SOCIETIES. 225 



About ten o'clock the weather turned out fine, and eventually 

 became broiling hot. Though Mr. C. B. Smith was unable to be 

 present in person, he had lelt an excellent programme of arrange- 

 ments, the first part of which consisted of a visit to the Knightwood 

 Oak. Accordingly, soon after breakfast, with the exception of Messrs. 

 Harvey and Woodward, who preferred to go to Ehinefield, and the 

 two Messrs. Smith, who had not yet arrived, the party started for the 

 celebrated giant, though, as will be seen later on, nearly all failed to 

 get there. Mr. L. J. Tremayne opened his entomological account 

 with a superb little specimen of AcidaUa trvjeminata, and Mr. C 

 Nicholson found a field where Euchlo'e cardamines was on the wing. 

 Proceeding, it became evident that Fararge egeria, in all conditions, 

 was also flying, (jronepteryx rhamni was depositing, and in some cases 

 courting. Argynnis eupkrosyne, apparently not fully out, was seldom to 

 be seen more than one at a time, and several of the commoner 

 Geometry were to be had by beating. An insect which appeared to 

 be in greater abundance than usual was Formica rnfa. I'he route 

 taken being via Bank, the party soon entered Gritnam Wood, where 

 larva-beating was once more tried. Presently Tmiiocampa miniosa and 

 full-fed Theda quercus, together with a few I^siiura monacha, began to 

 come down. Mr. Jennings also met with some success in the JDiptera, 

 Hymenoptera, and Coleoptera. Before reaching the Lymington nver, 

 a halt was called, as it was found impossible for the ladies to continue 

 in the heat of the sun, whereupon they, with Mr. Nicholson, senior, 

 decided to abandon the walk. Messrs. Bacot, Bishop, and Jennings, 

 finding collecting improving, decided to remain more or less where 

 they were, and Messrs. C. Nicholson and L. J. Tremayne were lelt to 

 push on to the Knightwood Oak alone. They first turned into 

 Khinefield, where the President took a fine specimen of Macrufjlossa 

 bovibyiifunnis, but no more were seen ; another collector on the 

 ground stated that he had been there the whole morning, and only 

 taken three, of which one was worn. The President ana Secretary 

 subsequently, with some difficulty, succeeded in making the Knight- 

 wood Oak, the girth of which was measured and found to be 6 yards 

 2 feet 3 inches. But the tree is tall in proportion to its thickness, 

 and has rather a slender appearance than otlierwise from a distance. 

 The wanderers subsequently proceeded through Mark Ash and Boldre- 

 wood, and home by the Emgwood Boad via Emery Down. Messrs. 

 Bacot and Bishop had obtained larvte of Asjflialia ridens and Nynsia 

 hispidaria. Messrs. Harvey and Woodward, who had been at Khme- 

 field, had succeeded in capturing both the " bee hawks," and had 

 turned up Tanagra atrata and larvae of Bombyx quercus. Messrs. 

 Jennings, Bacot, and Bishop had been attacked on the Christchurch 

 Boad by a species of Tabanus, which resembled autumnalis, but which 

 Mr. Jennings thought must be a different species, as the specimens 

 were worn. After tea some of the members started for evening work. 

 To begin with, Mr. C. Nicholson knocked down a flying specimen of 

 Asemum striatum in the garden, and this was one of the very best 

 captures made during the visit. Up to the year 1893 this species had 

 never been found in the south of England, being essentially a northern 

 species, though occurring in a certain locality in Cumberland. At 

 Whitsuntide, 1893, a single specimen was taken in the New Forest by 



