1892.] 313 



real state of the case, and we are inclined to sympathize with the author that, in 

 these latter years of the nineteenth century, he should be made the means of per- 

 petuating a long-exploded fallacy. The work is of great interest, as bringing 

 together the majority of recorded cases of fungi parasitic upon insects, and from a 

 botanical point of view we need scarcely say it is well done, for it would be difficult 

 to find a higher authority than Dr. Cooke, who has devoted a lifetime to the study of 

 fungi. That all the recorded cases are here included is impossible in the present 

 state of the literature of the subject ; as a botanist he has done his best, for many 

 of these cases are recorded in purely entomological publications, which he can 

 hardly be expected to have seen ; but the omissions are certainly not many. In this 

 country no attempt has been made to bring together the records of insect-fungi since 

 the late Mr. G. R. Gray wrote his " Notices of Insects that are known to form the 

 bases of fungoid parasites," in 1858 : this work was privately printed, and is exces- 

 sively scarce ; it formed a 4to brochure of 22 pages, with six plates. Since that 

 time the number of recorded cases have been very great, and we cordially recommend 

 Dr. Cooke's work as indicating most of them. 



Birmingham Entomological Society: November 14th, 1892. — Mr. R. C. 

 Bradley, Vice-President, in the Chair. 



The Secretary called the attention of the Society to the death of two of its 

 Members, Messrs. J. T. Harris, of Burton-on-Trent, and Robert T. Allday, of 

 Handsworth. These wex'e the first losses by death the Society had experienced. 

 The following were exhibited : — by Mr. W. Harrison, living larvse of Trochilium api- 

 forme from Arley ; also one of the same preserved. Mr. C. J. Wainwright, the 

 genus Dioctria, including Reinhardi from Wyre Forest, rufipes from Sherwood 

 Forest and Sutton, and Baumhaiieri from Sherwood Forest. Mr. R. C. Bradley, 

 series of Limnohia hlfasciata and Amalopis littoralis from Wyre Forest. — Colbran 

 J. Wainwright, Hon. Sec. 



Cambridge Entomological and Natural History Society : October 28th, 

 1892.— Mr. A. M. Moss, President in the Chair. 



Mr, J. Rickard was elected a Member of the Society. 



The following exhibits were made : — Mr. Wells, a fine series of Colias Ediisa, 

 var. Relice, from Sidmouth, and some good varieties of Smerinthus tilice, bred from 

 pupae dug up at Cambridge. Mr. Farren, a long and varied series of Xanthia aurago, 

 Stauropus fagi and the black variety from Reading, and Callimorpha Hera and its 

 var. lutescens from Devon. Mr. IMoss, a box of Lepidoptera from Windermere and 

 neighbourhood ; he said he had this year found the larvse of Cidaria reticulata, 

 taking twenty-seven in one afternc)On ; he exhibited a larva which he had preserved. 

 Mr. Moss said they appeared to feed almost exclusively on the seed of their food- 

 plant (wild balsam), entering the seed pod about the middle ; in the day time they 

 were to be found resting at full length along the midrib on the undei'-side of the 



leaves. — William Farrbn, Hon. Sec. 



FF 



