310 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Africa ; specimens of Lasiocampa otus, a South European species, which 

 was said to have been utilized by the Romans in the manufacture of silk ; 

 also a quantity of nests containing the eggs of Epdra madagascariensis, a 

 silk-producing spider from Madagascar, locally known by the name of 

 " Halabe." He also read extracts from letters received from the Rev. P. 

 Camboue, of Tananarive, Madagascar, on the subject of this silk-producing 

 spider. Mr. H. Goss read a communication received by him from Prof. 

 S. H. Scudder, of Cambridge, Mass. U.S.A., on the subject of his recent 

 discoveries of some thousands of fossil insects, chiefly Coleoptera, in 

 Florissant, Western Colorado, and Wyoming. Prof. Westwood remarked 

 on the extreme rarity of fossil Lepidoptera, and called attention to a recent 

 paper by Mr. A. G. Butler, in the Proc. Zool. Soc, 1889, in which the 

 author described a new genus of fossil moths belonging to the Geometrid 

 family Eiischemidce, from a specimen obtained by Mr. A'Court Smith, at 

 Gurnet Bay, Isle of Wight. Mr. F. P. Pascoe read a paper entitled 

 " Additional Notes on the genus Hilipus," and exhibited a number of new 

 species belonging to that genus. The Rev. Dr. Walker read a paper 

 entitled " Notes on the Entomology of Iceland." Mr. Roland Trimen 

 asked if any butterflies bad been found in the island. Dr. Walker said 

 that neither he nor Mr. P. B. Mason had seen any during their recent 

 visit to Iceland, nor were any species given in Dr. Staudinger's list. In 

 reply to a question by Mr. G. C. Champion, Mr. Mason said that during 

 his recent visit to Iceland he had collected nearly a hundred species of 

 insects, including about twenty Coleoptera. He added that several of the 

 species he had taken had not been recorded either by Dr. Staudinger or 

 Dr. Walker. Capt. Elwes enquired if Mr. J. J. Walker, with his great 

 experience as a collector in all parts of the world, was aware of any land 

 except Iceland, outside the Arctic Circle, from which no butterflies had 

 been recorded. Mr. J. J. Walker rephed that the only place in the world 

 which he had visited, in which butterflies were entirely absent was Pitcairn 

 Island. — H. Goss, Hon. Secretary. 



The South London Entomological and Natural History Society. 

 — The Annual Exhibition was held at the Bridge House, London Bridge, 

 S.E., on Wednesday and Thursday, the 30th and 31st of October. Besides 

 the class Insecta, the exhibits comprised birds, birds'-eggs and nests, fish, 

 reptiles, MoUusca, and Crustacea ; geological and botanical specimens ; 

 paintings, engravings, &c., of natural-history subjects. There was a good 

 display of microscopic objects and apparatus, no less than thirty exhibitors 

 showing in the room set apart for them. Among the principal exhibitors 

 of Insecta were Mr. H. Burns, with nests of living 13ritish ants, taken, 

 among other localities, from Lambeth and Conway Castle, the species being 

 Formica fusca, Lasius fiavus (with queen), L. niger ; there was also a 

 nest from Boulogne. Mr. R. M'Lachlan, with European Neuroptera, 

 Ascalaphus, Nemoptera, and Perlidae ; also specimens of Orthoptera from 

 Burmah, Megalodon ensifer, Brulle. Mr. Eland Shaw also exhibited 

 Orthoptera. Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, and Diptera were shown by 

 Messrs. T. R. Billups, S. Robinson, and Miss M. Kimber, the latter an 

 interesting case of Sirex gigas and 8. juvencus, with lead piping, showing 

 the ravages of the larvae of these species. Mr. T. R. Billups put in his 

 fine collection of British Coleoptera ; Messrs. C. H. Goodman, W. West, 

 and Rev. W. F. Johnson also exhibited in this order, the latter with rare jj 

 and local Irish forms. The principal exhibitors among the Lepidoptera were jj 



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