﻿208 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Birmingham Entomological Society. — April Slst, 1890. — Mr. W. 

 G. Blatch, President, in the chair. Mr. E. C. Rye showed Brephos 

 parthenias from Cannock, &c. Mr. R. C. Bradley showed Diptera, 

 including Thereva ardea from Wyre Forest, new to Britain ; Sapromyza 

 platycephala from Moseley, also new to Britain; and Microdon devius 

 from Wyre Forest, confirmed as British. Mr. W. G-. Blatch showed 

 Coleoptera from Cannock, — Cymurdis vaporariorum, Agaihidium globosum, 

 Homalota diversa, and Stenus guynimeri, all new to the district. Mr. R. 

 Freer read a paper on " Sexual Dimorphism," in which he contended that 

 the pigment in the wings of insects was a development of waste energy ; 

 that females, which required much energy fo: the reproduction of species, 

 and the development of the larger size necessary for that purpose, had little 

 to spare for pigment, and were usually light ; while males, which were 

 smaller and used less energy in the reproduction of species, were usually 

 darker. Much discussion followed the paper, in which Messrs. W. Gr. 

 Blatch, Neville Chamberlain, H. Stone, E. C. Rye, and C. J. Wainwright 

 took part. 



May 5th, 1890. — Mr. W. G-. Blatch, the President, in the chair. Mr. 

 John Galbraith, of Harborne, was elected a member. Mr. Neville 

 Chamberlain showed Ennomos quercinaria and Ematurga atomaria, in 

 both of which species the males are larger than the females, and which, 

 therefore, weighed against Mr. Freer's theory of sex, as given at the last 

 meeting. Mr. R. C. Bradley showed Diptera, — Xylota signis from Sutton, 

 and Xabiens sylvarum from Wyre Forest. Mr. W. Gr. Blatch showed 

 Coleoptera, — Calodera- cethiops, Oxypoda lentula, Dimopsis erosa, and 

 Homalota diversa, all from Knowle. Mr. GJ-. H. Kenrick read a paper on 

 " South African Butterflies," in which he gave an account of a recent 

 journey there, and exhibited the species taken, which included Danais 

 chrysippus (the commonest of all), many Acraeas, Papilios, Pieridse, &c. ; 

 also the moths, Deiopeia pulchella and Sterrha sacraria. He showed 

 several very interesting cases of mimicry. Mr. Chamberlain said he had 

 been in Egypt at the time Mr. Kenrick was at the Cape; there he saw 

 very few butterflies, but of those few Danais chrysippus, as at the Cape, 

 was much the commonest. — Colbran J. Wainwright, Hon. Sec. 



OBITUARY. 

 Entomology has lost an able, ardent, and most unselfish student in 

 Mr. William Berry Farr, J. P. and Town Clerk of Maidenhead, who 

 died on the 17th instant. Mr. Farr's collection of insects is large and in 

 admirable order. Though of late years Entomology has supplied the 

 chief occupation of his leisure time, and has carried him to almost every 

 district in England, he was in fact an all-round naturalist of wide know- 

 ledge and experience. A fourteen years' residence in India afforded him 

 an exceptional opportunity of studying in particular the habits of insects, 

 birds, and reptiles, very many specimens of which attest the energy and 

 success of his pursuit. Of late years Mr. Farr has been in failing health, 

 but his favourite quest afforded him gratification till the last days of his 

 earnest, manly, and well-spent life. We understand that his large col- 

 lection, both of arms and objects illustrative of various branches of Natural 

 History, may be acquired by the town of Maidenhead on the sole condition 

 that a proper place is provided for its reception. 



