SCIEXCE-GOSSIP. 



363 



The South London Entomological and 

 Natural History Society. — February 24th, 

 - • Mr. J W. Tutt, F.E.S., President, in the 

 chair. Mr. Samuel Stevens exhibited several fine 

 varieties of Lasiocampid moths, including bright 

 yellow-brown Bombyx trifolii, B. qutrcus, with semi- 

 iransparent hind wings, a dark well-banded B. rubi 

 ar.ci a remarkably light Lasii campa qturcifolia. Mr. J . 

 A. Clarke, his series of the Lasiocampidae, including 

 many fine and extreme forms of variation. Mr. R. 

 Adkin, fine series and varieties of many of the same 

 family Mr. Tutt, an inbred series of Zygaena 

 - showing the gradual coalescence of the 

 spots and the usual order of this joining ; a Brephes 

 as, from Leicester, having yellow hind 

 wings; and a yellow variety of Arctia fuligiuosa. 

 Mr. F. Clarke, photo-micrograph of the curious 

 scales of the aberrant lepidopteron, Pseudopontia 

 t.i. Mr. Tutt read a paper entitled, "The 

 Lasiocampid Moths," illustrating it with speci- 

 mens, diagrams and the blackboard. A discussion 

 ensued. Dr. Chapman, Messrs. J. A. Clarke, R. 

 Adkin, S. Stevens. Hillsworth, McArthur and 

 Tutt taking part.— March 10th. Mr. J. W. Tutt, 

 President, in the chair. The evening was devoted 

 to the exhibition of a large number of admirable 

 photo - micrographs made by Mr Fred Clark, 

 together with a number of slides showing details 

 of the Odonata (dragonflies) made by Mr. Lucas. 

 The slides were of particular interest, as the 

 objects were chosen, in many cases, by other 

 members, and handed to Mr. Clark, who photo- 

 graphed and most skilfully manipulated them for 

 exhibition in th : Society's lantern. — Hy.J. Tutiur, 

 Hon. fir/ rt i.. 



:olooical Society. — 



At the meeting of 15th March, exhibits: Rev. 



C. N. Burrows, a series of Calhgenia miniata, 



j considerable variation, some with scarcely 



any black markings on the fore wings, some 



orange, and two quite yellow in colour instead of 



the usual pink or pale red. Mr A. W. Mera, a 



cocoor metti .which he had broken 



into, and in which he had found the larval skin of 



the caterpillar, two pupal cases of parasitic diptera, 



one large and one small, and the attenuated corpse 



of the dipteron. which had emerged from the 



jupa. hut which had not been able to escape 



from the tompa : the cocoon. The lid 



of the smaller pupal skin was raised, and the legs 



• Elded, but the fly had 



In the »lii ,«,m for its 



emergence Mr I. I: Hall, a visitor, passed 



ntaining a large bag, Enofbpi 



i«ctle». male and female, Ath>,u\ 



\y found in the South of 



• ■ . and having 



■1 than il. ! male 



' ...i . the 



■■adiTS. 



male l<-i: 

 faMCta were captured at Haatingi Mr 11 11 



series of Scup/iidium q-maaiiatum, taken under a 

 rotten oak-log at West Wickham in February. 

 The undersides of male and female were shown, 

 the centre of the metasternum of male being de- 

 pressed and pubescent. Also, series of Agathidium 

 varians, taken under a decayed branch at West 

 Wickham. The male has the left mandible pro- 

 duced, a peculiar character which is present in 

 varying stages of development in other members 

 of the same genus. The members of the genus 

 have the power of rolling themselves up into a 

 ball. Also, several specimens of Ennearthron 

 affine, taken in two small pieces of dry Boletus 

 fungus. Mr. E. M. Dadd read a paper translating 

 and summarising Standfuss' work on " Causes of 

 Variation." Discussion followed, especial interest 

 being shown in the author's definitions of albinism 

 and melanism. Mr. Tutt, Dr. Chapman, and 

 Messrs. Prout, Nicholson and H. Heasler took 

 part, Dr. Chapman being of opinion that the 

 reason why albinic specimens occur sporadically 

 whereas melanic tend to increase and found a race, 

 might be explained by the fact that albinism is a 

 sign of weakness in the individual, whilst melanism 

 is the result of special vigour, and thus albinos die 

 off, but melanic individuals transmit their varia- 

 tion to their progeny. Mr. Dadd was thanked for 

 his care and labour in the translation. — April 5th. 

 Exhibits : Mr. L. B. Prout, a very uncommon 

 variety of Coremia spadiccaria (ferrugata) bred from 

 ova obtained by Mr. E. M. Dadd from a female 

 captured at Little Berkhamsted. The centre of 

 the red band was almost as pale as the ground 

 colour. Mr. H. Heasler, a beetle (Harpalus 

 fioelichii) new to the British list, taken by Mr. 

 Claude Morley. Dr. J. S. Sequeira, species of 

 Lucanus from India. In field work, Mr. E. M. 

 Dadd, with a party of fellow members, had visited 

 Oxshott on March 24th, and reported about fifty 

 specimens of Pachycnemia hippocastanaria had been 

 beaten ; the sallows were backward, and only four 

 species of Tatniocampa were seen — stabilis, pulveni- 

 lenta Uruda), gotkica and munda. Communication : 

 Mr. C. Nicholson read a letter from Mr. Potter, of 

 Whangarei, New Zealand, asking for a specimen 

 of Phylloxera vastatrix for comparison with a pest 

 of the vine in his district, and an extract from a 

 newspaper of the same place giving high praise to 

 our member, who succeeded in rearing from the egg 

 in some numbers the beetle Cryptolaemus monlrousiu 

 which had been introduced into the district to 

 exterminate the mealy bug, Dactylopius adonidum, 

 the consignment of eggs entrusted to the Govern, 

 ment having perished, and thus all hopes of relief 

 from this pest were centred in Mr. Potter, who 

 possessed the only existing specimens in the 

 locality. A paper by Mr. J. W. Tutt, on "The 

 Protective Coloration and Defensive Habits of 

 I-cpidoplerous Larva;," dealt with such features 

 ai the longitudinal lines on grass-lending larvae, 

 the likeness to twigs of Geometrids, the manner in 

 which hair is thickened, and tubercles transformed 

 pines in some cases, and of larva' which 

 resemble gall like strut lures on leaves, withered 

 edge, of leaves and even bird droppings, Numer- 

 ous instances were quoted Illustrating the le points, 

 and mention was also made ol larva defending 



by altitude, by excretii >n ■ and od 



and by sin h habits as twisting leave,, making 

 [alteries, pinning leaves togci hei , 

 , dropping If disturbed, 01 Hinging 



Ivi about ii 11 'i 1 Ions In the disi ui sli m 



which ensued Mr, Bocoi spoke ol the swinging ol 

 PtricaUlt tyrtngarla ii disturbed, whli bhe ipared 



