54 



and hence is nearly related to the corn pests of the genera 

 CJilorops and Oscinis, but it is very much larger than these 

 latter flies. I don't think it is mentioned by Walker, but 

 it must have been known as a British species for more than 

 thirty years.' Mr. C. W. Dale mentions that he has speci- 

 mens 'bred from reeds by Winter in 1861.' Mr. Verrall 

 says, 'The swollen reeds are well known to me, and many 

 years ago I bred Lipara lucens from them.' " 



Mr. Adkin remarked upon the large number of Acidalia 

 virgiilaria, Hb. {incanaria, Hb.), that were now to be seen in 

 his suburban garden, while species which were so abundant 

 last year, such as Spilosonia lubricipeda, Esp., 6". menthastri, 

 Esp., and Euplexta huipara, L., were correspondingly scarce. 

 Several members, including Mr. Hall and Mr. Jager, said that 

 their observation of these species this year agreed with that 

 of Mr. Adkin. 



Mr. Frohawk stated that the larvse of both Vanessa atalanta, 

 L., and V. cardui, L., were common, and Mr. Hall had already 

 taken the latter species freshly emerged. 



Several members, including Messrs. Frohawk, Adkin, and 

 Step, referred to the fact that blackbirds and thrushes were 

 still in full song, and remarked that this was unusually late. 



Mr. Step said that myriads of a small red fungus had 

 appeared upon the ceiling of his dining-room at Epsom. He 

 had submitted it to Mr. Phillips, the best authority on these 

 smaller fungi, and he stated it to be a very uncommon 

 species, Peziza hcBinastignia, Hedw., which was somewhat 

 similar to Peziza domestica, Sow., a species commonly oc- 

 curring on damp walls. 



AUGUST 9th, 1894. 

 E. Step, Esq., President, in the Chair. 



Mr. A. W. Peach, of 9, Holly Road, Chiswick, S.W., was 

 elected a member. 



Mr. T. W. Hall exhibited a bred and variable series of 

 Xanthia fidvago, L. icerago, Fb.), from Derby and Croydon, 

 among them being var. flavescens, Esp., and several forms 

 intermediate between that form and the type. He stated 

 that in his experience of this species the var. flavescens was 

 more commonly obtained in the North of England than in 

 the South ; in fact, he had bred only isolated specimens from 

 the latter district, while from the former he had obtained a 

 considerable percentage of this form. Mr. Turner had bred 

 the type from a number of southern localities, but had failed 



