SOCIETIES. 93 
specially alluded to. Some remarks were made as to obtaining all the in- 
formation possible with regard to the reported capture of Polyommatus 
virgauree near Seaford. 
December 19th.—-The President in the chair. Mr. C. G. Barrett ex- 
hibited and remarked on a number of species collected by Mr. Russ in the 
west of Ireland, in particular referring to the prevalence of pale and dark 
forms of so many species occurring together in a locality where the climate 
was an exceedingly wet and stormy one; among others he instanced 
several species of Agrotis, Cidaria immanata, Haw., Hydrecia micacea, 
Bork., &c.; there were also specimens of Lycena icarus, Rott., having 
black spots in the hind margin, and examples of Pieris napi, L., approach- 
ing bryonia. Mr. South said that the particular form of L. icarus occurred 
in the Isle of Wight and in Perthshire. Mr. Jenner Weir referred to P. 
napi, and said he had received the same form from Cavan. Mr. Fenn, in 
reference to the light and dark forms of certain species occurring together, 
said he thought wherever a variable species occurred the extremes would be 
found. Mr. Tutt said this was well known, but in his opinion there was 
generally a particular characteristic for each locality; although the whitest 
and palest forms of A. tritici occurred at Deal, yet some that were almost 
black were found; the majority of the specimens showed a tendency to run 
of a bluish tint, while those taken by Mr. Russ showed a tendency to run 
brown; other instances occurred with Teniocampa incerta, Hufn., Noctua 
castanea var. neglecta, Hb., and Xylophasia monoglypha, Hufn. Mr. R. 
Adkin exhibited a variety of Pieris napi, L., a female, in which the usual 
spots and apical patch of the fore wings were united to form an almost con- 
tinuous submarginal band; also a series of Asteroscopus nubeculosa, Esp. 
Mr. 8. Edwards, among others, exhibited Ornithoptera brookiana, from 
Borneo; and Mr. Weir remarked that until lately the species had alone 
represented a section of the genus, but recently an allied species had been 
discovered in Palawan, thus affording a further contribution to the probability 
that the fauna and flora of that island would prove to be more Bornean than 
Phillippine. Mr. J. H. Carpenter, a series of Plusia festuce, L. Mr. 
Tugwell, a box of Lepidoptera received from Mr. Reid, and remarked that 
there was nothing of any importance among them; he, however, had heard 
that Mr. Reid had taken Retinia duplana, Hb., and one of the Pterophori, 
which he could not identify ; the larva were found feeding on the under 
side of leaves of ragwort. Mr. Barrett said that the first specimens taken were 
referable to turionana; that duplana occurred earlier in the year; and since 
this had been pointed out Mr. Salvage and Mr. Reid had taken them. 
Mr. Tugwell also exhibited specimens of a dark Hupithecia from Paisley, 
with typical form of H'upithecia satyrata, to which species he thought they 
were referable; many members differed from this opinion. The meeting 
closed with a discussion on the effects of heat and cold producing variation. 
—H. W. Barker, Hon. Sec. 
LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE EwntomoLtoetcaL Soctety.—December 
14th, 1891.—S. J. Capper, F.L.S., F.E.S., President, in the chair. Mr. 
Willoughby Gardner, F.R.G.S., read a paper entitled “A Preliminary 
List of the Aculeate Hymenoptera of Lancashire and Cheshire, with 
notes on the habits of the genera.” The author remarked that although 
but little had been done in the district in the order Hymenoptera, 
compared with the more favoured Lepidoptera and Coleoptera (of which 
very full local faunas had been compiled aud published by members of the 
Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society), still much quiet work 
