SOCIETIES. 23 



E. ianira, generally, and Erebia cethiops and E. neoridas, locally, were 

 the only species seen at all commonly. Chambery was the farthest 

 point reached. Mr. Bristowe, a small collection of Lepidoptera taken 

 during a short visit to Japan. It was remarked how close many of 

 the species were to those of our own country, but much larger. Mr. 

 Tutt, a bred series of Cnethocampa pityocampa from larva3 taken by Dr. 

 Chapman in the South of France, and remarked on the considerable 

 sexual dimorphism ; also a specimen of Eriogaster catax, from the 

 same locality. Mr. Adkin, an asymmetrical specimen of Arctia caia, 

 in which the left fore and hind wings were much suffused with the 

 dark brown colour, the right wings being normal. The specimen was 

 one of a second brood, and emerged from pupa in October last. 



December 9th. — The President in the chair. Col. Partridge ex- 

 hibited specimens of Ephyra trilinearia : (1) female parent, typical ; 



(2) specimen of brood from above, dwarfed, very red, and annulated ; 



( 3) specimens of same brood which stood over in pupal stage. The 

 last were not so red, nor dwarfed, and the annulated spots could only 

 just be traced. Mr. McArthur, a box of varieties captured or bred 

 this year, including Arctia caia, yellow; Abraxas grossulariata, radiated 

 and coalescent; Bombyx rubi, with the transverse lines lighter and 

 wider than usual, and others. Mr. Mera, a box of Abraxas grossu- 

 lariata, bred at Forest Gate in 1897, separable into two distinct groups, 

 a light and a dark one. Mr. Montgomery, specimens of Smerinthus 

 ocellatus and Cossus ligniperda, which had been extremely affected by 

 grease, and which were admirably cleansed, even to the fringe of the 

 abdomen, by the use of benzine collas and a blowpipe. Mr. Clark, a 

 photo-micrograph of a mite which, with numerous others, he had 

 found on a humble-bee. Mr. Adkin, series of Epione parallelaria 

 (vespertaria) from Sutherland, and specimens of Abraxas grossulariata ; 

 in the latter the usual yellow markings were of a dull ochreous ; they 

 were bred by Eev. Joseph Greene, of Clifton. Rev. Joseph Green 

 sent drawings of some seventy varieties of Abraxas grossulariata, bred 

 during the last six years near Bristol, and communicated notes on the 

 same. Mr. Turner, eight species of the genus Libgthea, and read 

 notes on their relationships, characteristics, and distribution. It was 

 announced that Part I. of the Proceedings was published, and ready 

 for distribution. — Hy. J. Turner, Hon. Report. Sec. 



Birmingham Entomological Society. — November 15th. Mr. G. T. 

 Bethune-Baker, President, in the chair. Mr. R. C. Bradley, a propos 

 of Mr. Kendrick's paper on mimicry, read at the last meeting, 

 exhibited a few examples of mimicry amongst Diptera : Volucella 

 bombylans in both its forms, with Bombus lapidarius and B. terrestris, 

 and V. inanis, with its host Vespa crabro. Mr. C. J. Wainwright also 

 exhibited a number of examples of mimicry among Diptera, arranged 

 in groups, showing a number of species mimicking Apis mellijica, 

 another lot showing a general wasp-like type, and another lot closely 

 resembling Bombus muscorum, &c. Mr. A. H. Martineau showed a 

 similar lot of examples : Chilosia flavicomis, with an Andrena with 

 which it flies in the spring, when few other large insects are about, and 

 which it very closely resembles ; Arctophila mussitans and Criorrhina 

 oxgacanthce, both of which, the former especially, so closely resemble 

 Bombus muscorum, that they are frequently taken for bees, and the real 



