104 



on. tnhs of Poa anni I a in a glass jar, on July 21st. They 

 were semi-transparent, shining white, tapering towards base, 

 closely resembling a pear-shaped " seed pearl." No sculp- 

 turing of the shell was apparent under a two-thirds inch 

 objective. Most of the ova seemed to be scattered broad- 

 cast ; but some few were attached to the grass stems, so 

 lightly as to be easily brushed off. They hatched August 

 8th. 



" The larvae fed well on tufts of grass in the jars till after 

 the second moult, when they were removed to a large larva 

 cage with living plants. When small they bear a striking 

 resemblance to a grass seed just beginning to germinate ; 

 colour, shape, and marking being remarkably exact. This 

 would probably not protect them much from birds, but 

 might deceive parasites. These young larvae when disturbed 

 fall from the food and remain perfectly rigid for some time. 

 The moults were — first, August 22nd; second, October gth; 

 third, March 13th ; and fourth, April 30th. They pupated 

 June 23rd. 



*' The pupa was enclosed in a rough cell formed by spin- 

 ning together a few withered blades at the roots of the 

 grass plants. In not a single case did a larva attempt to 

 attach itself by its tail, as is generally described, and in- 

 variably figured. Some thirty per cent, of the pupae died ; 

 but by damping them well overnight, and placing them in 

 the morning sun for a couple of hours, the rest emerged 

 successfully between July 12th and 31st, without a single 

 cripple. 



" The imagines display a considerable amount of variation 

 in colour, size, and number of ocelli ; and out of seventy-two 

 no less than twenty are asymmetrical." 



Mr. R. Adkin exhibited five specimens of Syrichihits malvce 

 taken in the neighbourhood of Abbott's Wood during the 

 last summer. Two of them were referable to var. taras, the 

 other tliree being intermediate between that form and the 

 type. 



Mr. Carpenter said that this form was frequently found at 

 Abbott's Wood, and in 1893, the year noted for its fine 

 summer, it was fairly common there. Mr. Adkin said that 

 in the interval between 1893 and the present year the form 

 had failed to appear there. 



Mr. A. Russell exhibited cocoons of Eriogaster lanestris 

 constructed by larvae taken at Polegate Junction on May 

 2ist, 1899 ; some of the cocoons were of a composite nature. 



He also showed a bunch of six cocoons of Saturnia pavonia 



