SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



29 



Julv, 1S96, from ova given him by Dr. Buckell. 

 One had no trace of suffusion, the remaining six 

 all being strongly marked in this direction, and 

 one male in particular having the whole ground 

 colour of both wings of a smoky hue instead of 

 the usual bright yellow. Mr. Bacot read notes on 

 all his exhibits. Mr. Heasler exhibited a specimen 

 of Dromius quadrinotatus , on which he read some 

 notes. — Tuesday, March 2nd, 1S97, the President in 

 the chair. Mr. C. Fenn, F.E.S., was elected a 

 member of the society. Exhibits : Mr. Dadd, 

 .1 and T. biundularia (?), var. of 

 Hypsipetes sordidata, Lythria purpuraria, Hadena 

 j and H. adusta. Sphinx pinastri and otherspecies 

 from Dakota, L'.S A. Dr. Buckell, exhibiting as a 

 visitor, showed specimens of Ccenonympha typlwii, on 

 which he read notes. Mr. Bacot exhibited 122 speci- 

 mens of Amphidasys s:mmi 7.1, bred during 1S96 from 

 the ova of a male and female of one of his 1S95 brood. 

 He also exhibited the 1S95 brood together with its 

 parents, which were bred from larvae beaten in the 

 New Forest in 1S93. Mr. Burrowsexhibited (a) larvae 

 of Orgyia gonostigma, hatched July, 1S96, hibernated 

 in bag out of doors on oak ; (b) same species a full 

 generation ahead, batched September 1st, 1896, 

 hibernated indoors ; (1) a single larva believed to 

 be Apamea ophiogramma, embeded in root-stem of 

 striped-ribbon grass. With regard to the double 

 broods of 0. gonostigma, in 1S87 the imagines 

 emerged on June 2Sth. the ova hatched on July 18th, 

 and the larvae pupated on August 30th. In 1S93 

 the imagines emerged on June 14th, the ova 

 hatched on June 27th, the larvae pupated on 

 August 13th ; and the imagines again emerged on 

 August 25th. and theova again hatched on September 

 15th. In 1S96 the imagines emerged on June 22nd, 

 the ova hatched on July 2nd, the larvae pupated 

 on August 3rd ; the imagines again emerged on 

 August 15th. and the ova again hatched on September 

 1st. Mr. Garland exhibited Aglaia (Vanessa) urtica, 

 taken at rest upon a brick wall at Harrow Green, 

 Leytonstone, about 10 o'clock in the morning 

 of February 19th. and bred male varieties of 

 Hybtrnia de/oliaria, being larger than captured 

 specimens. Mr. Newbery exhibited Bruclmt Units 

 from Egyptian lentils. He read notes: "This 

 species is erroneously stated to be without a 

 thoracic tooth by both ' Cox ' and ' Fowler,' 

 although the contrary is stated in the original 

 description ' Mr. Tutt read a paper entitled " The 

 origin of the Lepidoptera," in which he gave a 

 summary of the latest facts at our disposal on this 

 subject, from which it appeared that the opinion is 

 pretty generally held that lepidoptera and trichop- 

 tera, originated from a common neuropterous stock, 

 and that there is considerable probability that 

 the Diptcra originated from the same source. 

 lie. Buckell suggested that it might be as well to 

 consider how broad was the base which we were 

 trying to discover Our present species had not 

 necessan: from a sin 



pair. There was very likely more than one stem. — 

 Lawrence J Trtmayut, Hon. Sec. 

 Cam. 



held on April 

 ■ {'resident in the chair Iir. Sharp called 

 attention to a peculiar structure which be deb 

 v/mt y«ar» ay in 1 n better 



known :i 



abdominal icgment there is an car-like 



pping 

 tea i- 1 • bamtx 



middle line an'l i<; the 



bate of the a' ihat a considerable space 



in the anterior and upper part of the abdomen is 

 occupied by the chambers. At the anterior external 

 part of this depression or chamber there is a second 

 vesicle-like chamber formed by a delicate mem- 

 brane. He considered this structure to be some 

 kind of sense organ, and thought it must be of great 

 importance to the creature, as it occupies a large 

 area of the abdominal region. It is independent 

 of sex and, apparently, occurs in all the members 

 of the families Uraniidae and Epiplemidae. Mr. 

 Oberthur had kindly supplied him liberally with 

 dried specimens for the examination of this organ, 

 but fresh individuals, or some well preserved in 

 spirit, are necessary before any of the finer details 

 of the structure can be ascertained. — L. Doncaster, 

 Hon. Sec, King's College, Cambridge. 



Hull Scientific and Field Naturalists' 

 Club. — The usual fortnightly meeting of the Club 

 was held in the Friendly Societies' Hall, Albion 

 Street, Hull, on Wednesday evening, the 12th May, 

 the President, Dr. J. Hollingworth, M.R.C.S., 

 occupied the chair. Mr. J. F. Robinson read a 

 detailed report of the excusions made by the Club 

 the two previous Saturdays, viz., to Little 

 Weighton and Swine respectively. On the former 

 date the members joined the Hull Geological 

 Society in a ramble along the wolds. Hornbeam 

 (Curpinus bctulus) was noticed growing in a wild 

 state in the hedgerows between Little Weighton 

 and Blue Stone Bottoms. At Swine the party had 

 a very profitable outing, especially the botanists. 

 In addition to a magnificent show of orchids, 

 bluebells, broom, etc., specimens of a rare plant 

 for this district, the bistort (Polygonum bistorta) 

 were secured in Coniston Coppice. Mr, J. R. 

 Boyle, F.S.A., conducted the party over Swine 

 Church, and also gave a description of "Castle 

 Hill" on this occasion. Mr. Phillip referred to 

 the diatoms found on these excursions, and showed 

 some of the most beautiful with the aid of the 

 microscope. Photographs of the country in the 

 neighbourhood of Little Weighton were handed 

 round by the President. Mr. C. Waterfall gave an 

 account of a visit he had paid to Hornsea Mere 

 the previous Saturday, and handed round several 

 of the plants he had collected, two of which, 

 Tcraxacum officinale var. palustre and Salix triandra 

 are additions to the list of East Riding plants. 

 The exhibits included a boulder of rhomb-porphyry 

 from the beach at Hornsea, by Mr. Waterfall ; 

 several interesting cretaceous and other fossils by 

 Mr. J. W. Boult ; a collection of ancient British 

 flint arrow-heads and "scrapers" found on the 

 fields at Hunmanby, by the Secretary, on behalf of 

 Mr. Leppington ; and some botanical specimens by 

 Mr. Knight. Mr. Wm. Nicholls was elected a 

 member of the Club. Mr. G. II. Hill read a note 

 on the dog's mercury (Mercurial is tcretmis), which 

 he illustrated with some beautifully coloured 

 diagrams. The lecture of the evening was then 

 delivered by Mr. J F. Robinson, on " Spring 

 Flowers." In a delightfully interesting manner 

 the lecturer described the plants which adorn 

 the woods, ditches, fields and hedgerows at 

 this season of the year. In addition he gave 

 the results of his observations relating I" the 

 colouring of these early Bowers, It appears 

 the majority of "the flowers that bloom in the 

 ther yellow, green oi brown, and 



Mr I 1 •.•/ lj.it he iIioiikIi! was I Ik- 



reason for this I lie lecture was illnslr.iled l>y 



numer- 1 lowers o illected 



hi iii. Shi 1 fai 1. Hon - - , 



.../, Hull. 



