120 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



They were, he said, quite constant in each species, and useful, there- 

 fore, as distinguishing characters ; the only hymenopteron he had 

 come across without them being the ordinary hive-bee. Kirby and 

 Spence considered that they were used for climbing purposes, but this 

 was unlikely, as the spurs occurred in species which did not climb at 

 all. So far as he had noticed they were used by members of this order 

 for the purpose of cleaning their antennfe. — Mr. C. 0. Waterhouse said 

 that similar spurs existed in the Trichoptera, though they did not 

 assume as beautiful forms as in the Hymenoptera ; but, as to their uses, 

 he was not aware that any observations had been published or made on 

 the subject. Mr. G. C. Champion remarked that they were also well 

 developed on the hind legs of some Coleoptera. — H. Kowland-Brown, 

 Hon. Sec. 



Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society. — The usual 

 monthly meeting of this Society was held in the Koyal Institution, 

 Colquit Street, Liverpool, on Monday the 9th inst. — Richard Wilding, 

 Esq., Vice-President, occupied the chair, and eight new members were 

 elected. — F. N. Pierce, Esq., F.E.S., read a short paper on the genital 

 armature of the hybrid moth Notodonta ziczac x A^ dromedarius. The 

 paper was capitally illustrated by drawings and microscopical prepara- 

 tions of the parts described, as well as by the exhibition of the insects. 

 The lecturer further pointed out the difficulty of obtaining specimens 

 of such rare forms for dissection — Dr. J. Cotton, F.E.S., then read a 

 paper upon the lepidopterous fauna of Knowsley Park ; some thirteen 

 species of butterflies, and two hundred and ten species of moths were 

 enumerated as having been found in the park ; and the lecturer, in the 

 course of his remarks, gave a description of the biographical details of 

 the locality. A discussion ensued, in which most of the members present 

 took part. — Mr. W. A. Tyerman exhibited a long bred series of Acro- 

 nycta rumicis. Mr. W. Mansbridge, a series of Larentia vmltistrigaria, 

 including melanic forms from West Yorkshire ; also a specimen of H. 

 falcataria, set so as to show the resemblance of the moth to the head 

 of a mouse. — H. E. Sweeting & Wm. Mansbridge, Hon. Sees. 



OBITUARY. 



We have, with much regret, to announce the death of Mr. 

 Ebenezer Sabine, of Erith. He had been in feeble health for some 

 time, and he passed peacefully away on April 12th last. His age was 

 72 years, and he had devoted the greater part of his life, being a man 

 of leisure, to the formation of an extensive and valuable collection of 

 British butterflies. He was especially keen on varieties, and his 

 literary contributions to this Journal were chiefly upon matters relating 

 to variation in butterflies. Only specimens in the finest possible con- 

 dition were included in his cabinets, and very many of them were 

 reared by himself from eggs or from collected larvse. 



Although of a somewhat retiring disposition, he was ever ready to 

 fuiuish information or material to anyone seeking his assistance. 



