310 THE ENTOMOLOGIST, 



and examples of the var. destrigaria, Haw. Mr. South said that 

 an examination of the entire series would show that the extreme 

 forms were connected with the tj'pe b}'- intermediate forms and 

 their aberrations. Mr. Poulton exhibited young larvse of Apatura 

 iris, from the New Forest; also eight 3'oung larvae of Sphinx 

 convolvuli reared from ova laid on the 39th August last by a 

 specimen captured by Mr. Pode in South Devon. Mr. Poulton 

 said the life-history of the species was of extreme interest, 

 throwing much light upon that of Sphinx ligustri, as well as upon 

 difficult points in the ontogeny of the species of the allied 

 genera Acherontia and Smerinthus. Mr. Stainton commented on 

 the interesting nature of the exhibition, and said he was not 

 aware that the larvae of Sphinx convolvuli had ever before been 

 seen in this country in their early stages. Mr. M'Lachlan 

 remarked that females of this species captured on former 

 occasions, when the insect had been unusually abundant, had 

 been found upon dissection to have the ovaries aborted. Mr. 

 R. W. Lloyd exhibited two specimens of Elater pomonce, and 

 one of Mesosa nuhila, recently taken in the New Forest. Mr. 

 Dannatt exhibited a specimen of the so-called " vegetable cater- 

 pillar " from New Zealand. Mr. Porritt exhibited a series of 

 melanic varieties of Diurnea fagella, from Huddersfield, and 

 stated that the typical pale form of the species had almost 

 disappeared from that neighbourhood. Mr. Goss exhibited, for 

 Mr. J. Brown, of Cambridge, a number of puparia of Gecidomyia 

 destructor (Hessian Fly), received by the latter from various 

 places in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Wiltshire. He 

 also exhibited a living larva of Cephus pygmceus, Lat. (the Corn 

 Sawfly), which had been sent to Mr. Brown from Swaffham 

 Prior, Cambridgeshii'e, where, as well as in Burwell Fen, it was 

 stated to have been doing considerable damage to wheat crops. 

 Mr. Verrall, in reply to a question by Mr. Enock, said he 

 believed that the Hessian Fly was not a recent introduction in 

 Great Britain, but had been here probably for a great number of 

 years. In reply to a further question, he admitted that he was 

 unable to refer to any but recent records of its capture. Prof. 

 Riley said he was unable to agree with Mr. Verrall, and was of 

 opinion that the Hessian Fly had been recently introduced into 

 this country. Its presence here had not been recorded by Sir 

 Joseph Banks, by Curtis (who paid great attention to farm 



