1892.J X37 



the true var. conflua from Shetland ; a sei'ies of Spllosoma mendica, including some 

 of the peculiar Irish forms, and a lot of specimens, descendants of Mr. Porritt's 

 celebrated Huddersfield ones ; the exhibition box of No. 3 basket of the " Eecord 

 Exchange Club," which contained Noctua f estiva and var. conflua, ?i most remarkable 

 variety of Tceniocampa gothica, and some micros. Mr. Jones read a paper on 

 "Killing and Setting Lepidoptera" a discussion ensued chiefly on the several 

 methods of killing : Mr. Jones and Mr. Farren strongly recommending the use of 

 ammonia in preference to cyanide. A vote of thanks to Mr. Jones for his paper con- 

 cluded the Meeting. — Wm. Farren, Kon. Secretary and Treasurer. 



Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society : April 11th, 1892. — 

 Mr. S. J. Capper, F.L.S., FE.S., President, in the Chair. 



Messrs. W. Webster, of St Helen, C. F. Johnson, of Stockport, and the Eev. 

 C. J. Buckmaster, of Wigan, were elected Members. 



Mr. J. E. Robson, F.E.S., of Hartlepool, editor of the " British Naturalist," 

 read a paper, entitled, " Melanism : and its theories ;" the paper was illustrated by 

 numerous examples of melanic forms of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. Mr. C. A. 

 Briggs, very dark Sphinx ligustri, the President, black Boarmia cinctaria and B. 

 rohoraria, and Mr. Eobson, very dark Arctia menthastri, Odontopera bidentata, 

 and Chortohius Pamphilus being specially fine. Mr. Newstead exhibited types of 

 Prosopophora dendrobii, Doug, (of MS. only), a very remarkable Coccid from 

 Demerara, description of which will shortly appear in this Magazine. Mr. Collins, 

 on behalf of Messrs. T. R. Billups and J. Button, of Warrington, <? and ? of 

 Dytiscus dimidiatus, captured in the fens, 1891, after being lost sight of for eight 

 years, and Silpha atrata, var. subrotundata, from the east and south-west coast of 

 the Isle of Man, February, 1892. — F. N. Pierce, Hon. Secretary, 143, Smithdown 

 Lane, Liverpool. 



The South London Entomological and Natural History Society: 

 March 24>th, 1892.— C. a. Barrett, Esq., F.E.S., President, in the Chair. 



Mr. J. R. Burt, of Streatham, was elected a Member. 



Mr. F. Merrifield exhibited examples of Selenia iJlustraria, S. illunaria, S. 

 lunaria, Vanessa uriiccB, Platypferyx faJcataria, Chelonia Cam, Bombyx quercus, 

 and var. callunce, to illustrate the effects of temperature on these species. Mr. 

 Merrifield prefaced his remarks on the experiments he had made by referring to 

 those of Weismann and Edwards, which were made on seasonally dimorphic species, 

 he said the results obtained by him were consistent with those of these gentlemen ; 

 but he went further than they did, and he found by subjecting the pupse to certain 

 temperatures he invariably, in the majority of the specimens, obtained certain results, 

 a lower temperature generally produciiig examples which were darker and more 

 intense in colour than those subjected to higlier temperatures. In illustraria, a 

 brood divided into two portions, and one, placed at a temperature of about 80°, pro- 

 duced normal specimens, while the other portion, placed at a temperature of from 

 50° to 60°, were strikingly darker in colour ; the same results were obtained with 

 illunaria and lunaria, and U. autumnaria, but in the last named species they were 

 not quite so pronounced. P.falcataria, B. quercus, its var. callunce, C. Caia, and 

 V. urticce, were similarly affected, but in a lesser degree than with the species of 

 Selenia ; in V. urticce some of the examples closely approached the var. polaris, the 



