﻿388 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Forest; out of some twenty specimens there were only four or five of the 

 variety, the others gradually descending to the type, but none of them 

 were exactly like those taken the previous year. Mr. Tugwell stated that 

 he had obtained the form now shown, at Blackheath. Mr. Atkinson ex- 

 hibited a small collection of all Orders of Insecta from Africa. Mr. T. D. A. 

 Cockerell, insects from the Wet Mountain Valley, Colorado, to illustrate 

 parallel variation in Diptera and Hymenoptera ; series one, green to blue 

 (metallic colours) ; series two, yellow to red (pubescence). Some observa- 

 tions were made on the abundance this year of the larva? of Mamestra 

 persicarice, L., in the neighbourhood of London. — H. W. Baeker, Hon. Sec. 



Birmingham Entomological Society. — October 20th, 1890. Mr. W. 

 G. Blatch, F.E.S., President, in the chair. The Rev. E. J. Nurse, 45, 

 Francis Road, Ladywood, was elected a member of the Society. Mr. 

 R. C. Bradley showed Semasia ivceberiana, from his garden at Moseley. 

 Messrs. P. W. Abbott and C. J. Wainwright showed collections of insects 

 taken at Porlock, Somersetshire, this year. Mr. W. G. Blatch showed a 

 fine series of (Etophorus imperialis, from Colchester. He also submitted 

 a complete list of the Coleoptera taken by himself at Church Stretton, 

 during a recent visit. The list included 125 species, represented by 

 610 specimens. A long discussion followed on the season, in which Messrs. 

 W. G. Blatch, G. T. Baker, and C. J. Wainwright joined. The general 

 opinion was that it had been a very bad one for insects. 



November 3rd, 1890. Mr. W. G. Blatch in the chair. Mr. P. W. 

 Abbott showed Gortyna ochracea and Nonagria arundinis, from Sutton. 

 These had been very greasy, but had been quite cleaned by immersion in 

 benzine. Mr. Blatch said that he had quite removed the grease from a 

 beetle by immersion in petroline. Mr. A. Johnson showed Pcecilocampa 

 populi, from Sutton, apropos of which Mr. Thornewill said that he had 

 known larvae of this species come to sugar. Mr. R. C. Bradley showed a 

 nice series of Hypsilophus marginellus, bred from larva? sent him by Mr. 

 Eustace Bankes. Mr. C. J. Wainwright showed Zygcena meliloti, from the 

 New Forest ; also Zygcena filipendulm, from Stroud, several specimens of 

 which showed more or less yellow. — Colbran J. Wain wRiGHTf^ffo?^ See. 



Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society. — October IZth, 

 1890. Monthly meeting. S. J. Capper, F.L.S., President, in the chair. 

 Mr. P. Schill, of Manchester, was elected a member. The President made 

 some remarks on the proposed record of the Insect Fauna of Lancashire 

 and Cheshire, and presented the Society with a copy of the work by the 

 late Benjamin Cooke, one of the former Vice-Presidents. In speaking of 

 this gentleman, the President said that any work he had done might be 

 relied upon, as he was one of the best authorities on the neglected Orders of 

 insects that had ever lived. A resolution was subsequently passed requesting 

 the existing Council of the Society to form a Committee for the purpose of 

 undertaking the work. Messrs. Harker and Jones read a paper entitled 

 " A week at Howth," in which they gave a graphic description of a week's 

 collecting at this locality, illustrating the paper with a large number of 

 specimens. During the conversazione the President showed some fine 

 varieties of Arctia caia. The Vice-President showed forms of Vanessa 

 antiopa for comparison, and Mr. Sharp Coleoptera collected at Howth. — 

 F. N. Pierce, Hon. Sec. 



WEST, NEWMAN AND CO., PBINTEBS, HATTON GARDEN, E.C. 



