SOCIETIES. 137 



G. T. Bethune-Baker, Mr. Eustace Bankes, Mr, B, A. Bower, the Rev. 

 Seymour St. John, and Mr. H. Goss made remarks on the habits and 

 distribution of the species in England. Mr, Bower exhibited a variable 

 series of Scoparia basistii(/alis, Knaggs, showing light, intermediate, 

 and dark forms, taken at Bexley, Kent, from 12th of June to 7th of 

 July, 1891-94. He said the species appeared to be poorly represented 

 in collections, and when present was almost invariably misnamed. 

 Mr, Eustace Bankes commented on the rarity of the species, and said 

 the specimens exhibited formed the most interesting collection of it 

 and its varieties which he had ever seen. Lord Walsingham exhibited 

 larvae of Pronuba yuccascUa, which he received more than four years 

 ago from Colorado, and which were still living. One specimen of the 

 moth had emerged two years ago, Mr, Goss exhibited, for Mr. G. C. 

 Bignell, a pupa of a Tortrix with the larval legs, and also a specimen 

 of a sawfly, Emphytus cinctus, L,, with eight legs, Mr. G. H. Verrall 

 and Mr. McLachlan made some remarks on the latter species, and as 

 to the insertion of the fourth pair of legs. Professor Meldola exhibited 

 a wooden bowl from W. Africa, from which, after arrival in this 

 country, a number of beetles (Dermestes vulpinus) had emerged. 

 Specimens of the latter were also exhibited. It was not clear to the 

 exhibitor whether the larvae had fed upon the wood, or had simply 

 excavated the cavities which were apparent in the interior of the bowl 

 for the purpose of pupating. Mr. McLachlan, Mr. J. J. Walker, Herr 

 Jacoby, and Lord Walsingham made some remarks on the habits of 

 Deniu'stes, and it was generally considered that the larva of D. vulpinus 

 excavated the wood for the purposes of pupation, and not for food. 

 Mr, Kirkaldy called attention to and exhibited three volumes of an 

 important new work, by Dr, McCook, on ' American Spiders,' ]\Ir. 

 Champion read a paper entitled " On the Heteromerous Coleoptera 

 collected in Australia and Tasmania by Mr, J, J, Walker, R.N,, during 

 the voyage of H, M, S, 'Penguin,' with descriptions of new genera 

 and species. Part II." Mr. AValker and Mr. Gahan made some 

 observations on the distribution of some of the species described. Mr, 

 Roland Trimen contributed a paper entitled " On some new Species of 

 Butterflies from Tropical and extra-Tropical South Africa." Mr. G. A. 

 James Rothney contributed a paper entitled "Notes on Indian Ants," 

 and sent for exhibition a number of specimens in illustration of the 

 paper, together with nests of certain species, — H. Goss, Hon. Sec. 



South London Entomological and Natural History Society. — 

 February 28th, 1895,— Mr. T. W, Hall, F,E,S., President, in the chair. 

 Mr, Beauman, 18, Victoria Road, S,W., was elected a member, Mr. 

 Edwards exhibited larvae of the Dipteron Kristalls tcnax, L., found in 

 some water in the stump of an old apple-tree, Mr. Adkin exhibited a 

 series of Crmnbus ericellns, Hb,, from Sutherland, It was stated that 

 this species difiered from C. pascuellus in always having the silvery 

 stripe narrow and even, Mr, Tutt exhibited continental specimens 

 of Xanthia ocellaria, and pointed out the features distinguishing 

 it from X. i/ilvago, viz, : — (1) the lower part of the reniform stigma 

 was white ; (2) the nervures were well dotted with white scales ; 

 (3) the apex of the wing was different, Mr, Tutt also read a paper 

 entitled " Lithosia lutareUa, L,, and its varieties," illustrating it by a 

 magnificent series fi'om Deal and the Alps, 



