24 THE entomologist's record. 



SOCIETIES. 



Cambridge Entomological and Natural History Society. — 

 Oct. 30th, 1896. — SoiTH African insects. — Mr. Rickard exhibited a 

 number of South African insects, including various Orthoptera of 

 P/(y//ua^('!W and allied genera, and_ Hymenoptera, and a specimen of 

 Batracho tHti.r, a very variable insect, whose colour is said to depend 

 upon the njiture of the ground in its neighbourhood. Thyridopteryx 

 EPHEMEK.EFORMis. — Dr. Sharp showed various stages of T/ti/iidopterij.i- 

 ('lihemeyai'formU from Washington, U.S.A., including some perfect 

 insects which had emerged after their arrival in England. Jumping 

 COCOONS. — Dr. Sharp read a paper upon " Jumping Cocoons." He 

 described the structure of the pupa, and the mechanism by which it 

 chisels and hammers its way out of the cocoon. He suggested that 

 the " jumping " was produced l)y the efltbrts of the insect to free itself 

 when the cocoon had by accident become detached from its moorings. 

 Mr. Lamb remarked that the mechanics of the process were rather 

 obscure. 



Committee of the Entomological Society of London for the 

 Protection of British Lepidoptera. — At a meeting, held on November 

 25th, it was resolved to invite the co-operation of local societies 

 throughout the United Kingdom, and to ask them to furnish informa- 

 tion as to proceedings likely to cause the extermination of local species 

 of Lepidoptera. Communications will be received by the Hon. Secre- 

 tary, Chas. G. Barrett, 89, Linden Grove, Nunhead. 



Ji\EYIEWS AND NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



Help wanted. — I am at work collecting the material for a book on 

 British Moths, on the same lines as that recently published by Messrs. 

 Gill and Sons on British Butterflies. I find there are descriptions of 

 the eggs of very few species published, and that the existent descrip- 

 tions of the pupa) are, as a rule, too meagre or general to be of actual 

 value. I should be exceedingly pleased if entomologists generally will 

 give me help in this direction, either by providing me with original 

 notes on eggs and pupsf, or with eggs and pupae for description. Larva?, 

 too, would be useful for original notes on structure. At present, the 

 Hepialids, Cossids, Cochliopodids, Zygnsnids, Lasiocampids, Satur- 

 niids and Sphingids are wanted. These will be the first groups dealt 

 with, as they are the most unsatisfactory in Newman's work, and there 

 appears to be no doubt that a cheap up-to-date book, on the lines of 

 Newman, is much wanted by those lepidopterists to whom expensive 

 books arc prohibitive. Those lepidopterists, too, whose energy is spent 

 among the foreign literature of our subject could greatly help by 

 noting all aberrations and varieties they come across in the families 

 mentioned above. Is it possible, too, to enlist the help of one (or 

 more) good lepidopterist in each county, so as to get as complete a 

 geographical distribution of the species as possible ? Scotland is par- 

 ticularly ill-cared for in this direction. I should be particularly 

 thankful for copies of any published county (or district) lists. — J. W. 

 TuTT, Westcombe Hill, S.E. 



Eruatcm. — Vol. viii., p. 299, line 5 from bottom, for " B. quercus going," read 

 "/>. quercus always going." 



