116 [May. 



Hcemonia appendiculata, Panz., in Ireland., — On Saturday afternoon, April 8th, 

 whilst collecting in the Eoyal Canal, Dublin, I was fortunate enough to take a 

 specimen of this rare beetle about a mile above the Pin Mill, near Qlasnevin. As 

 the insect recovered from the effects of the cyanide I had it alive for some time on 

 the following Monday, when Mr. Or. H. Carpenter and Dr. E. F. Scharff, of the 

 Science and Art Museum, kindly assisted me in the identification, by affording 

 reference to standard works and comparison with specimens of the only other 

 British representative of the genus, Samonia Curtisi, Lac. That there cannot be 

 any doubt about the identification of the insect, I may mention that it was taken in 

 fresh water, while HcBmonia Curtisi inhabits brackish ; it differs in structure and 

 markings from the last-mentioned species in the points mentioned by Fowler as 

 distinguishing HcBmonia appendiculata, Panz. {= equiseti, Fabr.). It is of larger 

 size (6^ mm.), the spines at the apex of the elytra are somewhat longer; posterior 

 femora markedly clavate ; apex of the femora and tibiae, as well as the joints of the 

 tarsi, tipped with blackish ; the elytral striae and punctures are also very strong. 

 On comparison it agrees well with Cui-tis' figure, except that the pronotum is con- 

 siderably paler, but this difference may be accounted for, as my specimen has the 

 appearance of being fresh from the pupal state. It appears that this species occurs 

 about May or June on the Continent ; its appearance here at this early date may be 

 attributed to the extraordinary mildness of the season. I am greatly pleased at 

 being able to record this species as Irish, for I see it is a great rarity in England, the 

 only records mentioned in the Rev. Canon Fowler's " British Coleoptera " are — 

 " two specimens recorded by Stephens as taken near Windsor," and " one taken in 

 flood rubbish near Burton-on-Trent." — J. N. Halbeet, 13, Nelson Street, Dublin : 

 April nth, 1893. 



Birmingham: Entomological Society : March 20th, 1893. — Mr. G. H. 

 Keneick, Vice-President, in the Chair. 



The following were exhibited : — By Mr. R. C. Bradley, insects from Sutton, 

 including Dicranura bifida, Lobophora hexapterata, &c., also Smerinthus tilicB from 

 Hombury Park. By Mr. W. Harrison, Amphidasis prodromaria from Arley, &c. 

 Mr. Gr. H. Kenrick read a paper on the black variety of A. betularia. He said that 

 it was first described by Milliere in 1859 from a specimen from Yorkshire ; at that 

 time it seems to have been a new and exceptional form ; in 1869 Newman says of 

 the species that some are black ; since then it seems to have become increasingly 

 common, until now we find quite a large proportion of the specimens taken or bred 

 are black. Mr. Kenrick reviewed the various theories advanced to account for 

 melanic forms, but dismissed them all as inadequate to account for the origin and 

 increase of this one. He thought this might have come about in the following 

 manner : — in all cases offspring more or less resemble their parents, sometimes one 

 only, sometimes both ; at times the tendency to follow one only is very strong. 

 When one breeds A. betularia, if one mates a type specimen with a black one, one 

 usually gets black offspring ; therefore, it may be that a chance black variety has bred 

 and perpetuated the form in this manner, most of its offspring being black, and these, 

 producing increasing numbers of black ones in like manner. This seems likely, as 



