SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 35 



by Prof. Westwood in the ' Gardener's Chronicle,' 1856, and that attention 

 had been recently called to it by Mr. Douglas (Ent. Mo. Mag. for December). 

 Mr. J. Jenner Weir stated that plants in his greenhouse had been attacked 

 by the same species. 



Mr. Poulton exhibited the bright green blood of the pupa of Smerinthus 

 tilicB, which is one of many lepidopterous pupae possessing in the blood a 

 clilorophyll-like pigment called meta-chlorophyll by Mr. Poulton. The 

 blood of the larva contains the same pigment in a much smaller amount, 

 while in the pupa the additional colouring-matter fixed in the larval 

 hypoderinic cells also passes into solution in the blood. By means of a 

 micro-spectroscope Mr. Poulton was able to show the most characteristic 

 absorption-band of the pigment, together with its resemblance to chlorophyll. 



Mr. G. T. Porritt exhibited forms of Cidaria suffumata from Hudders- 

 field, including one very similar to that taken at Dover by Mr. Sydney 

 Webb (Proc. Ent. Soc. 1886, p. xxv) ; and one still more extreme, having 

 only the basal mark and the central stripe, with a slight streak at the tip, 

 brown, the remainder of the wings being perfectly white. He also exhibited 

 a series of small bilberry-fed Hypsipetes elutata from Huddersfield, showing 

 green, red-brown, and black forms. 



Mr. S. Stevens exhibited forms of Gamptogramma hilineata and Em- 

 melesia albulata from the Shetland Isles, and a curious variety of Chelonia 

 caja from Norwich. 



The Secretary read a letter from the Administrator-General of British 

 Guiana, on the subject of the urticating properties possessed by the larvae 

 and pupae of certain species of Lepidoptera collected in Demerara. 



Mr. M'Lachlan read " A Note concerning certain Nemopteridae." 



Miss E. A. Ormerod communicated a paper " On the occurrence of the 

 Hessian Fly [Cecidomyia destructor) in Great Britain." It appeared from 

 this paper that there could be no longer any doubt as to the occurrence of 

 the insect in this country, specimens obtained in Hertfordshire having 

 been submitted to, and identified by. Prof. Westwood, and by Mr. W. 

 Saunders, of London, Ontario. Prof. Westwood said the specimens agreed 

 exactly with Austrian specimens in his possession, sent to him some years 

 ago by Mens. Lefebvre, who had received them from the late Dr. Hammer- 

 schmidt, of Vienna. A discussion followed the reading of this paper, in 

 which the President, Mr. C. 0. Waterhouse, Mr. Theodore Wood, and 

 others, took part. 



At the close of the Ordinary Meeting a Special Meeting was held, for 

 the purpose of considering certain proposed alterations in the Bye- Laws. 

 These having been explained to the meeting were, after some discussion, 

 agreed to, and the proceedings terminated. — H. Goss, Secretary. 



