42 



" I also show a locust taken at Deal. These were rather 

 plentiful in the privet hedge there, and one came to sugar. 



" On my way home from the New Forest in the middle of 

 July I took, in a held near Guildford, a worn specimen of 

 Pyrainch cardui.'' 



Mr. Step gave a full account of a visit to Ireland in 

 company with Mr. Turner in August, igo2, and illustrated 

 his remarks with lantern-slides of the choicest views and 

 various studies of wild flowers. 



Mr. Lucas exhibited a series of slides to illustrate the 

 habit of various lichens. 



Mr. Dennis exhibited a series of slides illustrating the 

 characters of various forest trees. 



Mr. Goulton exhibited some very fine micro-photographic 

 slides of eggs of Lepidoptera. 



MARCH 12th, 1903. 



The President in the Chair. 



Mr. Hickman, of Kennington Park, and Mr. Furnival, of 

 Harlesden, were elected members. 



Dr. Chapman exhibited living examples of the three 

 European species of the genus Thais, viz. T. riimina, T. 

 polyxena, and T. cevisyi. He also showed specimens of a 

 Docophorus, probably comnmnis, from a blackbird. This 

 genus of bird parasites (Mallophaga) has a jointed appendage 

 in front of the antennas. Giebel says that such a structure 

 occurs in no other insect. He also says he does not know 

 what use it is for. The use is tolerably obvious, viz., as 

 Piaget points out, to act as a special guard for the base of the 

 antenna when the insect pushes its way amongst the fine and 

 often spiculated filaments of feathers, etc. The more difficult 

 question is, what is it ? How does a jointed appendage arise 

 here ? Is it an ordinary bristle remarkably developed ? Is 

 it part of the antenna, or what ? 



Mr. Robert Adkin exhibited series oi Acidalia aversata and 

 read the following notes : 



"From a non-banded, reddish-coloured female, taken in my 

 garden on July i6th, igoi, ova were obtained, from which 

 fifty-six moths were reared during June and July of the 

 following year, of which four were reddish in colour and non- 

 banded, thus closely following the female parent ; twenty- 

 three were non-banded, but not reddish in colour, therefore 



