1887.] 261 



Difflossa mersa was extremely plentiful one morning — far above high-water mark — 

 in company with Phytosus spinifer, but subsequently I found only two or three 

 specimens. — Theodoee Wood, St. Peter's, Kent : February 6th, 1887. 



Wireioorms in winter. — It seems to be generally supposed that wireworms 

 descend deeply into the soil during the winter months. During the last six weeks, 

 and even immediately after tolerably severe weather and prolonged frost, I, however, 

 have found them feeding upon Jerusalem artichokes within an inch or two of the 

 surface. I imagine that when food is abundant they do not trouble to descend at 

 all, and only hibernate, strictly speaking, when it is not to be procured. Many larvae, 

 we know, may be frozen without injury to themselves, and wireworms are perhaps as 

 robust as any. It is therefore scarcely likely that any but a severe frost should drive 

 them so far below the surface when food in plenty is to be obtained ; and certainly 

 it has no such effect in the garden here. — Id. 



Aphodius consputus, Cr., near Margate. — Early in last November I had the good 

 fortune to capture fifteen specimens of this rarity, as they were crawling up the cliffs 

 in company with a host of other insects. Not recognising them at the time, I 

 imagined them to be a varying form of A. prodromtis. Upon examining them at 

 home, however, I was at once struck by the conspicuous yellow blotch upon either 

 side of the head, and by the yellowish centre to the metasternum ; and then their 

 true character, of course, was evident enough. In company with them I also took 

 A. porous and A. tessulatus in some numbers. I fancy that many of the rarer 

 Aphodii appear later in the year than is generally imagined, and so escape the 

 notice of collectors. As far as my own experience goes, shore and cliff collecting, to 

 which I am indebted for many of my best captures, is remunerative at least until 

 the end of November. — Id. 



John Sang. — We regret to announce the sudden death of Mr. Sang, who was 

 found dead in his bed on the morning of Sunday, March 20th. The cause of death 

 ■was valvular disease of the heart. A detailed notice will appear in our next No. 



The South London Entomological and Natural History Society : 

 February 2Uh, 1887 : R. Adkin, Esq., E.E.S., President, in the Chair. 



Messrs. J. E. Kelsall, J. Lea, and E. B. Nevinson, were elected Members. 



Mr. Tutt exhibited Tephrosia crepuscularia, Hb., from Hungary, and remarked 

 that he was unable to obtain any forms of T. blundularia from there although he had 

 received it from Germany ; he further showed continental forms of AgrotidcB and 

 specimens of Acidalia perochraria, Fisch., and contributed notes. Mr. R. South, 

 Lobophora polycommata, Hb. (bred). Dr. Rendall, Calocampa solidaginis, Hb., 

 from Cannock Chase. Mr. Tugwell, English and Scotch forms of Lycaena bellargus, 

 Erott. Mr. R. Adkin, Notodonta ziczac, L., Dianthcecia capsophila, Dup., Aplecta 

 prasina, Fb., and Eupithecia pumilata, Hb., from County Cork, with specimens from 

 Tarious English localities for comparison. Mr. J. J. Weir read a paper on " Melanism." 

 Mr. George Smith gave an exhibition of photo-micrograpliic slides. 



