SOCIETIES. 333 



black. He said that, in his opinion, melanism, though it might arise 

 as a variation or sport, owed its establishment and increase to the 

 principle of selective adaptation. November 21st, 1906. — Exhibits. — 

 Odontomya angulata, from the Norfolk Broads, and Icterica wester- 

 MANNi, taken by the exhibitor in the New Forest district in August of 

 this year, Mr. H. W. Andrews. Sympetrum vulgatum, taken by the 

 exhibitor in Epping Forest on September 4th, the fourth or fifth 

 authenticated British specimen, Mr. W. J. Lucas. Tortrix pronubana, 

 a short series, including both sexes, reared from larvfe and pupse 

 collected from Euonymus, at Eastbourne, in September last, being the 

 first specimens reared in this country, Mr. R. Adkin. Ccenonympha 

 MATHEWi, a long series from different parts in the northwest corner of 

 Spain (Galicia), Dr. T. A. Chapman. Dr. Chapman suggested that it 

 may be quite possible that C. matheivi is a geographical or subspecific 

 variety of C. dorus, and not a fully established species. 



City of London Entomological Society. — November dth, 1906. — 

 Exhibits. — Plebeius .egon. — A long series from Witherslack and 

 Ashdown Forest, including an almost grey female, and several 

 aberrant undersides, Dr. G. G. C. Hodgson. Heliothis peltigera, 

 from Sandown, Isle of Wight, September, 1906, Mr. G. H. Heath. 

 Rumicia phl.eas, a long series, taken at Bexley, during September and 

 October, 1906, including a golden-coloured specimen, several inter- 

 mediates between this and the type, and examples of streaked, brick- 

 red, and almost white undersides, Mr. L. W. Newman. Asthena 

 BLOMERi, from Chalfont Road, June, 1906, Mr. V. E. Shaw. November 

 20th. — Exhibits. — Hemerophila abruptaria. — Two broods, reared from 

 pupfe received from Mr. E. Harris. Brood A from light ? and dark 

 cT (extra hght ? and dark 5^ ) yielded 80% dark and 20% light. 

 Brood B from dark ? and ^ (extra dark $ and light ^ ) yielded 96% dark. 

 Brood A consisted of 48% ^ and 52% ? , but in brood B there were 

 66% ? and only 34% 3' . In the over 100 specimens shown, there was 

 nothing approaching to an intermediate form, Mr. S. J. Bell. Aporo- 

 PHYLA lutulenta. — Nine specimens, the only examples of the grey 

 form found amongst nearly 200 specimens taken at Mucking this 

 season, Rev. C. R. N. Burrows. Agrotis ashworthii, from north 

 Wales, August, 1906, and a series of Hemerophila abruptaria, in- 

 cluding a gynandromorphous specimen, Mr. J. A. Clark. Hemerophila 

 abruptaria. — Three distinct generations, reared from Mr. E. Harris' 

 strain, including a slate-coloured <? , Mr. G. R. Garland for 

 Mr. C. P. Pickett. Anthrocera purpuralis (minos), from 

 north Wales and Oban, June, 1903, also a specimen of an 

 Anthrocerid taken at Oban at the same time, having six spots 

 on the forewings, but with the flufiy body characteristic of 

 A. purpurcdis, Mr. L. W. Newman. Aporophyla australis, from 

 Sandown, September, 1906, including strongly-marked ^ s, and a ? 

 of the very rare ab. ingenua, also six specimens of Acidalia immorata, 

 bred as a partial second-brood, from Lewes ova, Mr. L. B. Prout. 

 Hemerophila abruptaria. — A long series from HoUoway, Clapton, and 

 Bexley, including many dark specimens, Mr. V. E. Shaw. In the 

 course of the discussion on this latter insect it was made evident that 

 the dark form had long been known in the Clapton district, where Mr. 

 E. Harris took the 5 from which most of the dark specimens 

 exhibited were descended, and that this dark form is evidently gaining 

 ground there. 



