136 



Cidaria tnincata, a series showing types from south and west of 

 Ireland, and forms from Achil Island, which may be referable to 

 C. concinnata , Prout. 



Xanthorho'e iDontanata, series from mountains, Achil Island, in 

 three of which the centre bar of the forewing is obsolete. 



A', sociata, a type from south and west of Ireland, and a form 

 from mountains, Killarney. 



Ant/irocera trifolii, a series from near Dorking. In this locality 

 over 50 per cent, have the spots confluent. 



Apamea leucostiijmn, from Co. Cork, showing forms prevalent 

 there. 



lutcJdoe cardaiuincK, two females from south-east England, and 

 three females from Co. Cork, the latter having ochreous hind- 

 wings, this being the universal type there in the females. 



Mr. Chas. Oldham, F.L.S., exhibited two collections of small 

 chalk stones that he had obtained near the entrances of wasps' 

 colonies, and which the members of these had removed when 

 making and enlarging the cavities in which they built their nests. 

 He said that if these stones are too heavy to be removed, they are 

 allowed to gravitate to the bottom of the cavity, only the loose soil 

 and stones not too heavy to carry being removed. The weight of 

 some of the stones lifted was, in proportion to the size of the wasps, 

 very large, and that those exhibited closely approached the limit, 

 was shown by a heap being found at a few inches from the entrance 

 to the nest. These heaps consisted of stones all about the same 

 size, apparently verj' near the limit of the weight Avhich a wasp was 

 able to support when on the wing. The stones of lesser weight, 

 and the particles of earth, which had also to be removed from the 

 cavity, were not in the heap, and were, presumably, carried to a 

 further distance, just as are the general refuse, dead larvae, etc. 



The talus of stones around a nest of Veapa ijerwanica began some 

 two inches from the lip of the hole and covered roughly an area of 

 a semi-circle of two feet radius. They decreased in quantity with 

 the distance, but there was no apparent decrease in their size. 

 Frequent observation of this nest showed him that most of the 

 wasps got away with their burdens, but that those with larger 

 stones nearer the limit of the capacity of their bearer, failed to take 

 wing properly, and landed somewheie within the above area and 

 had, after many vain efforts, to relinquish their burdens. 



The nodules were weighed and compared. Ten of the flint 

 nodules gave an average of -33 grammes (from -25 to -88 grammes), 

 and twenty of the chalk nodules gave an average of -35 grammes 



