49 



circumstances. In the autumn of last year I found that 

 among some walnuts served for the table were a few that 

 contained larvae, and some two or three of them that were 

 not hopelessly crushed I put aside to see what would become 

 of them, and was this spring rewarded by rearing the 

 specimen now exhibited." 



Mr. West (Greenwich) said that he had also bred 

 C. ponionella from chestnuts picked up in Greenwich Park. 



Mr. South exhibited a short series oi Xanthia fulvago, L., 

 representative of a large number of the species bred this 

 year from catkins obtained in the neighbourhood of 

 Macclesfield. One of the specimens was of the flavago 

 colour, and two were var. flavescens, Esp. He stated that 

 the first form was exceedingly rare and the latter very 

 uncommon. The larvae were chiefly fed on apple. Mr. 

 Tutt said that the form flavescens was seldom obtained from 

 the South of England. Mr. Turner stated that until this year 

 he had never been able to obtain the species in any number, 

 and had not bred a single flavescens. During the month of 

 August this year, however, no less than nine wdiV. flavescens, 

 and about twenty of the yellow form, had appeared in his 

 cages from larvae taken in Surrey. Mr. Carrington said 

 that years ago he had bred these forms in considerable 

 numbers from Askham ^og, flavescens forming almost 50 per 

 cent. Mr. Mansbridge said that his experience of this species 

 near York was that the specimens were mostly typical and 

 variation rare. 



A discussion then ensued with reference to the fluctuation 

 in number of various forms and varieties in the same 

 localities. Mr. Carrington had frequently noticed instances 

 among the Lepidoptera, but recently cases had come pro- 

 minently before him in the order Mollusca. He instanced 

 the forms of Helix hortensis and Helix neinoralis as affording 

 pink and yellow years when one of these forms predominated. 

 This year was undoubtedly a yellow year. Mr. Tutt agreed 

 that there were these fluctuations, and said that they were 

 probably caused by modifications of the environments. 

 All insects were peculiarly susceptible to variations in their 

 surroundings, even though these were very slight. 



Mr. Oldham exhibited a series of Lyccena bellargus, Rott., 

 taken this year at Folkestone, some of the females being 

 marked with blue. 



Mr. J. W. Tutt exhibited, on behalf of Mr. Massey, a 

 series of Lyccena cegon, Schiff., from Westmoreland. These 

 were remarkable for the fact that the males were partly of 



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