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SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



doing so. As knowledge of animals and plants 

 grew gradually more complete, there would be less 

 need for collecting ; and the knowledge that would 

 then be required would be chiefly that about living 

 animals and plants, and the bother and trouble of 

 private collections would lead to their inclusion in 

 museums. The approach of collectivism would 

 also aid in this, as the " money- value," now one of 

 the chief reasons for extensive collections of Lepi- 

 doptera, at any rate, would cease to form a factor in 

 their continuance. The money-value was, of 

 course, only an indirect cause of over-collecting, 

 but was, nevertheless, a very powerful one. The 

 extermination of many species would, of course, 

 continue, and must do so as long as men increase 

 and multiply. But it seemed doubtful whether 

 over-collecting ever did more than finish off slightly 

 more rapidly the already rapidly diminishing 

 species. These remarks applied to scientific col- 

 lecting. As regards commercial collecting, such as 

 killing birds for aigrettes or plumes, or butterflies for 

 wall-decorations, that was quite another matter. 

 Agitation would probably do much good, but he 

 did not think at present that any legal steps could 

 be taken, especially as the chief offenders seemed 

 to be among the older school of entomologists, 

 who had already filled their series ; whilst any 

 Jaws on the subject would press hardly on the 

 younger men, who, he thought, were far less likely 

 to do harm. He was strongly opposed to any idea 

 of enclosure of the land. Mr. Frost followed. 

 Mr. Battley thought the idea of reducing collecting 

 to a system was too dreadful. He was informed 

 that Mr. Tutt's recent statements in the " Record," 

 as to Lyccena, arion were inaccurate, and he saw great 

 difficulties in the way of legislation. Many of 

 those who were now doing the most shouting in 

 the matter had themselves been the greatest 

 exterminators. Mr. Wattson thought that of the 

 remedies suggested by Mr. L. J. Tremayne boy- 

 cotting was the most feasible, and suggested the 

 possibility of introducing a rule into our society, 

 limiting the number of exhibits in certain species. 

 Miss Simmons deprecated the publicity of the 

 matter, and urged the cultivation of a high moral 

 tone among the rising generation. Mr. Simes 

 pointed out that publication would advertise the 

 best spots for insects. With regard to the difficulty 

 arising from the " money- value " of certain species, 

 he thought this might be met by careful transplanta- 

 tion from Continental stocks which would undermine 

 the value of Lyaena arion, for instance, in the British 

 market. Mr. Woodward pointed out that the long 

 series sometimes seen in collections are not 

 necessarily the result of over-collecting, being often 

 obtained by breeding, suggested that it might be 

 advisable to label those thus obtained. Mr. Dadd 

 thought that exchange had a great deal to do with 

 the matter. Mr. Harvey wanted to know whether 

 Mr. L. J. Tremayne suggested the lands were to be 

 closed to everyone, or only to naturalists. If so, 

 how was the naturalist to be distinguished ? Mr. 

 R. W. Robbins thought we should discourage as 

 much as possible the purchase of British specimens 

 and spread the idea that a British specimen was of 

 no more value than a foreign one. He pointed out 

 that the pass system was already in vogue at 

 Chattenden Wood, where it had been of very 

 little use in stopping over-collecting. He agreed 

 with previous speakers in opposing enclosure of 

 the land. Mr. Bacot proposed the following 

 resolution : "That this Society is strongly opposed 

 to legislation or the closing of collecting-grounds 

 to entomologists or others." This was seconded 



by Mr. Simes, and carried by twenty to one. Mr 

 Prout said that if the dealers were left to do their 

 very worst we should only lose about twelve 

 species. Mr. Prout proposed the following 

 supplemental resolution : " But that, while 

 deprecating action on the lines indicated, the 

 Society renews its pledge to the Entomological 

 Society of London to assist their committee by 

 all the means in their power." This was seconded 

 by Mr. Bacot, and carried unanimously. A vote 

 of thanks to Mr. L. J. Tremayne terminated the 

 proceedings. — February 25th, 1897, Mr. C. B. 

 Smith, Vice-President, in the chair. Exhibits: Mr. 

 Bacot, larva? of Bombyx quercus (received from 

 Mr. Goymour), also of B. spartii and B. quercus 

 (received from Mr. Warburg), on which he read 

 extensive notes. Mr. Battley, a few Abraxas 

 grossulariata selected from a large number bred 

 from Stamford Hill larvae. One specimen had the 

 yellow in the transverse band almost absent, owing 

 to the spread of the black spots. Mr. Prout, four 

 continental examples of Thera variata, Hb., and four 

 examples of T. obelisca, bred from St. George's 

 Hills, Weybridge, which latter Doubleday held to 

 be a distinct species. Mr. Prout said it was highly 

 probable he might prove to be right. Rossler said 

 that the form variata occurred on the Pimis abies, 

 the var. obeliscata on Pinus sylvestris. Mr. Prout also 

 exhibited two continental specimens of Dianthcecia 

 luteago, and two Irish specimens of the strikingly 

 contrasted var. barrettii. Mr. Harvey recorded three 

 Nyssia hispidaria and several Hybemia leucophearia 

 and others of the genus Hybemia, from Epping 

 Forest, taken February 14th ; but on a later day 

 he had seen only H. marginalia, and on February 

 19th he had only found H. marginalia, one 

 Cheimatobia brumata, and two Anisopteryx cescularia. 

 He had not seen any Asphalia flavicomis. Mr. Prout 

 remarked that Asphalia flavicomis had been out at 

 Wimbledon for about a week. Mr. C. Nicholson 

 read a paper, entitled " Stars, Star Clusters and 

 Nebulae," which was very heartily received, and a 

 vote of thanks to Mr. Nicholson terminated the 

 proceedings. — Lawrence J . Tremayne, Hon. Secretary. 



City of London Entomological and Natural 

 History Society. — Tuesday, February 16th, the 

 President in the chair. Messrs. W. R. Dadd 

 and Norman E. W. Merton were elected members 

 of the society. Exhibits : Mr. Bacot, two broods 

 of Tceniocampa stabilis with their female parents ; 

 No. 1, of nineteen specimens, contained seven males 

 (368 per cent.) and twelve females (622 per cent.) ; 

 No. 2 contained ten specimens, the sexes beingequally 

 divided. All the specimens were much smaller 

 than their female parents (hardly larger than T. 

 cruda). Mr. Bacot also exhibited twenty-two speci- 

 mens of Demas coryli, bred, during August, 1896, 

 from ova laid by a female taken in Epping Forest 

 by Mr. A. F. Bayne last April. These contained 

 twelve females (or 545 per cent.) and ten males 

 (or 455 per cent.). Mr. Bacot also exhibited twenty- 

 three specimens of Ennomos quercinaria, containing 

 thirteen males and ten females, bred in 1896 from a 

 male and female of his 1895 brood. The parents of 

 both broods were also exhibited. Mr. Bacot said 

 that a comparison of the 1896 brood with the far 

 larger brood of 106 specimens reared in 1895 

 showed that the proportion of males to females 

 was almost exactly reversed ; the figures for the 

 1895 brood were 566 per cent, females and 434 

 per cent, males, while for the 1896 brood they 

 were 43 5 per cent, females and 56'5 per cent, males. 

 Lastly, Mr. Bacot exhibited three male and four 

 female specimens of Ennomos quercinaria bred in 



