108 



fused male aberration of Dryas (Argynnis) paphia, one of two 

 specimens bred from ova. 



Mr. Ashby exhibited a tiny aberration of P. corydon taken 

 at Riddlesdown, and a female of P. czgon from Oxshott, show- 

 ing numerous blue splashes on the upper surface. 



Mr. Bishop exhibited a beautiful series of bred Geometra 

 vemaria from Guildford. 



Mr. Tutt said, with reference to the drinking habits of 

 butterflies, that of every species of skipper he had seen alive 

 he had observed the males indulging in this curious habit. 

 Mr. Lucas said that he had seen male dragon-flies dip their 

 heads in the water on one occasion. 



SEPTEMBER 22nd, 1898. 



Mr. J. W. Tutt, F.E.S., President, in the Chair. 



Mr. Robt. Adkin exhibited a short series of Dianthcecia 

 nana ( = conspersa) from Shetland, and read the following 

 note : — " In the autumn of last year I exhibited a number of 

 examples of Dianthcecia nana that I had reared from larvae 

 taken in Cunningsburgh and the Isle of Mousa in the Shet- 

 lands in 1896 (" Proceedings," 1896, p. 142). Those from 

 Cunningsburgh varied from comparatively light-coloured 

 specimens to almost wholly blackish, whereas the few from 

 the more isolated Isle of Mousa were all of the darker form ; 

 but I expressed an opinion that with more material to work 

 upon we should probably find identically the same range of 

 variation in both places. Some of the pupae that remained 

 over from 1896 produced imagines this summer, which I now 

 exhibit. It will be seen that those from Cunningsburgh 

 show a somewhat larger proportion of the very dark forms 

 than those which emerged in 1897 ; but this I attribute to 

 accident rather than to any effect of the prolonged pupal 

 existence, as one or two of the specimens are quite of the 

 lighter form. The single example, too, that was reared this 

 year from the Mousa pupae is also of the light form, thus 

 establishing the fact that although the Shetland forms 

 differ so vastly both from those of the Scottish mainland 

 and Orkney, those from the Shetland mainland and the out- 

 lying islands are identical in their range of variation." 



Mr. W. Reid, of Pitcaple, sent for exhibition long series of 

 varieties of T ceniocampa gothica, the result of breeding from 

 selected parents through some four generations. The eggs 

 were, in the first instance, obtained from strongly-marked 



