162 THE KNTOMOLOGIST. 



Mr. R. McLachlan exhibited Trichopterous larva-cases of the form 

 known as " Helicopsi/che," from the Prony River, New Caledonia, sent 

 to him by Mr. J. J. Walker, R.N. They were large, and remarkable 

 for the size of the individual sand-grains of which they were built up. 

 These sand-grains, Mr. Walker informs him, were water-worn particles 

 of the heavier minerals of the river-bed, such as chrome, nickel, and 

 iron ores. It is possible tliat similar cases were alluded to by Hagen in 

 the Stett. Entom. Zeitung, 1864, p. 129, from the Munich Museum. — 

 Mr. G. T. Porritt exhibited specimens of an almost black form of 

 Acronycta menijanthidis from Skipwith Common, near Selby, and stated 

 that the same form was also common on Strensall Common, near 

 York. For comparison he also showed specimens from the moors 

 near Huddersfield. The chief interest in the exhibit consisted in the 

 fact that in both the districts where the melanic memjanthidis occurred, 

 melanism was not a common feature ; whereas in the Huddersfield 

 district, where only the pale form of menyanthidis was taken, melanism 

 was a conspicuous feature in many species, even in and close to the 

 grounds where only pale Dieni/anthidis could be found. — Mr. H. W. 

 Andrews exhibited a female specimen of Amphidasys betuloria, with 

 hind wings aborted and scarcely developed, taken at Paul's Cray, 

 Kent, in May, 1896. — Mr. H. Rowland-Brown stated that he had seen 

 an announcement that the County Council had under consideration 

 the feasibility of stocking the London parks with Butterflies, and en- 

 couraging those which already existed there. He said that, according 

 to the latest observations, tliirty-nine species of Rhopalocera were 

 recorded within, roughly speaking, a ten-mile metropolitan limit, but 

 that of these he only knew of Pieris rapce, P. napi, Vanessa atalanta, 

 V. urticce, and perhaps one or two others which could, strictly speaking, 

 be said to inhabit the Metropolis itself. A discussion followed on the 

 subject, in which Mr. A. J. Chitty said that Pieris hrassica had occurred 

 in the garden of his London house, and that he thought Vanessa poly- 

 chloros might be added to the list of those open to experiment, though 

 Mr. R. MacLachlan though that it had ceased to be a London insect. 

 Mr. G. H. Verrall also advocated the introduction of tropical and 

 other foreign species in the great conservatories of Kew, where, without 

 danger to the plants, they would be objects of great beauty and attrac- 

 tiveness. He considered the experiment, at any rate, worth the trial. 

 Mr. H. Goss continued the discussion, and Mr. F. Merrifield, while 

 recognising the difficulties arising from soil, climate, and surroundings, 

 expressed his belief that certain hardy species would be more than a 

 match for their bird enemies. — H. Rowland-Brown and H. Goss, Ho7i. 

 Secretaries. 



Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society. — March 11th, 

 1901. — Mr. F. R. Dixon-Nuttall opened the meeting by giving the 

 Society a most cordial welcome to St. Helen's. The Vice-President, 

 Mr. R. Wilding, occupied the chair. Mr. Wilding, in his opening 

 address, said that he thought that the new departure of holding 

 occasional meetings in other towns than Liverpool would be conducive 

 to the life and well-being of the Society. The Rev. R. Freeman began 

 his paper by exhibiting and explaining a coloured map, drawn by 

 himself, showing the district which the St. Helen's naturalists are 



