SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



*5: 



The South London Entomological and 

 Natural History Society. — July 22nd, Mr. A. 

 W. Dennis in the chair. Mr. Ashdown exhibited 

 a living specimen of the rare and local longicorn 

 beetle, Qberea oculata, taken at YVicken Fen. Mr. 

 Kedgely sent for exhibition, a specimen of the 

 dragonfly, Aeschna cyanea, which had been taken in 

 the Borough, London, on July iSth. — August 12th, 

 Mr. R. Adkin, F.E.S., President, in the chair. 

 Mr. McArthur, a fine bred series of Toxocampa 

 irom North Devon. Mr. Edwards, young 

 larva of Callimorpha hera, which he had just 

 received from the French Alps, where the 

 imagines absolutely swarmed. Mr. J. N. Smith, 

 on behalf of Mr. Fitzgerald, a remarkably smoky 

 variety of Melanipfe montanata, one of a pair taken 

 at the same time and place. Mr. Tolhurst, the 

 curious telescopic larvae of Eristalis tenax, from a 

 tank of foul water in his garden Mr. West, of 

 Greenwich, specimens of the hemipteron Atracto- 

 Icmus ma'.i which he had taken on a white thorn at 

 Lewisham. Mr. Ficklin, larvae of Dianthaecia nana 

 from the Land's End. Mr. South, two bred 

 specimens of Pircnia permutana from Eastbourne, 

 which differed very considerably from the Wallasey 

 type. Mr Adkin. a small brood of Abraxas grossu- 

 lariata, which exhibited none of the peculiarities of 

 the female which deposited the ova Mr Harrison, 

 a specimen of the rare liliaceous plant, Simethis 

 from Greenwich marshes, Bournemouth 

 and Derrylane being the only previously recorded 

 localities. — August 26th, Mr. R. Adkin, F.E.S., 

 President, in the chair. Mr. Tutt, the egg of 

 which had never been 

 previously described, and remarked on its beautiful 

 reticulated appearance ; a living mantis, from Aix- 

 les-Bains, which had fed ravenously on cock- 

 roaches; a tipula. with beautifully marked wings ; 

 and specimens of an orthopteron, which were 

 abundant and active on the wing about 9 am. near 

 Susa. and remarked on its protective colouration. 

 On behalf of Mr. Tuck, of Bury St. Edmunds, he 

 also exhibited a nest of Vispa ru/a which had 

 been attacked by the larvae of Aphomia sociclla, 

 and which was found about a foot deep in a bank ; 

 part of the nest lafUarius, attacked by 



the same species and which bad been taken from 

 hole in a pigstye I and further, a r.est of 

 Bornbit: latritlltllui, similarly attacked, found in a 

 •■- s hole in a pasture. They were all taken 

 during the few previous days Mr. Adkin 



from 

 series from Eas' 



• 

 all and da' 



■ - - -<l good • 



im thii s»m 



remarkable 



I 



several unusually dark Scotch forms of Spilosoma 

 metithastri, being second generation descendants of 

 Moray parents. Mr. Turner, an unusually grey 

 specimen of Mamestra abjecta, taken in the Greenwich 

 marshes ; a small red form of Agrotis tritici, from 

 Woolmer Forest, Hants ; series of undersides of 

 Encdia hyperantlius, from Carlisle and Chattenden, 

 to show the contrast in the ground-colour, the 

 former being of a grey appearance, while the latter 

 were deep and rich ; a larva of Heterogenea limacodes 

 from Westerham ; and larvae of Acidalia immorata 

 from Alpine ova. He remarked upon the undoubted 

 Acidalia-like habits and appearance, and said that 

 they fed readily upon knot-grass. Mr. Manger, 

 specimens of the largest known landshell, Achat ina 

 uariegata, from Ibadan, near Lagos, west coast 

 of Africa ; these measured six inches across the 

 mouth, and he said specimens were known to 

 measure even eight inches. Mr. West, of Green- 

 wich, specimens of the local Hemipteron, Dictynota 

 fuliginosa, taken on broom at Plumstead. Mr. 

 Adkin, series of Satyrus semele, from Eastbourne 

 and Bournemouth, for comparison, with examples 

 set to show their natural resting positions on the 

 ground. Mr. Tutt remarked that allied continental 

 species had precisely the same habits. Mr. Lucas, 

 specimens and drawings of the scarce dragonfly, 

 Agrion mercuriale, which he had taken in the New- 

 Forest this season. Mr. Dennis, under the micro- 

 scope, ova of both Polyommatus corydon and P. 

 aegon, the former of w-hich he said had not yet been 

 described. Mr. Tutt, a cabinet-drawer containing 

 his series of Erebia net inc and its near allies, together 

 with photographs of the famous Mendelstrasse, in 

 illustration of his paper which he then read, entitled 

 " A Gregarious Butterfly, Erebia nerine : a Remin- 

 iscence of the Mendelstrasse, with Notes on the 

 Lepidoptera of the Serpents of the Mendelstrasse." 

 — Hy.J- Tmner, Hon. Report Secretary. 



Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club. — On 

 Friday, August 27th, a large party attended the 

 fourth field meeting to visit the Forest of Wyre, 

 the town of Bewdley, Ribbesford Church, and the 

 extensive caves historically used as a hermitage in 

 the sandstone rocks opposite Ribbesford. Mr. 

 Carleton Rea, of the Worcestershire Naturalists' 

 Society, met the members at Wyre Forest Station, 

 and conducted them on the northern side of the 

 railway by a footpath in the forest skirting 

 Dowles' brook for the distance of about three miles, 

 when the brook was crossed, and the ascent of the 

 hill was made to the railway line, which was 

 crossed in order to reach the Great Bog. Here a 

 halt was made, and a few bog plants were found 

 To view the locality in its glory the month of June 

 should have been chosen, when it displays a 

 mass of the fragrant Habenatia conopsea, Eptpactis 

 palustris, the delicate pink-coloured bog pimpernel 

 1W1 taiella), cotton grass (Eriophonim), and 

 other plants Some specimens of Cham were 

 gathered for examination under the microscope, .of 

 the streaming of protoplasm within the intern ode 



with their enclo enon 1 cells. The Great 



may have originally deserved its name, bul ll 

 ■ 1 mall "■ ind its charactei ha mi 1 



probably been altered by dn ee from the neigh 



Leaving I be « rreal 1 ;i ig, 1 hi 

 railwa; crossed, and thi vail • as con 



Do li Brool unto its a nfluem e 

 with thi 1 : the banks 



■,( 1I1 [r. Rea 



• ■ 1,1 Si ern a ipei Imen ol 

 < I itis plant ha 



