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21 



Mr. E. Step exhibited Ruscus aculeatus, L., which he said 

 was a common plant within certain Hmits ; in the counties 

 south and west of Norfolk he believed it was pretty well 

 distributed, but occurred very sparingly, and in most places 

 was a local plant. After describing the plant at some length, 

 Mr. Step said he used to find it sparingly on Wimbledon 

 Common ; but he now found it exceedingly common at 

 Epsom, and the woods about Ashstead, Surrey, where it 

 was always associated with holly. He did not know whether 

 there was anything peculiar to the growth of holly which 

 made the soil specially suitable for the growth of the plant 

 now being discussed. 



Mr. Carrington and Mr. Tugwell both remarked that it 

 occurred freely in various localities where holly was not 

 present. 



Mr. Skinner exhibited plants of colt's-foot {Tussilago 

 farfava, L.), and Mr. Step gave a short description of it. 



Mr. Carrington stated that it was an interesting plant to 

 Entomologists as being the food-plant of Platyptilia gono- 

 dactyla, Schiff,, one brood of which fed in the stems and the ,\,.,^ 

 other in the flowers. ■^ ' ' k '■ ■ 



Mr. Stringer exhibited a fungus, which Mr. Step said was 

 Phallus impiidicus, L., and, owing to its unpleasant smell, was 

 popularly known as the Stink-horn ; the species was some- 

 times so common in the woods, as to render it extremely 

 unpleasant to be in their vicinity. 



MARCH I'Jth, 1890. 



J. T. Carrington, Esq., F.L.S., President, in the Chair. 



Mr. Billups exhibited several species of Ophionides, bred 

 by members of the Society. Amongst others, Paniscus 

 testaceus, Gr., Paniscus cepJialotes, Holmgr., and OpJiiou liiteum, 

 L., bred by Mr. Barker from the larvae of Diauthcecia 

 capsincola, Hb., the latter species also being reared by Mr. 

 Wellman from Hadena pisi, L., and from Toxocampa craccce, 

 Fb., by Mr. South. Mr. Billups called particular attention 

 to the fact that the cocoons of OpJiion luteinn differed con- 

 siderably, according to the host from which bred, no two 

 cocoons being alike. Mr. Billups also called attention to the 

 extreme variability in size of Paniscus cephalotes, two females 

 taken by himself at Hayling Island in 1866 being not above 

 one-third larger than the female bred by Mr. Barker from 

 Diauthcecia capsincola. In the 'same box were exhibited 



