25 



Election of a Member. 



Ernest Adams, Es(|., of Great Camden Street, Camden Town, was balloted for 

 and elected a Member of the Society. 



Dr. Erichson's ' Nalurgeschichte Deutschlands.' 



Mr. Westwood remarked that, in the continuation of Dr. Erichson's ' Natur- 

 {jeschichte Deutschlands,' to which he had briefly called attention at the last 

 meeting, opinions were advanced which, if carried out, were likely to introduce 

 great modiiications in our views regarding species: very many recently made species 

 have been therein sunk into local varieties, the principle idenUcal with that enun- 

 ciated in Mr. Wollastou's recent work having been applied to a much greater extent 

 in the present than in auy previous publication. He thought that entomologists 

 would do well to consider how far these views are applicable to the Lepidoptera 

 and other orders, as well as to the Coleoptera: if extended to the Miuro-Lepidoptera, 

 he had no doubt that the present enormous list of species would be reduced one 

 half. 



Exhihitions, 



Mr. Edwin Shepherd exhibited, on behalf of Mr. E. Wallace, specimens of 

 Laphygma exigua and Botys silacealis, taken this season in the Isle of Wight: he 

 observed that Haworth's specimen of the latter species, the " Pyralis glabralis" of 

 ' Lepidoptera Britanuica,' was obtained by that author from Francillon's collection, 

 and had for many years been placed amongst the reputed British species, the 

 collection of Francillon having been considered a most doubtful authority: the last 

 season, however, had furnished single examples of two of Francillon's doubted species, 

 viz., the present insect and Trochilium chrysidiforme, and several specimens of each 

 had been captured during the present year. 



Mr. Stevens said he had lately seen a specimen of Laphygma exigua in the 

 collection of Mr. H. Cooke, taken at Worthing. 



Mr. E. W. Janson exhibited the following Coleoptera, recently captured by him 

 in the vicinity of Highgate: — 



Dinarda Maerkelii, Kiesemv. Three specimens taken in a nest of the large wood- 

 ant {Formica rvfa), one on the 13th of July, the other two on the 24th ultimo. He 

 remarked that the only previousl)' known indigenous example of this insect is in the 

 British Museum collection, and was taken by Dr. Leaoh many years since, it is said, 

 near Swansea: this individual is admirably represented by Mr. Curtis (Brit. Ent, 

 tab. 410), and is given by Mr. Stephens, in the ' Illustrations' and ' Manual,' under the 

 specific appellation of dentata, Grav., but Herr v. Kiesenwetter, long ago (Ent. Zeit. 

 Stett. 1843), pointed out that the Gravenhorstian dentata (Lomechusa) was specifically 

 distinct from the insect exhibited, and in this view all subsequent writers appear to 

 coincide. British specimens of the true dentata, Grav., had not come under 

 Mr. Janson's notice. 



£ 



