38 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Society.— Professor T. Hudson Beare exhibited specimens of three 

 species of beetles, all taken abundantly by him at Nethy Bridge, 

 luverness-shire, during July and August, 1910, viz. Erirrhinus csthiops, 

 F., occurring in great abundance in a mere handful of iiood refuse on 

 the banks of the Eiver Spey ; Grioccphalus rusticus, taken in numbers 

 in the stumps of, and in small standing, Scots fir-trees on ground 

 swept over by a forest fire some few years ago (there was no doubt 

 that the larv£e had a preference for this burnt timber) ; and Zeiujo- 

 pliora turneri, Pow., beaten in great profusion from aspens growing 

 near Loch an-Eilan. — Mr. W. C. Crawley exhibited a colony of the ant 

 Lasius niger, which had accepted as queen a female of L. umhratus, 

 n 1908. Up to this autumn the only ants which had come to 

 maturity in the nest were pure L. niger, thus confirming Eeichen- 

 bach's experiments that L. niger hermaphrodites are able to produce 

 hermaphrodites parthenogenetically. In connection with this exhibit 

 Mr. H. St. J. Donisthorpe showed males, w'inged and wingless 

 females, and hermaphrodites of L. niger and L. umbratus for com- 

 parison. He remarked that Father Wasman had recorded umhratus 

 with niger, and that it is probable that L. umbratus female, being 

 unable to found her own nests, is a temporary social parasite on 

 niger. Mr. Donisthorpe also exhibited males, winged and wingless 

 females, and hermaphi-odites of L. fuliginosus, and pointed out that 

 it was now proved that the females -of this ant often founded their 

 colonies with umbratus. — Mr. W. J. Kaye exhibited specimens of 

 Eueides pavana (Heliconidse), Actinote thalia (Acrseidge), and Dis- 

 morphia actinote from S. Brazil. Comment was made as to the very 

 close resemblance between the first two. The resemblance was 

 greatest on the under side, but the upper side also showed consider- 

 able convergence of colouring. The specimen of E. pavana exhibited 

 had been caught and papered by Mr. Kaye as an example of the 

 common Actinote thalia. The Dismorphia, while only a partial 

 approach to the Actinote on the upper side, was extremely close on 

 the under side, with the hind wing brouglit well over the fore wing 

 in an attitude of rest. — Mr. L. W. Newman exhibited aberrant 

 examples of Abraxas grossulariata ; he also showed an interesting 

 Lycana, suggested to be a natural hybrid between Agriades thetis 

 (bellargus) male x Polijommatus icarus female, taken wild near 

 Folkestone, the under side showing both thetis and icarus characte- 

 ristics, with those of icarus most pronounced, the upper side a fine 

 thetis colour with white fringes, the shape of wings being also 

 curious, rather suggesting A. coridon as being the male parent. — Mr. 

 G. T. Bethune-Baker, having examined this exhibit, gave it as his 

 opinion that the supposed hybrid was merely an aberrant form of 

 Polijommatus icarus. — Mr. Philip J. Barraud brought for exhibition 

 a case containing several series of a large form of Satyrus statilinus 

 from the Aurunci Mountains, Southern-Central Italy ; series of 

 Farnassius mnemosyne var. frilhstoferi, from Mount Petrella, Aurunci 

 Mountains, 9000 ft. ; series of Colias edusa and ab. helice, from 

 Formia ; very small specimen of Gonopteryx cleopatra, measuring 

 37 mm., from Formia ; and four examples of a large form of Pam- 

 phila comma from Southern-Central Italy. — Dr. T. A. Chapman, M.D., 

 F.Z.S., read a paper "On the Early Stages of Latiorina [Lycana] 



