31 



Mr. C. Fenn exhibited a long series of Saturnia pavonia, 

 L., reared from eggs which were obtained from a female taken 

 at Bournemouth ; he pointed out that the specimens were 

 unusually large, and the males very brilliantly coloured ; the 

 larvae were fed on sallow. 



Mr. C. Fenn also exhibited a long series of Spilosoma 

 -mejidica, Clerck., and stated they were reared from the ^%^. 

 The parent ? was taken at Eltham, and the larvs were fed 

 on the common broad-leaved plantain ; forty-two imagines 

 were bred, twenty-one $ and twenty-two $ . The females 

 varied little from the ordinary type with one exception, which 

 was curiously blotched with dark grey on the left side of the 

 superior wing. The males varied from the usual English 

 type up to a dull pale yellowish grey, and quite 50 per cent, 

 diverged more or less from the usual blackish grey form. 

 The pupae were exposed to the weather in a very cold and 

 damp spot, which in Mr. Fenn's opinion rather bore out Mr. 

 Tutt's theory that moisture is the cause of melanism or colour 

 variation. 



Mr. R. Adkin remarked that these specimens showed more 

 variation than one expected to find in the neighbourhood of 

 London, and inquired whether anything was known of the 

 male parent, and whether there was any tendency to variation 

 in the female parent. It was noticeable that there was a 

 decided tendency in the males Mr. Fenn had bred to run 

 grey on the head, and in some examples this colour extended 

 slightly to the wings. 



Mr. Tutt pointed out that the variation in the male was 

 somewhat similar to the Irish form known as var. rustica. 



Mr. Rice exhibited two nests of the Great Tit {Parus 

 major, L.), which were built in the bottom of a large flower- 

 pot used for forcing rhubarb. Mr. Rice said it was very 

 curious that there should be two nests instead of one in the 

 pot ; he was inclined to think that the nest on the left hand 

 side was the one originally built, but the flower-pot resting 

 slightly on the left side the nest became damp, the parent 

 birds after two eggs were laid built a fresh nest on the right 

 side, in which twelve eggs were laid. 



Mr. Step exhibited and remarked on some plants collected 

 by Mr. Carrington at Box Hill, Surrey. Among them were 

 examples of the Wood Sanicle {Sanicula europcea, L.), which 

 Mr. Step said was very plentiful on the North Downs, and 

 occurred on the chalk up to a considerable height ; the plant 

 was frequently passed over, and was certainly a plant that was 

 not well known except to Botanists ; at one time it was 



