§odcties. 



Birmingham Entomological Society : J/rry 18//;, 18P6.— Mr. P. W. Abbott, 

 Vice-President, in the Chair. 



Mr. R. C. Bradley showed a few ichneumons, Anomalon hellicosnin, from the 

 New Forest, and a pair of Banchus picias from Colwich. Mr. P. W. Abbott, a 

 number of insects taken on tiie sallows at Wyre Forest last Easter; he said that 

 moths were more numerous on the sallows than he had ever seen them before ; 

 TcBuiocampa miniosa and Oporina croceago were both common, and all the usual 

 species were abundant ; he also had three Tceniocampa opiina, not hitherto recorded 

 locally, and Lobophora iabulata had also been attracted. Mr. Wainwright, a boxful 

 of Aculeates, including amongst others Noniada bifida from Colwich last June. Mr. 

 Martineau said that Andrenida seemed to have been more abundant this spring 

 wherever he iiad been than he had ever observed them before. Mr. J. W. Sinall- 

 wood, a series of Amphydasis befularia bred from a pair, one black and one normal 

 (sexes not recorded) ; in the series were eight females of which six were black, and 

 seven males of which one only was black. Mr. Wainwright said that all the black 

 ones he had ever taken or bred were females, and he had always thought that the 

 black form was associated chiefly with that sex, and was originally a vai-iety of that 

 sex alone. Mr. H. Foster Newey said that he had bred a series from a black pair, 

 and every one came out black, males and females alike. Mr. P. W. Abbott asked for 

 the experience of Members with regard lo Tephrosia crepuscularia ; he had been 

 taking them with light and dark ones intermingled, and also others that seemed 

 intermediate, being dark, splashed with lighter colour ; he thought them to be all 

 belonging to the same species. — CoLBRAX J. Wainwright, Hon. Secretary. 



Cambridge Entomological and Natural History Society. — A Meeting of 

 the Society was held at the rooms of the Hon. Librarian on May 15th, the President 

 in the Chair. 



Mr. Rickard exhibited a case of beetles collected by himself at the Cape, 

 including the rare genus Isrhnodoma. Mr. Fleet exhibited specimens found at 

 Cambridge of the larvee of the new British moth, Plusia moneia; the young larva 

 is very different in form and habit from the adult, and lives in a bunch of terminal 

 leaves of monkshood, fastened together. The President remarked on a work just 

 published in Germany by Dr. Standfuss : this gentleman has made experiments in 

 crossing species and varieties of Lepidoptera, and some of his results are cei'tainly 

 of interest. Among other results he finds that hybridization between closely allied 

 species produces a remarkable amount of hermaphroditic progeny. He also 

 exhibited one of the basket-worms discussed at the last meeting; the specimen was 

 extracted from its basket and showed great differences when compared with ordinary 

 caterpillars. He also showed another very exceptional larva from Madagascar 

 which he believed to be one of the " slug worms " of N. American naturalists. He 

 then read a paper upon " The Destruction of Forests and its results." He said that 

 much wanton destruction of natural conditions occurs in nil parts of the world, 

 which in the long run impoverishes humanity. In coinicction with this the 



