CURRENT NOTES. 81 



W^ ARI ATIO N . 



Aberration of Melanippe fluctuata. — ^FoUowing my usual custom, 

 when able easily to get a large quantity of any common larvae, I 

 bred a large number of Melanippe fiiictuata from Nasturtiian this year, 

 all were normal but one, that was very curious, and almost tera- 

 tological. It was very small, expanse of wings a little under -TSin. 

 The central band, or costal patch in the centre of the forewing has 

 disappeared, and is represented by four small black dots, the whole 

 central area of the wing being whitish. — E. Freer, M.D., Rugeley, 

 Staffs. February 12th, 1906. 



Melanic Larentia didymata. — I have taken this year, a black 

 Tjurentia didymata, that is to say, black with the exception of the 

 usual white dots. I do not know if a black form of this pest has 

 turned up in any other melanic areas, but it is the first time I have 

 seen it here. It had a very different appearance on the wing from 

 that of the ordinary form. — Ibid. 



Amphidasys betularia ab. doubledayaria [nens. lat.). — As I have 

 bred this insect from Cannock Chase larvae, and from ova from the same 

 district, it presents four fairly well marked forms : — (1) entirely black; 

 (2) entirely black, with the exception of small well marked white spot 

 at the junction of forewings and thorax ; (3) black forewings, with a 

 whitish somewhat irregularly-shaped patch on the upper margin and 

 near the outer angle of hindwing ; (4) the same as number three, with 

 the white spots of number two. The first two are distinct and well 

 marked forms. Of the other tAvo forms, I have one in which the 

 rather semilunar shaped mark is prolonged by a streaky band of 

 whitish-grey to the outer margin of the hindwing. I shall be glad if 

 any of your readers would examine their series of A. ab. doubledayaria, 

 and report how far their diagnosis coincides with mine. I have 

 refrained from naming these aberrations, as I do not know to 

 which the name doubledayaria should be applied. — Ibid. 



URRENT NOTES. 



The 29th Annual Report and Proceedings of the Lancashire and 

 Cheshire Entomological Society show signs of the business activity of 

 the Council, which ought to result in a large increase in its output of 

 entomological material. Its officers and council contain the names of a 

 great variety of entomologists, from men in the front ranks of entomo- 

 logical science, to others that one has never heard of as entomologists, 

 so that all phases of the membership are well represented. The Proceed- 

 ings this year are arranged in the same manner as those of the smaller 

 London societies and make very interesting reading. Mr. Donisthorpe's 

 address is a very instructive piece of work, whilst Mr. Tomlin's "Some 

 Notes on Manx Coleoptera" (2 papers), and Mr. Sopp's "Birth and 

 infancy of Dytiscus punctulatus," are also very interesting. More papers 

 of this type and dealing with a wider range of subjects are wanted. 



The Leicestershire Entomological Society held its annual dinner at 

 The Royal Hotel, Leicester, on the evening of the 23rd, when Mr. G. 

 B. Dixon, F.E.S., was in the chair, and Mr. F. Bouskell, F.E.S., in 

 the vice-chair. Professor T. Hudson Beare, Mr. H. St. J. K. 

 Donisthorpe, Mr. Groves, and Mr. J. W. Tutt were the guests. After 



