CURRENT NOTES. 138 



and others followed in quick succession nearly every day, one, and 

 sometimes five or six, on one day. The larvae were very easily reared, 

 giving no trouble, though eating very voraciously. The pupa is intensely 

 black on the dorsal surface ; the ventral surface, legs and antenna- 

 cases are pale green at first, soon intensifying to a dull yellow, and one 

 pupa, had the usual green parts of a pure white ; this I kept separately 

 in hopes of an aberration, but the imago was quite normal. After 

 emergence the moth clings with the two forelegs stretched out in 

 front, holding on, apparently, by the small hooks or spurs, the other 

 legs hanging beneath the body, which is held out as far from the 

 surface on which it is resting as possible, the wings being placed flat 

 against its sides, tent fashion. The emergence takes place early in the 

 day, the moths remaining quite motionless until dusk. I was not 

 successful in getting any to pair. I recommend all who wish to rear 

 this interesting insect to search all delphiniums to which they can gain 

 access; the drawn-up bud or eaten leaf will of course lead one to the 

 small or large larva, and as delphinium seems to be the foodplant of 

 so few British insects one can rely upon one's captures being likely 

 to turn out the desired species. The perfect insect may be captured at 

 dusk, hovering over, or feeding on, the flowers of the foodplant. — 

 Harold E. Winser, Kent House, Cranleigh, Surrey. March 12th, 

 1904. 



(CURRENT NOTES. 



At the meeting of the Entomological Society of London, held on 

 March 2nd, a discussion took place on " What is a species ? " We are 

 informed that the discussion did not clear the ground very greatly, 

 and that only theological terms seemed to fit the case. One gathered 

 that a species is an invisible and incomprehensible entity inherent in 

 a group of organisms, that may or may not differ vi:^ibly, either inter- 

 nally or externally, from those of another coequal and equally incom- 

 prehensible group, and which may also differ either internally or 

 externally among themselves to such an extent as to deceive the 

 experienced into the belief that they are each, separately and severally, 



the external signs of internal and invisible differences of the 



entities (to wit, different species), but yet, are, in reality, only the out- 

 ward and visible appearances of different phases of one and the same 

 entity, entitled a species. 



As to who is to separate species, one was left with the comfortable 

 feeling that no man or woman is entitled to decide as to what is or is 

 not a species (as defined supra) until he or she has acquired great 

 experience in distinguishing the same, and that the greater the ex- 

 perience the less the possibility of any such qualified person arriving 

 at any definite conclusion. 



The meeting of the Entomological Club, held on March 15th, at 

 " Wellfield," Lewisham, at 6.30 p.m., was a great success. The host 

 and hostess, Mr. and Mrs. R. Adkin, received the members and guests, 

 and there was a strong muster present. Among the guests were Pro- 

 fessor Armstrong, Colonel Swinhoe, Messrs. Armstrong, jun,, Collin, 

 Distant, A. H. .Jones, Lucas, South and Tutt, whilst it was quite a 

 record meeting as far as members were concerned, for every available 

 member was present, riz., Messrs. K. Adkin, Chitty, Donisthorpe, 



