SOCIETIES. 99 



entomologists. A paper by Mr. E. E. Green, of Punduluoya, Ceylon, 

 entitled "Further notes on Dyscritina, Westwood," was read, and 

 illustrated by specimens and drawings. The author had discovered 

 two distinct species of Dyscritina, which he was able to keep in cap- 

 tivity, and rear from the early larval stage to that of the imago. The 

 characteristic abdominal cerci increased in length with successive 

 moults, until in D. longisetosa they became much larger than the body. 

 In the penultimate stadium they were lost without a moult, being 

 probably bitten off by the possessor, the long basal joints alone 

 remaining. The imago was a typical earwig, the forceps being 

 developed within the basal joints of the cerci. Sensory organs on the 

 antennas and palpi were described, as well as the habits of both species. 

 In the ensuing discussion Mr. M. Burr referred the imagos to the 

 genus Diplatys, that of Mr. Green's new form being, he believed, a 

 known species. The genus Dyscritina must therefore be sunk. Mr. 

 Gahan observed that the fact of the forceps being developed within 

 the basal joints of the cerci alone did not prove that they were not 

 homologous with the entire cerci ; perhaps the internal structure of 

 the latter was retracted by a histolytic process before amputation. In 

 Forficula he had found evident traces of meristic division in the forceps 

 of embryos which were nearly on the point of hatching. Dr. Chapman 

 read a paper entitled " Some remarks on Heterogyna penelia,'" giving a 

 full account of its life-history. The female was destitute of all ap- 

 pendages whatever, and only left the pupal case for pairing, returning 

 within it ten minutes later. It possessed an organic connection with 

 the pupal case in the situation of the legs. The larvre were hatched 

 within the case, and devoured the remains of the mother. On ana- 

 tomical characters he assigned to the insect a place near the Zygamidae. 

 — "W. F. H. Blandford, Hon. Sec. 



South London Entomological and Natural History Society. — 

 February Mth, 1898.— Mr. J. W. Tutt, F.E.S., President, in the chair. 

 Mr. Kaye, Worcester Park, Surrey, and Mr. Chatterton, F.E.S., 7, 

 Clissold Boad, Stoke Newington, were elected members. Mr. S. Stevens 

 exhibited several fine varieties of Lasiocampid moths, including bright 

 yellow-brown B. trifolii, B. quercus with semitransparent hind wings, 

 a dark well-banded B. rubi, and a remarkably light L. quercifolia. Mr. 

 J. A. Clarke, a series of the Lasiocanrpidse, including many fine and 

 extreme forms of variation. Mr. B. Adkin, fine series and varieties of 

 many of the same family. Mr. Tutt, an inbred series of Zygeena 

 filipendula, showing the gradual coalescence of the spots and the usual 

 order of this joining ; a Brephos parthenias from Leicester, having yellow 

 hind wings ; and a yellow variety of Arctia fuliginusa. Mr. F. Clarke, 

 photomicrographs of the curious scales of the aberrant Lepidopteron 

 Pseudopontia paradoxa. Mr. Tutt read a paper entitled " The Lasio- 

 campid Moths," illustrating it with specimens, diagrams, and the 

 blackboard. A discussion ensued, Dr. Chapman, Messrs. J. A. 

 Clarke, B. Adkin, S. Stevens, Hillsworth, McArthur, and Tutt 

 taking part. 



March 10th.— Mr. J. W. Tutt, F.E.S., President, in the chair. 

 Mr. Doniathorpe, F.E.S., 73, W. Cornwall Boad; Mr. F. Bouskell, 

 F.E.S., Leicester; Mr. F. Lemann, F.E.S., Plymouth; Mr. Parkin, 

 Battersea ; and Mr. Bevins, Clapham Common, were elected members. 



