SOCIETIES. 93 



probably from a neighbouring oak. A. 7'umicis, larva on dock; 

 Selenia tetralunaria, one male on a flower-bed of Eupatorlum. 

 S. hllunaria, larvae on alder. Cleora glabraria, one imago beaten 

 from an ash tree. Amphidasys betularla, one larva on alder. 

 Geometra papilionaria, larvae on alder. Coremia ferriigata, \evy 

 common. Melanthia ocellata, very common among Galium 

 mollugo. Hypsipetes sordidata, larvae on alder. Cidaria im- 

 manata, wasted.— Gilbkrt H. Eaynor ; Brentwood, Feb. 10, 1888. 



A London form of Melanism. — With reference to Mr, 

 Cockerell's note on this subject (Entom. CO), the following 

 extract from my diary may be of some interest : — " 13th June, 

 1868, — Sugared in Bishop's Wood, Hampstead, and took (among 

 other things) Miana strigilis, 4 ; var. cethiops, 7." It is there- 

 fore evident that some twenty years ago the melanic variety 

 considerably outnumbered tlie type in the north-west district of 

 London. For earlier dates I must trust to my memory, and can 

 speak only with regard to the south-east of the metropolis, but I 

 well remember that, while still a schoolboy, I used frequently to 

 sugar the stems of sundry small fruit-trees in my father's 

 garden at Lewisham. M. strigilis was one of the most frequent 

 visitors, and the "black" variety was regarded as much the 

 more common of the two forms. The periods to which I am 

 thus able to refer are, I am aware, much too remote to allow of 

 any definite conclusions being drawn in the direction indicated 

 by Mr. Cockerell, but J trust that they may at least form a link 

 in the chain of evidence that will no doubt be forthcoming upon 

 this interesting subject.— Robert Adkin ; Lewisham, Feb., 1888. 



Butterfly, Origin of Word. — Can you give me the deriva- 

 tion of the word butterfly ? — N. H. Eeid ; Oaklands, Beckenhani. 



[Skeats ('Etymological Dictionary') says: "Anglo-Saxon 

 huttor-fleoge, from hutor = butter, and fieoge a fly. Dutch hoter- 

 vlieg, German hutterfliege" Kilian gives Old Dutch name as 

 huter-schijte, showing that its excrement was regarded as i-e- 

 -sembling butter. — J. T. C.]. 



SOCIETIES. 

 Entomological Society of IjO^do^.— February \st. 1888. — 

 Dr. David Sharp, F.Z.S., President in the chair. The Presi- 

 dent nominated Sir John Lubbock, Bart., M.P., F.K.S., Mr. 



