168 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



May 9^/i.- -The President in the chair. Mr. Tugwell exhibited Tephrosia 

 hiundalaria, showing marked variation, including a banded male, all bred 

 from a specimen taken at Tilgate Forest, May, 1888 : also bred series of 

 T. crepuscularia, spring and summer broods, from the same locality. Mr. 

 Adye, a light form of Catocala promissa, the dark band on the hind wings 

 being very indistinct. Mr. Moore, two larvae of a species of Sphinx, from 

 the West Indies. Mr. Adkin, a short series of Nyssia hispidaria, from the 

 New Forest, and remarked that it had been fairly common in the Forest. 

 Mr. Wat>son also exhibited N. hispidaria, from West Wickham. Mr. South 

 exhibited a long series oH Noctua hrunnea and N. dahlii, N. /estiva and var. 

 conflaa, from various localities, and remarked that in 1886 and 1887 he 

 obtained large numbers of the larvae of N. hrunnea from North Devon, 

 which were found feeding on bilberry and a species of wood-rush ; although 

 the larvae differed in colour very considerably, yet they were very constant 

 in the markings. He then at some length pointed out the different forms 

 of variation of hrunnea in his exhibit, and said that in some cases brunnea so 

 closely approached dahlii that he had a difficulty in saying which was 

 which; and he was of opinion that the relationship between hrunnea and 

 dahlii was something similar to that heiweeu /estiva and con/lua. Mr. Tutt 

 also exhibited two drawers from his collection, containing the species 

 referred to ; and Mr. Adkin, N. hrunnea and N. dahlii, from Sligo, Kent, 

 and other localities. A discussion ensued, Messrs. Tutt, Adkin, ifugwell, 

 Carrington, and others taking part. Mr. Billups exhibited a series of 

 Bemhidium testaceum, from Cliobham ; living specimens of Carahus auratus, 

 captured in the Borough Market; and a species of Oribatidse, which he 

 stated was causing an immense amount of mischief to corn-chandlers by 

 feeding on the crushed oats. — H. W. Barker, Hon. Sec. 



REVIEW. 



Australian Butter/lies. By A. Sidney Olltff, F.E.S., &c. Sydney : 

 Batson & Co. 1889. 

 Mr. Oil iff, whom it will be remembered left this country to take up a 

 position in the Zoological Department of the Australian Museum, Sydney, 

 some time ago communicated to the columns of the ' Sydney Mail ' news- 

 paper, a series of popular articles upon the Rhopalocera of that region. 

 These articles have been collected, enlarged, and printed, at the request of 

 the Natural History Society of New South Wales, in book form ; with a 

 chapter upon collecting and preserving insects generally. The work, both 

 in the newspaper and now under notice, is extensively illustrated by wood- 

 cuts of drawings by Mr. J. M. Cantle. The evident object is to popularise 

 the study of Rhopalocera in Australia, and we can hardly imagine that Mr. 

 Olliff's little work will fail in its intention. There is no systematic list in 

 the book of the species inhabiting Australia, which would have been an 

 advantage, but we gather that material is still wanted for such. On looking 

 through the families there appears to be mentioned nearly 300 species 

 now known, to which number others will doubtless be added from time to 

 time. In point of numbers the LycaenidiB stand first with about eighty 

 species, next Hesperidas about seventy species, Pierinie about fifty, Nympha- 

 linuo twenty-five, Papil'os twenty ; the remainder being spread over other 

 families and genera in small numbers. — J. T. C. 



