odonata : — Ichnura ehyans, 

 PyrrJwsoma minhoii and a series of I'latetrum depreHswn, including a 

 male which had not developed the blue colour characteristic of the sex. 

 They were taken by Mr. Turner, at Folkestone, on May 17th. Mr. 

 Barrett exhibited a very large and dark specimen of Mamestra 

 ABJECTA, and a beautiful var. of the same, having all the markings 

 clear and distinct upon a light ground ; a var. ninissa of Apamea 

 (jemina, and a specimen of iladrna i/cuistcu', to both of which the var. 

 of M. abjerta was comparable in many respects. Mr. N. D. Warne, 

 Keswick Insects, including a series of I'locris staturs, and a few 

 specimens of Kmiinic^ia adaequata [blandiata), one of which had 

 the central band almost complete. Mr. Tunaley : a specimen of 

 Empis tessellata, having in its grasp a Tijnda, which it had 

 captured. The middle legs of the Kmpis clutched the shoulders 

 of the wings of the Tipula, the hind-legs were bent under the 

 wings and body, while the fore-legs of the Empis were free to 

 grasp any support. The Tijnda was thus held as if in a vice, and 

 some of the individuals thus seized not infrequently lost one or 

 more of their legs in the struggle. The Empis repeatedly pierced 

 the thorax of the Tipula with its lancet, but was not always successful, 



