215 



SOCIETIES. 



Entomological Society of London. — July Srd, 1889. — The Right 

 Honourable Lord Walsingham, M.A., F.R.S., President, in the chair. 

 The Eev. W. A. Hamilton (Calcutta), and Mr. H. W. Vivian (Glenafon, 

 Taiback, South Wales), were elected Fellows of the Society. A letter was 

 read from Mr. E. J, Atkinson, Chairman of the Trustees of the Indian 

 Museum, Calcutta, in which assistance was asked from British entomolo- 

 gists in working out various orders of Indian insects. The following 

 motion, which had previously been unanimously passed at the meeting of 

 the Council, was read to the Society: — " That papers containing descrip- 

 tions of isolated species widely remote in classification or distribution, are, 

 as a rule, undesirable for publication, as tending to create unnecessary 

 difficulties for faunistic or monographic workers." Mr. M'Lachlan, Mr. 

 Jacoby, Mr. Elwes, Dr. Sharp and others took part in the discussion which 

 followed. Mr. J. W. Slater exhibited a doubtful specimen of Arctia 

 mendica, L., which appeared as if it might prove to be a hybrid between 

 that species and A. lubricipeda, L. Mr. M'Lachlan, on behalf of Prof. 

 Klapalek, of Prague, who was present as a visitor, exhibited preparations 

 representing the life-history of Agrlotypus armatus, Walk., showing the 

 curious appendages of the case. Prof. Klapalek, in answer to questions, 

 described the transformations in detail. A discussion followed, in which 

 Mr. M'Lachlan and Lord Walsingham took part. Mr. H. J. Elwes 

 exhibited a specimen of an undescribed Chrysophanus, taken in the Shan 

 States, Upper Burmah, by Dr. Manders, which was very remarkable on 

 account of the low elevation and latitude at which it was found ; its only 

 very near ally appeared to be Polyommatus U, Oberthiir, from Western 

 Szechuen, but there was no species of the genus known in the Eastern 

 Himalayas or anywhere in the Eastern tropics. Mr. G. T. Porritt exhibited 

 a remarkable series of Arctia mendica, L., bred from a small batch of eggs 

 found on the same ground at Grimescar, Huddersfield, as the batch from 

 which the series he had previously exhibited before the Society was bred. 

 This year he had bred forty-five specimens, none of which were of the 

 ordinary form of the species : as in the former case, the eggs were found 

 perfectly wild, and the result this year was even more surprising than 

 before. Mr. R. W. Lloyd exhibited specimens of Harpalus cupreus, Steph., 

 and Cathormiocerus socixis, Boh., recently taken at Sandown, Isle of Wight. 

 Mr. 0. E. Janson exhibited a fine male example of Theodosia hoivitti, 

 Castelnau, a genus of Cetoniidse resembling some of the Dynastidae in the 

 remarkable armature of the head and thorax. The specimen had recently 

 been received from N.W. Borneo. Mr. W. White exhibited specimens of 

 Heterogynis paradoxa, Ramb., and stated that this insect represented an 

 extreme case of degeneration, the mature female being only slightly more 

 developed than the larva, the prologs being quite atrophied. Lord Wal- 

 singham made some remarks on the subject. Mr. W. Warren exhibited 

 bred specimens of Tortrix piceana, L. Mr. T. R. Billups exhibited a fine 

 series of the very rare British beetle, Medon {Lithocharis) piceus, Kr., taken 

 from a heap of weeds and vegetable refuse in the neighbourhood of Lewishara 

 on May I'Jth ; and specimens of Actobius signaticornis, Rey, and A. villo- 

 sulus, Steph., taken in company with the above. Mr. Billups also exhibited 

 specimens of Eulophns damicornis, Kirby, belonging to the Chalcididae, 

 bred from pupae found by Mr. Adkin attached to the leaves of lime-trees at 



