SOCItlTIES. 199 



Spring Captures at Folkestoke. — The following notes of rather early 

 appearances may be of interest: — April 1st, Selenia illunaria, Loboplwra 

 polycommata, Anticlea hadiata; 8th, Hemeropldla ahruptaria, Phihalapteryx 

 vitalhata (I believe the time usually given for the appearance of this 

 species is June and July), Bumia cratcegata ; 9th, Cidaria suffumata ; 

 lOlh, Ematurga atomaria; I5th, Phytometra anea, Herhula cespitalis, 

 Epichnopteryx puUa ; 18th, Theda ruhi, Lyccena arylolus, Nisoniades tayes. 

 —Stuart G. Hills; Folkestone, April 18th, 1894. 



SOCIETIES. 



Entomological Society of London. — March 28th, 1894. — Henry 

 John Elwes, Esq., F.L.S., President, in the chair. Mr. Percy H. 

 Grimshaw, of 58, Coniston Koad, Edinburgh, was elected a Fellow of 

 the Society. Mr, McLachlan announced the sudden death, on the 

 23rd inst., of Mr. J. Jenner Weir, who joined the Society in 1845, 

 and had been one of its most regular attendants. He also commented 

 on the scientific attainments of the deceased, and his social qualities. 

 Mr. Goss and Mr. Merrifield also spoke of their long friendship with 

 the deceased, and of the respect and esteem which they entertained 

 for his varied knowledge and amiability of disposition. Mr. W. 

 Borrer, jun., exhibited a wasp's nest which had been built in such a 

 way as to conceal the entrance thereto and to protect the whole nest 

 from observation. He believed the nest to be that of Vespa vulgaris 

 {cf. Proc. Ent. Soc. London, 1892, pp. xx and xxi). Mr. McLachlan 

 and Mr. Blandford made some remarks on the subject. Mr. G. F. 

 Hampson exhibited a specimen of Gaudaritis jiavata, Moore, from the 

 Khasi Hills, and called attention to the existence in the males of this 

 species, in the closely aUied British species Cidaria dotata, Linn., and 

 also in two Japanese species (C. agnes, Butl., and an undescribed 

 species), of an organ on the under side of the fore wing, which he 

 suggested might be for stridulation ; this organ consisting of a small 

 scar of hyaline membrane situated just below the middle of vein 2, 

 which is much curved : this scar is fringed with long hair, and has 

 running down its middle a row of sharp spines situated on the aborted 

 remains of vein 1, and which is curved up close to vein 2 ; the spines 

 would naturally rub against part of the costa of the hind wing, but 

 no spines or unusual roughening seems to exist on that or on any of 

 the veins on the upper side of hind wing against which they could 

 strike ; below the scar is situated a large shallow fovea or pit in the 

 membrane, slightly developed in dotata and jlaiata, but much more 

 prominently in the two Japanese species, and, should the organ prove 

 to be made for stridulation, would probably act as a sounding-board. 

 Mr. Hampson said that in the Japanese species C.jixsejiioi Brem., 

 exceedingly closely alhed to Jiavata, the males have no trace of this 

 organ ; and he hoped that entomologists who have an opportunity 

 of observing dotata in life would make some experiments on living 

 specimens during the ensuing summer ; probably confining males and 

 females together would lead to some results. The President, Prof. 

 E. B. Poulton, Lord Walsingham, and Mr. Hampson took part in the 



