SOCIETIES. 31 



top branches on the north side of a beech tree, which appeared to be 

 the throne of the ruling " Emperor " of the wood. Whenever another 

 iris came by, the one on the " throne" attacked it, and after a tight 

 in which one would eventually pursue the other out of sight, the 

 conqueror would return to the perch. If this was captured, the next 

 iris coming along would take possession of the throne, and so on, — 

 Mr. Claude Morley exhibited ihe specimen of Diastictus vidneratus, 

 Sturm., first recorded in Great Britain in the current number of the 

 ' Entomologists' Monthly Magazine,' and a rare blue form of Fhratora 

 viteUime, taken on low herbs, from Tuddenham Fen, Suffolk. — Mr. 

 G. G. Champion exhibited specimens of Nanopht/es durieui, Lucas, a 

 beetle from Central Spam, with drawings of the larva, pupa, and 

 perfect insect. — -Professor E, B. Poulton, F.R.S., stated that Mr. 

 A. H. Church, M.A., of Jesus College, Oxford, had observed the larvffi 

 of a species of CncaUia (probably C. verhasvi) feeding upon Buddleia 

 globosa, which was growing against a wall in the Oxford Botanical 

 Gardens. Mr. Church had sent shoots of the same plant to a friend 

 at Warwick, and these, when grown in a similar position in his garden, 

 were all attacked by the same species during the past summer (1902). 

 It is possible that the eggs are laid upon the Buddleia because of the 

 very rough general resemblance in certain respects between its leaves 

 and those of Verbascuin, in the same manner, as the speaker suggested 

 in 1887, that the common food- plants of Smerinthus ocdiata, viz. apple 

 and sallow, may be explained by the parent moth having mistaken the 

 one for the other (Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond, 1887, p. 314). In Section 11 

 of the memoir cited, it is shown that many young larvte, on emergence 

 from the Qgg, are able to feed upon strange species of plants, which 

 later they would refuse if they had become specialized to one of the 

 recognized food-plants. — Mr. H. Goss said that larvte of ChoRrncampa 

 elpenor found on an American balsam near Weybridge had afterwards 

 refused their usual food, Epilubiuni hirsatiwi, ; and Mr. R. McLachlan, 

 F.R.S., mentioned the case of Mamestra persicarite, a pest in his garden 

 at Lewisham, which as a rule attacked first and most Anemoyie japvnica. 

 He had this year offered them fern and elder (which is reputed a 

 favourite food), but the larvae found upon the anemone refused to 

 touch either of the plants. — Professor Poulton expressed his opinion 

 that unusual food-plants must commonly be begun from the egg, and 

 as an example quoted the case of Phalera haccphala, which, found half- 

 grown on hazel, refused to touch elm and Salix triandra, there being 

 with this as with other species evidently some sort of gastric associa- 

 tion between the larva and its food-plant. He also read a communica- 

 tion from Mr. G. F. Leigh, of Durban, Natal, relating to insect 

 enemies there. The writer referred to the ordinary and very common 

 grey South African rat, as one of the most dreadful pests to breeders 

 of butterflies and moths. They seemed to be fond of almost any 

 pup^, and thick wooden boxes containing them were eaten right 

 through, and the contents devoured. They especially affected Chcero- 

 campa esun and C. nerii. Even more remarkable was the way in 

 which they captured moths on the wing whilst feeding. A rat would 

 leap from the roof right on to the plant, and more often than not the 

 moth selected for attack was captured, usually followed by a fight 



