274 



SOCIETIES. 



South London Entomological and Natural History Society. — 

 Jnhj 22nd, 1897.— Mr. A. W. Dennis in the chair. Mr. Ashdown 

 exhibited a living specimen of the rare and local Longicorn, Oberea 

 oailata, taken at Wicken Fen. Mr. Kedgeley sent for exhibition a 

 specimen of the dragonfly yEschna cyanea, which had been taken in the 

 Borough on July 18th. 



August 12th. — Mr. E. Adkin, F.E.S., President, in the chair. Mr. 

 McArthur exhibited a fine bred series of Toxocampa cracccB from North 

 Devon. Mr. Edwards, young larvae of Callimorpha hera, which he had 

 just received from the French Alps, where the imagines absolutely 

 swarmed. Mr. J. N. Smith, on behalf of Mr. Fitzgerald, a remarkably 

 smoky variety of Melanippe montanata, one of a pair taken at the same 

 time and place. Mr. Tolhurst, the curious telescopic larvfe of Eristali.t 

 tenax from a tank of foul water in his garden. Mr. West, of Green- 

 wich, specimens of the Hemipteron Atractotomiis mail, which he had 

 taken on whitethorn at Lewisham. Mr. Ficklin, larvte of Dianthcecia 

 nana from the Land's End. Mr. South, two bred specimens of Peronea 

 permutana from Eastbourne which differed very considerably from the 

 Wallasey type. Mr. Adkin, a small brood of Abraxas grossulariata 

 which exhibited none of the peculiarities of the female which deposited 

 the ova. 



August 2Qth. — The President in the chair. Mr. Tutt exhibited the 

 Qgg of Polgommatus corydon, which had never been previously described, 

 and remarked on its beautiful reticulated appearance ; a living Mantis 

 from Aix-les-Bains, which had fed ravenously on cockroaches; a Tipxda 

 with beautifully marked wings ; and specimens of an Orthopteron 

 which were abundant and active on the wing about 9 a.m. near Susa, 

 and remarked on the protective coloration of the latter species. On 

 behalf of Mr. Tuck, of Bury St. Edmunds, he also exhibited a nest of 

 Yespa rufa which had been attacked by the larvae of Aphomia sociella, 

 and which was about a foot deep in a bank ; part of the nest of Bombus 

 lapidarius attacked by the same species, and which had been taken 

 from a rat's hole in a pigstye; and further a nest ot Bombus latreillellus , 

 similarly attacked, taken from a mouse's hole in a pasture. They 

 were all taken during the few previous days. Mr. Adkin, series of 

 Bryophila muralis [glandifera) and B. perla from Poole, with series from 

 Eastbourne for comparison. Mr. McArthur, specimens of Larentia 

 salicata from North Devon, small and dark compared with those from 

 other localities ; a second brood specimen of S)iieri>ithus popuU; and a 

 series of good varieties of A. grossulariata bred this year. 



September 9th. — The President in the chair. Mr. Spindler exhibited 

 a remarkable variety of Epinephele tithonas, in which the whole of the 

 dark markings were absent, while the fulvous colour was of the normal 

 tint. It was taken at Luggershall, Sussex. Mr. South, several un- 

 usually dark forms of Spilosoma menthastri, descendants of Moray 

 parents, reared in London. Mr. Turner, an unusually grey specimen 

 of Mamestra abjecta taken in the Greenwich marshes; a small red form 

 of Agrotis tritici from Woolmer Forest, Hants ; series of under sides of 



