436 [November, 



for there are none of them on any other plants in the garden ; and though I hare 

 often taken them elsewhere on several sorts of plants, I have never been able to 

 identify any one in particular as affording primary nourishment to the Acocephalus 

 as in this case. — J. W. Douglas, 8, Beaufort Gardens, Lewisham : August 12th, 1889. 



The male of Chionaspis fraxini, Sign. (Ch. salicis, Linn.). — This year, during 

 the last week of July and the first week of August, I bred quantities of males of 

 Chionaspis fraxini from growing branches of ash. I kept a large infested branch in 

 my office for a fortnight, and so had an excellent opportunity of watching their 

 development ; their mode of pairing was certainly one of the most fortuitous pro- 

 ceedings that I ever witnessed. The respiratory system is very easily to be traced 

 if a suitable specimen be selected. There are both apterous and winged forms ; both 

 appear at the same time and in about equal numbers. The first half-dozen specimens 

 that hatched out were apterous ; not knowing that there would be others with wings 

 they puzzled me very much, and when the winged forms came out I was still more 

 astonished. I carefully examined them all and found the antenna and legs to be 

 exactly the same in both forms, and they must be of the same species, as no other 

 kind of scale was present upon the branches. When mounted in Canada balsam or 

 glycerine they became so contorted as to be useless for reference ; the only agent in 

 which I could examime them properly was water, but of course they decayed in an 

 hour or so. I tried almost every agent I could get, but none was so efficient as 

 water ; in this you are able to see the articulations of the legs beautifully. — Robeet 

 Newstead, Grosvenor Museum, Chester : September 18th, 1889. 



[The observation of apterous and winged males proceeding simultaneously from 

 the same batch of scales is of interest. Bouche and Ratzeburg state that they are 

 apterous ; Signoret had always found them winged, the difference he adds depending, 

 perhaps, upon the localities, which does not appear to be the case. — J. W. D.] 



Birmingham Entomological Society: Sept. 16th, 1889. — R. C. Bradley, 

 Esq., in the Chair. 



Mr. E. C. Tye showed a long series of Hypsipetes sordidata, showing considerable 

 variation ; also scries of Phycis fusca and Harpella Geojfrella. Mr. Neville 

 Chamberlain showed a Pterophorus taken in Ross-shire which he had not been able 

 to identify. Mr. Martineau showed a nest of Vespa sylvestris. Mr. R. C. Bradley 

 showed Argynnis Paphia from Wyre Forest. 



October 7th, 1889.— W. G. Blatch, Esq., President, in the Chair. 



Mr. G. W. Wynn showed Gnophos obscuraria from Wyre Forest, &c. Mr. 

 R. C. Bradley showed series of Selenia lunaria and tetralunaria, exhibiting much 

 variation. Mr. C. J. Wainwright, a moth, apparently belonging to the genus 

 Boarmia, but which did not answer to the description of any British species. It 

 was taken at Sutton. — Colbk^n J. Wainweight, Hon. See. 



The South London Entomological and Natural History Society: 

 September 26th, 1889.— T. R. Billt/ps, Esq., F.E.S., President, in the Chair. 



Mr. J. T. Williams exhibited Cueullia absinthii, L., from Portland. Mr. 

 Wellman, Plusia Chryson, Esp., and Dasydia obfuscaria, Hb. Mr. Jager, Lepidoptera 

 from the Lake district and the Isle of Man, among those from the last-named place 



