236 [October, 



Lancashire and Cheshire ENTOMOLoaicAL Society : March 14>th, 1898. 

 — S. J. Capper, Esq., F.L.S., F.E.S., President, in the Chair. 



Mr. F. N. Pierce called attention to some remarkable articles in the popular 

 literature of to-day on " Insect Grafting." Mr. Webster read one of these 

 articles, but the Members considered the subject unworthy of discussion, the idea 

 being contrary to all experience. Mr. Mosley read a paper on " A new method of 

 forming a collection, with special reference to Lepidoptera.'" This system may be 

 entitled " The Tablet System." He pointed out the four main objects to be kept in 

 view in forming a collection — (1) economy of space and expense; (2) facility of 

 exhibition and examination (with a lens) ; (3) preservation from destructive agen- 

 cies ; (4) avoidance of unlimited destruction of life. In expounding his four main 

 points, he especially disclaimed any idea of diminishing existing collections, except 

 possibly by amalgamation ; he was of opinion that every town should have a large 

 students' collection, public or private, arranged in the ordinary cabinet form, but he 

 claimed that the tablet system should satisfy the vrants of local collectors. He 

 showed three tablets, containing $ and 9 and life-histories of species in a flat tray 

 with sealed glass covers. He touched upon the use of this form of tablet to teachers, 

 and the limit it was likely to put upon wholesale destruction of local species ; he 

 then showed how the tablet collection could be used as an index to the larger (town) 

 collections. Drawings of " varieties " were exhibited, set up in the same form ; 

 notes could be written on the back. A discussion followed, after which the following 

 exhibits were shown : — The President showed a fine variety of Zygcena lonicera with 

 remarkably wide borders to the under-wing. Mr. F. N. Pierce, a living exotic 

 Blatta, taken from an Orchid. 



April Mh. — The President in the Chair. 



Mr. P. W. Saxby gave a Demonstration Lecture on Photomicrography of Insect 

 Structures. He used for illuminant acetylene gas. After describing the apparatus 

 and illustrating its manipulation, he photographed a vertical section through the eye 

 oi EristaUs tenax. The negatives were very successful. Messrs. Pierce and Freeman 

 exhibited other slides and unmounted specimens. The ordinary exhibits consisted 

 of Papilios from Lagos, Mr. Webster ; captures during 1898, Mr. F. C. Thompson ; 

 first year's captures, 1897, Dr. J. Cotton ; amongst the latter was a very long series 

 of Orammesia trilinea, var. bilinea, also a Chcerocampa JElpenor captured at sugar. 

 After a few remarks by the President, a vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Saxby, 

 and the Meeting closed. 



May 9th. — The President in the Chair. 



Mr. F. E. Dixon Nuttall, F.M.S., was elected a Member of the Society. 



It was decided to adjourn till October, and to start next season with a Meeting 

 entirely devoted to Exhibits. 



Mr. F. F. Pierce read a paper on " Recent investigations of the hair-pencils on 

 certain male Noctuce." After a rough summary of the immense field of morpho- 

 logical research open to the entomologist, and a short reference to his own work and 



