SOCIETIES. 233 



Dr. Chapman, living larvae of Leioptilus tepkradactyla. — Mr. Tonge, 

 a branch of Viburnum from Tilgate, with four larvae of Mgeria 

 andreno&formis. — Mr. Colthrup noted the abundance of Biston 

 hirtaria this season, especially around London. — Mr. R. Adkin, 

 many examples of named varieties of British Lepidoptera to 

 illustrate his paper entitled " Varietal Names as AppHed to British 

 Lepidoptera." 



April 25th.— My. B. H. Smith, B.Sc, Vice-President, in the 

 chair. — Mr. Dennis exhibited a stereoscope, fitted up so as to show 

 diminution and intensification of the stereoscopic effect. — Mr. H. 

 Moore, Lepidoptera from N. Borneo, including Papilio paradoxus 

 var. tileicles, Hestia hypermnestra and var. helina, Ilestia lynceus, a 

 large species of Nyctalemon, &c. — Mr. Edwards, several species of 

 the genus Charaxes from Central and South America, and a CuculUa 

 verbasci which had been two years in pupa. — Mr. Lucas reported 

 that from April 4th to April 23rd, in the New Forest, he had noted 

 fifty-seven species of plants in flower, and that Boarmia cinctaria 

 was out on April 5th. The rest of the evening was given up to the 

 exhibition of lantern slides by Messrs. Dennis, Lucas, and Edwards, 

 the last-named showing slides illustrative of the anomalous animal 

 the Peripatus. — Hy. J. Turner, Hon. Beport. Sec. 



Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society. — February 

 18th, 1912.^Meeting held in the Royal Institution, Colquitt Street, 

 Liverpool. — Dr. P. F. Tinne in the chair. — ^Mr. William Mansbridge 

 contributed notes on " Breeding Experiments with the Black Race 

 of Boarmia rep)andata (var. nigra)" and summarized the results as 

 follows : — In 1909 (a) a wild female of the local type form gave all 

 var. nigra ; {b) a wild female var. nigra gave all black moths ; (c) a 

 pairing of nigra male and type female gave all types. In 1910 (a) 

 type X type gave 66-6 per cent, type and 33-3 per cent. var. nigra ; 

 (6) nigra x nigra gave 92 per cent, nigra and 8 per cent, type ; and 

 (c) nigra x nigra gave 96 per cent, nigra and 4 per cent, type ; 

 while in 1911 (a) type x type gave all type ; (b) nigra male X type 

 female gave all nigra ; (c) nigra x nigra gave 95-7 per cent, nigra 

 and 4-3 per cent, type, and {d) a second experiment of the same gave 

 70-5 per cent, nigra and 29*5 per cent. type. In 1910 moths from the 

 broods a and c were used for the cross pairings of type and variety, 

 the others being inbred; and in 1911 all were inbred. Dr. Tinne 

 exhibited Lyccena icarus from North Ireland, including very blue 

 females. — Wm. Mansbridge, Oscar Whittaker, Hon. Secretaries. 



The Manchester Entomological Society. — February 7th. — 

 Mr. J. Mangan, M.A., gave a lecture on " The Larch Sawfly 

 {NematiLs erichsonii) and its Parasites." After dealing with its 

 life-history, habits, and destructive powers, he detailed the various 

 natural checks found to affect this insect : — (1) Parasites. Mesoleius 

 aulicus has been found (in the Lake District) in the greatest 

 numbers, and is apparently the most valuable natural check. 

 Microcryp)tus labralis also occurs ; examples of each were shown. 

 (2) A fungus attacks the sawfly cQcoons. (3) The field-vole {M. 

 agrestis) occasionally destroys as many as thii'ty or forty per cent. 

 (4) Birds, such as chaffinches, tits, and starlings, are useful. — Mr. 



