THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 213 
simply put them in quarter or half pound empty mustard 
tins, with two or three punctures, one-eighth of an inch in 
diameter, in the lid and bottom of box; when wrapping with 
a piece of brown paper let the ends of the paper extend an 
inch over the ends of the box, but have the paper ends open, 
as in book postage; tie on an addressed label, with the 
string sealed to the paper to keep it fast. This has been 
found a very simple and successful method, especially when 
plenty of food is put in with the larva.—£d. ] 
H. Wiglesworth.— Work on Hymenoptera.—Could you 
inform me of a good work on British Hymenoptera for a 
beginner? One with plates preferred. 
[Mr. Smith’s ‘ Bees of Great Britain’ and ‘ British Fossorial 
Hymenoptera’ complete the Aculeata. The volumes are price 
six shillings each, and are published by the Trustees of the 
British Museum. There is no monograph of the British 
Ichneumonide; but there is one of the Tenthredinide in 
hand.— Ed. | 
Extracts from the Proceedings of the Entomological Society 
of London. 
May 3, 1876. 
Sir Sidney Smith Saunders, C.M.G., Vice-President, in 
the chair. 
Varieties of, and Rare British Lepidoptera.—The Rey. J. 
Hellins sent for exhibition various British Lepidoptera, 
recently submitted to M. Guenée for his opinion and 
determination. The collection included a dark variety of 
Acronycta myrice from Mr. Birchall; certain Acidalia, sent 
by Mr. Hellins and Mr. G. F. Mathew, apparently to be 
referred to A. mancuniata; several extraordinary aberrations 
referred to Melanippe rivata, Oporabia, sp. ?, Coremia ferru- 
gata, &c., from Mr. Dale and Mr. Mathew; an example of 
Polia Chi, var. olivacea, from Major Hutchinson; several 
Eupithecie, from Dr. Buchanan White, including the var. 
Oxydata of E. subfulvata; and an insect which Dr. White 
proposed to name Septentrionata, not known to M. Guenée, 
The most important of all was a Noctua, bearing some 
resemblance to Xanthia circellaris (ferruginea), not known 
to M. Guenée, taken at Queenstown, flying over bramble- 
blossoms, in July or August, 1872, by Mr. Mathew. 
