socitTiES. 277 



T. A, Marshall communicated, a iDaper entitled, " A Monograph of 

 British Braconidte. Part VII." Mr. T. D. A. Cockerell communi- 

 cated a paper entitled, " New Hymenoptera from the Mesilla Valley, 

 New Mexico." Mr. E. Meyrick contributed a paper entitled, " On 

 Lepidoptera from the Malay Archipelago." Dr. Sharp read a paper 

 by Mr. G. D. Haviland and himself, entitled, " Termites in captivity 

 in England." 



The North London Natural History Society — Oct. 8th, 1896. — 

 Abnormal form of Nemeophila plantaginis. — Mr. Woodward exhibited 

 an abnormal form of N. plantaninis, having the last pair of legs, 

 replaced by wings. Captures. — Mr. C. B. Smith exhibited J/rt(;To//Zo.ssa 

 t'uciformis, M. boiiibijlifonnl.s and Bomhj.v trifolii, from Lyndhurst, 

 Macrot/lossa stellatariim from Cromer, and FAlopia j)ros(ipiaria from 

 Oxshott. Catocala fkaxini at Stamford Hill. — Mr. Goymour 

 recorded the capture of a specimen of Catocala fra.vini, at rest, on the 

 trunk of a lime tree, in the Stamford Hill district, on September 27th. 

 The insect measured 4 in., and was in very fair condition. 



"Transplantation — is it justifiable?" — Mr. R. W. Bobbins 

 opened a debate on this subject. He took a decided affirmative, and 

 maintained that transplantation was not only justifiable in all cases, 

 except when it was practised for fraudulent and dishonest purposes,, 

 but generally advantageous. In agriculture, and many other instances, 

 there was no disagreement between himself and his opponent, but the 

 main objections to scientific transplantation appeared to be : — 

 (1). That it destroys the balance of Nature. (2). That it hinders 

 scientific work. But, said Mr. Bobbins, the balance of Nature is being 

 inevitably destroyed by man every day, in the ordinary course of his 

 existence. It is perpetually fluctuating in all well populated countries,, 

 and the effect of our own small scientific transplantations would 

 practically not be felt among all this fluctuadon. Dealing with the 

 second objection, Mr. Bobbins said that he presumed the scientific 

 work chiefly hindered by transplantation was the compilation of local 

 lists, and the study of the phenomena of distribution deduced from 

 ttiem. This seemed a serious consideration, but the hindrance was- 

 more apparent than real. In a country like our own, the fauna and flora, 

 are already so well known that any introduction is quickly recognised 

 as such, and if the introduced species thrives, it enriches our fauna 

 and flora, and provides us with additional scientific material, without 

 creating confusion. An artificially introduced species would have no 

 chance of survival if the conditions were not similar to its native 

 haunts. Moreover, transplantation was often of great use in preserving 

 a rare species, and might sometimes be necessary to ascertain scientific 

 facts by experiment. In conclusion, Mr. Bobbins recommended the 

 introduction of pines and conifers into Epping Forest, and the 

 re-establishment therein of Limenitis sibi/Ua and Dnjaspaphia, and said 

 that, quite apart from utility, he considered almost all genuine work 

 of this kind justified by the increase of beauty and interest which 

 might thus be provided in the world around us. Mr. Prout opened 

 in the negative. He agreed with Mr. B. W. Bobbins, that " Trans- 

 plantation ' was, of course, justifiable under certain circumstances,, 

 but objected to it as a practice, and claimed that, unless, from the 

 point of view of a naturalist, it could be proved perfectly harmless, the 

 point of view of the artist, or that of the utilitarian, could not come at 

 all before the consideration of the meeting. He proceeded to contend 



