SOCIETIES. 23 



Birmingham Entomological SociBTy. — November llth, 1890. — Mr. 

 W. G. Blatch, President, in the chair. Mr. M. Stanger Higgs was elected 

 a member of the Society. Mr. H. M. Lee showed Calocampa vetusta, 

 Scopelosoma satellitia, &c., from Sutton Park. Mr. P. W. Abbott showed 

 a fine series of Tapinostola fulva, taken in Sutton Park, flying at night, in 

 the company of Nonagria arundinis. Mr. R. C. Bradley showed two 

 varieties of Abraxas grossulariata. A discussion followed on the causes of 

 colours in insects, in which Messrs. W. G. Blatch, C. F. Thornewill, 

 R. C. Bradley, and C. J. Wainwright joined. Mr. C. J. Wainwright 

 showed several wings of Selenia tetralunaria denuded of scales, one of 

 which lacked half of one longitudinal vein. A discussion followed, in which 

 Messrs. Blatch, Thornewill, and Wainwright joined. Mr. Blatch mentioned 

 a curious case of a specimen of Habrostola urticcB, which had the body filled 

 with scales like those on the wings. Rev. C. F. Thornewill showed a 

 collection of Lepidoptera, made at Abbott's Wood in June, 1890, and made 

 remarks on them. 



December 1st, 1890. — Mr. W. G. Blatch, President, in the chair. Mr. 

 Blatch reported that, during 1890, he had taken sixty species of beetles new 

 to the Midlands. Messrs. C. F. Thornewill, R. C. Bradley, W. Harrison, 

 G. W. Wynn, and A. Johnson showed collections of insects taken during 

 1890. Mr. Thornewill's included a specimen of Scotosia certata, taken on 

 8th September, and seeming, therefore, to point to a second brood of the 

 species. Mr. G. T. Baker showed a collection of butterflies, taken in the 

 Madeira Islands. Mr. C. J. Wainwright showed Cosmia affiids and 

 diffinis, taken from near Bromsgrove. — C. J. Wainwright, Hon. Sec. 



Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological SooiETy. — Monday, 

 November IQth. — The President, Mr. S. J. Capper, in the chair. Mr. E. 

 C. Stott was elected a member. Referring to Miss Ormerod's new 

 'Manual of Injurious Insects,' a copy of which the authoress had presented to 

 the Society, the President said that the volume had been greatly enlarged 

 since the last edition. It contained a large number of new figures, and 

 remarks on twenty new insects, which had been found to be injurious to 

 crops since the last edition was published. There was also a portrait 

 of Miss Ormerod; and he recommended all interested in economic entomo- 

 logy to procure a copy. Mr. J. Cosmo Melvill read a paper on " Hypo- 

 cephalus armatus (Desin.), the rarest and most extraordinary member of 

 the Coleoptera," giving an account of its structure and probable affinities, 

 and exhibited one of the nine specimens known to exist in collections; also 

 various members of other families, with which H. armatus had been com- 

 pared. During the conversazione, the President exhibited some fine 

 varieties of Abraxas grossulariata ; Mr. Newstead, Acherontia atropos, 

 large nests of wasps, and the only three specimens known of a Coccid, 

 Orthezia occidentalis, sent him for figuring by Mr. J. W. Douglas ; 

 Mr. Gardner showed Goedart's 'Metamorphosis et Historia Naturalis 

 Insectorum,' a.d. 1G62 ; Rev. H. H. Higgins exhibited Apatura j)avoni ; 

 and Mr. C. S. Gregson, 100 varieties of Abraxas grossulariata, picked out 

 of 4000 specimens bred by him in 1890. 



Monday, December Hth. — The President in the chair. Mr. B. H. 

 Crabtree was elected a member. Mr. R. Newstead read a paper on 

 " British Wasps, their parasites and scavengers," in which he gave the 

 life-history of the wasp, from the coujmencement of the ucbt by the single 



