SOCIETIES. 151 



wing-markings in the NijmphaUda:, brought out many, presumably, 

 ancestral features, and in some cases were very striking. There was 

 much difference in sensitiveness between the seasonal broods of the 

 same species, even in V, c-album, although both broods of that species 

 passed the pupal state in the warmer part of the year. Dr. F. A. 

 Dixey read a paper entitled " On Mr. Merrifield's experiments in 

 temperature- variation as bearing on theories of heredity," which was 

 supplemental to the previous paper. Colonel Swinhoe, Mr. Hampson, 

 Mr. Jenner Weir, Sir. Merrifield, and Dr. Dixey took part in the 

 discussion which ensued. — H. Goss & W. W. Fowlee, Hon. Secretaries. 



South London Entomological and Natural History Society. — 

 Annual Meeting, Januanj '25th, 1894. J. Jenner Weir, Esq., F.L.S., 

 President, in the chair. This being the Annual Meeting, no exhibits 

 were made, the occasion being devoted to hearing the Treasurer's and 

 Council's Eeports and tlie Address of the retiring President. The 

 President presented a handsome album to the Society, containing 

 three photographs of himself, taken at different ages, and said he 

 hoped that ail the members would contribute their own, as such a col- 

 lection would, in the future, probably be of great interest and value. 

 The following gentlemen were then elected officers for the ensuing 

 year: — President, Mr. E. Step; Vice-Presidents, Mr, J. Jenner Weir, 

 F.L.S., and Mr. C. G. Barrett, F.E.S. ; Treasurer, Mr. E. Adkin, 

 F.E.S. ; Librarian and Report Secretary, Mr. Hy. J. Turner, F.E.S. ; 

 General Secretary, Mr. S. Edwards, F.L.S. ; Curator, Mr. W. West; 

 Council, Messrs. T. R. Billups, F.E.S., C. A. Briggs, F.E.S., J. H. 

 Carpenter, F. E. Filer, F. W. Frohawk, F.E.S., J. Henderson, and E. 

 South, F.E.S. La his address the President showed fully the pleasures 

 and advantages derived from the study of entomology. He spoke of 

 the recent attention which had been given to classification, noticing 

 especially the admirable work of Dr. Chapman, and made considerable 

 reference to melanism, coupling therewith the results of the laborious 

 experiments of Mr. Merrifield. After discussing at length the excep- 

 tional season and its effects on Lepidoptera, he remarked with satis- 

 faction upon the " new life which the study of Variation had given to 

 the collecting of indigenous Lepidoptera." A graceful reference to the 

 late Mr. H. T. Stainton, as one who, " being dead, yet speaketh," and 

 words of welcome to the incoming President, Mr. E. Step, ended a 

 most able address. 



February 8th. — E. Step, Esq., President, in the chair. Mr. Car- 

 penter exhibited Xylophasia monogUjplia, Hufn. [polyodo7i, L.), both the 

 dark and intermediate forms; also a form of Ayrotis carsoria, Bork., not 

 distinguishable from a southern form of A. tritici; all from Aberdeen. 

 Mr. W. F. Warne, a case of nearly two dozen species of Eliopalocera 

 taken near Rockhampton, in Queensland, representing one morning's 

 captures ; they included Anosia plexippus and Beiopeia i^ulchella, L. 

 Mr. W. A. Pearce, series taken by himself in Alleghany, U.S.A., 

 during 1892-3, Pyrameis atalanta, L., F. huntera, Fab., Vanessa antiopa, 

 L., Folygonia inter rogationis, Fab., P. comma, Harr. (the two broods), 

 and bred series of Telea polyphemus, L., and Samia cecropia, L. A dis- 

 cussion ensued as to the singularity of a species like V. aniiopa being 

 gregarious in the larval stage, while the imagines were seldom met 



