1908.1 117 



exhibition : — (1) Four specimens of Eepialus /tumuli, L., more or less covered by a 



sprouting fungoid growth, which was said by the editor of the " Field " newspaper, 

 in 1880, to be possibly an early stage of a species of Claoaria, and to have attacked 

 the mollis after death. Mr. Bankes had only met with eight Lepidopterous ima- 

 gines thus affected, all of which appeared to be referable to II. humuli. They were 

 found in the heath district of South-East Dorset, mostly attached to shoots of Ulex 

 europxus. (2) Many dead larva of Hepia/us lupuUnus, L., infested with the 

 fungus Cordiceps entomorrhira, and received from Mr. W. II. B. Fletcher, in whose 

 flower-garden at Bognor they had been found. The larva of this species proved de- 

 structive there, feeding on the roots of Ilelleboru?, Iris, and Paeonia, but the infested 

 larvae were only obtained from clumps of Paeonia officinalis, working to the surface 

 during the winter months. The larva? were of two classes, some showing anteriorly 

 much fibrous net-like mycelium growth, accompanied by a drumstick-like process 

 often more than half the length of the larva ; others showing no fungoid growth 

 externally, and these work completely out of the soil, and lie about on the surface. 

 Mr. J. E. Collin communicated a paper entitled " The Systematic Affinities of the 

 Phoridse, and of several Brachycerous Families in the Diptera," by Mr. W. Wesche', 

 F.R.M.S. Dr.T. A. Chapman, M.D., F.Z.S., read a paper on " Stenoptilia grandis, 

 n. sp."--H. Rowland-Brown, Hon. Secretary. 



A FORTNIGHT'S WINTER COLLECTING IN VENEZUELA. 



BY G. B. LONGSTAFF, M.A., M.D., F.It.C.P , F.E.S. 



[Concluded from page 76). 



On another occasion 1 met with a similar experience. On 

 March 28th, 1907, a hot sunny morning, as I was walking along the 

 upper water course where it runs through the wood almost clinging 

 to the face of the cliff (perhaps a quarter of a mile from the pre- 

 viously described locality), passing under the shade of a large tree 

 I disturbed a crowd of butterflies so dense that fourteen were easily 

 netted in two or three swoops. Ten of these were pinched, which all 

 proved to be Ithomia sylvella, Hew., four of them got away. In this 

 instance the butterflies were confined to some four or five yards of 

 the narrow path, audit was almost a " pure culture " of that singu- 

 larly delicate little species, indeed, the only exceptions were two 

 specimens of Athesis clearista, Dbl., and single specimens of Ptero- 

 nymia latilla, Hew., and Dircenna jemima, Hiibn. I may add that 

 I have no reason in either case to think that the Ithomiines were 

 drinking at the stream. 



But besides Ithomiines there were plenty of other butterflies 

 along the banks of that stream and the water-courses leading from it. 

 To begin with the less exciting Satyrines. There were Euptychia 

 Iiermes, Fabr. (camerla, Cram.), and the smaller E.pharella, But!., the 



