253 



SOCIETIES. 



The South London Entomological and Natural Histoey 

 Society.— /«;;e25^/i, 1908.— Mr. A. Sich,F.E.S., President, in the chair. 

 — Mr. Hy. J. Turner exhibited a female specimen of /l(//7'af/c.s bellargus, 

 caught at Eanmore, measuring only 22 mm. in expanse, and an ex- 

 ample of Hesperia malvce. from Eastbourne, with hind wings normal, 

 but having coalesced blotches on the fore wings as in ab. taras. — Mr. 

 Newman, living larvae of Xylina semibrunnea, with that of X. socia 

 for comparison, pointing out the peculiar green ground tint and the 

 more distinct lateral line of the former. — Mr. Adkin, light and dark 

 forms of Biston liirtaria, pointing out that the difference was perma- 

 nent through each moult, and that the depth of colour did not seem 

 to depend upon environment. — Mr. West (Greenwich), the following 

 Hemiptera taken by him in June in New Forest : — Cicadetta montana, 

 Sigara minutissima, Eysarcoris aneus, and Orthostira cervina. — Mr. 

 Carr, the nymph-skin of the large dragonfly Anax imperator, found at 

 Oxshott. — Mr. Sich, a larva and pupa of Parnassius apollo ?, sent by 

 Mr. Egbert Sich from the Engadine, Switzerland, and stated that 

 when irritated the larva protruded an osmaterium. Mr. Tutt called 

 attention to the waxy secretion covering the surface of the pupa, 

 which effectually secured it from the damp of the marshy ground 

 upon which it pupated. 



July 9th. — The President in the chair. — Mr. Newman exhibited a 

 rayed variety of Abraxas grossulariata. — Mr. West (Greenwich), a 

 short series of the local coleopteron Dytiscus circumcinctus, from 

 Great Yarmouth, and specimens of the rare Bidessus unistriatus 

 from the same place. — Mr. E. x'Vdkin read a short account of 

 the various meetings held during the Congress of the South 

 Eastern Union of Scientific Societies at Hastings. Messrs. Sich 

 and Step made a few remarks on the excursions made during the 

 Congress. 



July 23;t/. — The President in the chair. — Mr. Sich exhibited 

 Cerostoma xylostella (female), and said that it was bred from a larva 

 without the broad reddish stripes down the back, which form he said 

 might be sexual. — Mr. Turner, living larvae in their curiously con- 

 torted cases of the very rare Coleophora siccifolia, taken by Mr. Sich 

 and himself at Chiswick. He also showed a large number of Pyralidae 

 from North America. — Mr. Newman, a living hybrid larva, Smerinthics 

 ocellata-populi, and noted its distinctive characters. He also showed 

 bred specimens of Argynnis iMphia var. valesina, Boarmia repandata 

 var. conversaria (produced in the third generation), and the yellow 

 form of Gallimorpha domimda (also of the third generation). — Mr. 

 Adkin exhibited series of Xylina semibrunnea and X. socia, and read 

 notes on the differentiation of the two species, calling attention to 

 the wing form, the black blotch in the anal angle of the former, and 

 the absence of any distinct l)and in the same species. Mr. South, in 

 addition, noted the inner marginal line in X. semibrunnea, the brown. 



