55 

 YORKSHIRE ENTOMOLOGY IN 1911. 



A. WHITAKER and E. G. BAYFORD. 



Abolt fort}- members and associates attended the successful Annual 

 Meeting of the Entomological Section of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union 

 at the Leeds Institute on October 28th last. The president of the section, 

 Mr. Arthur Whitaker, occupied the chair. 



Amongst the many interesting exhibits, mention might be made of 

 four specimens of X. ocellaris from the Thames valley, fine varieties of 

 L. gueneei and a beautiful B. repandata var. conversaria shown by 

 Mr. Porritt ; vara, of A . betiilavia and P. chi, and also a very curious 

 and striking aberration of M. fluctuata, all from the Skelmanthorpe 

 district, exhibited by Mr. Morley. Varieties of P. chi from Bradford 

 district were brought by Mr. J. W. Carter. Series of P. chi and A . betularia 

 from several localities in Yorkshire, and a number of Z. lonicercs, showing 

 considerable variation, were exhibited by Mr. Hewett. A case of insects 

 mounted in their characteristic resting attitudes was shown by Professor 

 Garstang. Varieties of P. chi and 0. filigrammaria from Huddersfield 

 district wers contributed by Mr. Cocker A fine melanic form of A. 

 menyanthidis from the Penistone Moors, along with an abnormal specimen 

 of H. pennaria and several oth^r interesting moths were exhibited by Mr. 

 Dyson. A number of fine selected forms of A grossulariata, including the 

 varieties varleyata, semiviolacea , etc., bred by Mr. James Lee, and varieties 

 of A . grossiilanata from Hull, were sho-wn by Mr. Boult ; and from Hudders- 

 field neighbourhood by Mr Wright. Fine varieties of A. betularia and 

 P. chi, were brought by Mr. Lofthouse. An interesting melanic specimen 

 of A. atvopos, and a series of C. suffumata var. porritti were exhibited by 

 Mr. Hooper ; and a pale yellowish v ariety of V. C-album, and varieties of 

 A . betularia and P. chi by Mr. Whitaker. 



Mr. Morley read a paper on the ' Reversion of Po'i:.< chi from melanic 

 to type form in the Skelmanthorpe district during the past summer.' 

 This phenomenon was attributed to the hot season . All the metamorphoses 

 of tlie species took place in one or other of the protracted droughts of the 

 summer ; and as a conse<iuence imagines appeared fully a month 

 earlier than in igog or igio. Mr. Morley suggested that the reversion 

 was evidence that the melanism of this species was a result of damp and 

 sunless weather, and was not produced by the elimination of light forms 

 by enemies. Mr. Porritt said these observations were fully in accordance 

 with his own experiences, extending over many years. Dr. Corbett 

 suggested rearing the species under dry and damp conditions, and noting 

 the results. A good discussion followed. 



^Ir. Denison Roebuck read an essay by Mr. E. A. Butler, on ' Hints 

 on Collecting Hemiptera.' The varied habitats and times of appearance 

 of the different species belonging to this neglected order were detailed. 



Mr. T. A. Lofthouse contributed a paper on ' ^. betularia.' The 

 essayist had ascertained the dates when the variety doubledayaria first 

 made its appearance in different districts. From the first record of the 

 form at Manchester in i85g its gradual increase was traced, and the date 

 of its first appearance in numerous localities, both in our own country 

 and on the Continent, were enumerated. Results obtained by breeding 

 from the black form crossed with the type were given, and well illustrated 

 by actual specimens. It was suggested that the probable cause of melan- 

 ism in this species was a smoky atmosphere, and that it was most likely a 

 case of reversion to an earlier form of insect. A discussion followed. 



Mr. E. G. Bayford read a paper on ' Ichneumons,' wliich had been 

 Avritten by Mr. Claude Morley. 



Several species of Coleoptera were exhibited by Messrs. E. G. Bayford, 



1912 Feb. I. 



