147 



II. — H. Eltrixgham. 



The Genus Acrœa. 



Mr. Eltringham exhibited the greater part of the Oxford 

 ■collection of examples of the Genus Acrcea, arranged in accordance 

 with his monograph, which was published just previously to the 

 Congress by the Entomological Society of London. All the speci- 

 mens had been arranged and labelled under his direction by Mr. A. 

 H. Hamm. The entire collection occupies about 120 standard 

 cabinet drawers, and a figure of the male armature accompanies 

 the series of each species. In nearly every case where the museum 

 does not actualh^ possess an example, a coloured figure is inserted 

 in its proper place, so that the entire scries forms a most valuable 

 reference collection. Of some 360 named forms the Hope De- 

 partment possesses examples of approximately 80 per cent., 

 including over forty types. The exhibitor pointed out the re- 

 markable polymorphism of many members of the genus, together 

 with the extreme differences in some of the " seasonal " forms, 

 and the frequent development of mimetic patterns. Changes 

 in pattern corresponding to geographical distribution were noted, 

 as also cases where widely different patterns were accompanied 

 by remarkable similarity in the structure of the male armature, 

 and instances of the opposite of this condition. Amongst the 

 latter is the remarkable case of .-1. niansya and A. chambezi, 

 the species being identical in appearance, with the exception of 

 the position of one small spot, whereas the respective male 

 armatures show nearly as much difi'erence as those of any other 

 species of the genus. 



III.— R. S. Bagnall. 



Mr. Bagnall exhibited new British insects, etc., in the 

 following little-worked groups : 



{a) Thysamira. — A collection of the British Thysanura, in- 

 cluding examples of the recently described Campodca lubbocki 

 Silvestri from Oxford. 



[h] Collembola. — Numerous springtails from the North of 

 England and Scotland, including representatives of about two 

 >dozen additions to the British fauna— chiefly subalpine forms, 



