SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



83 



South London Entomological and Natural 

 History Society. — May 2Sth, Mr. C. G. Barrett, 

 F.E.S., Vice-President in the chair. Mr. A. H. 

 Bartlett, M.A., 34, Vanbrugh Park, Blackheath, 

 was elected a member. Mr. McArthur exhibited 

 a bred series of Hypsipetes ruberala and //. trifasciata 

 from Hoy, which, as imagines, were inseparable ; 

 the latter species was reared on heath. From the 

 same locality, Eupithecia vefwsata, E. pulcliellata, and 

 Melanippe fluctuata, var. neapolisata. Mr. Warne, 

 the curious inverted wine-glass-shaped cocoon of a 

 spider, said to be probably Agelena brunnea, found 

 suspended among heather in the New Forest. Mr. 

 Sauze, a small specimen of Sin-odendron cylindricum, 

 taken by Mr. Adkin at Worthing, and Ledra aurita, 

 one of the remarkable Membracidae, Silpha quad- 

 rimaculata, Hippobosca eqtiina, and Hoplia philenthus, 

 all from the New Forest. Mr. West, on behalf of 

 Mr. McArthur, specimens of Chrysoinela arvensis, 

 and C. sanguinea from Hoy, with C. distinguenda 

 from the South of England, for comparison with 

 the local northern C. sanguinea. Mr. Edwards, a 

 twig of fir containing the nodule and larva of Tortrix 

 piceana, from Brockenhurst. Mr. Filer, larvae of 

 Pcecilocampa populi, and Trichiura cratagi from 

 Epping Forest. Mr. Clarke, microphotographs of 

 the bacillus of lockjaw and of typhoid fever 

 X 1000, the latter showing the flagellas very 

 plainly. Mr. Montgomery had had a large brood 

 of larvae of Saturnia carpini, of which a very 

 considerable number were attached by ichneumons. 

 Mr. Adkin remarked on the abundance of parasites 

 he had seen in his garden and elsewhere. In 

 reporting on the Field Meeting at Brockenhurst, 

 Mr. Edwards said that imagines were more 

 plentiful than last year, and that larva beating was 

 very successful. The weather was fine, and 

 some twelve members were in attendance during 

 the three days. Macroglossa fuciforiiiis and M. 

 bombyliformis were both captured. Larvae of 

 Limenitis syhilla, Catocala promissa, C. sponsa, Tanio- 

 campa miniosa, Spilosoma mendica, Zephyius qiiercus, 

 and Z. hetula were among the species found, 

 —June nth; Mr. C. G. Barrett, F.E.S., Vice- 

 President, in the chair. Mr. Monington, 141, 

 Broomswood Road, Wandsworth Common, was 

 elected a member. Mr. Lucas exhibited specimens 

 of Ichnura elegans, Pyirhosoma minium and a series 

 of Platetrum depressum, including a male which had 

 not developed the blue colour characteristic of the 

 sex. They were taken by Mr. Turner at Folke- 

 stone on May 17th. Mr. West, of Streatham, a 

 series of Macroglossa fuciformis, taken at Brocken- 

 hurst during the Whitsuntide field-meeting. Mr. 

 Barrett, specimens of the new Noctua (Leucania 

 flavicolor), recently described by him, and which 

 were captured on the coast of Essex by Mr. G. F. 

 Matthew. It was apparently allied to L. pallens, 

 from which it differed not only in colour and mark- 

 ings, but also somewhat in the shape of the wings. 

 It was thought that if this exhibit were again 

 brought up, after members had examined their own 

 series, a discussion could take place. Mr. Barrett 



also exhibited several beautiful, bright, uniform 

 red forms of L. pallens from the same locality; a 

 very large and dark specimen of Mamestra abjecta 

 and a beautiful var. of the same, having all the 

 markings clear and distinct upon a light ground ; a 

 var. remissa of Apaea geniina and a specimen of 

 Hadena genista, to both of which the var. of M . 

 abjecta was comparable in many respects. Mr. N. E. 

 Warne, a series of Procris statices from Keswick, and 

 a few specimens of Emmelesia adaquata (blandiata), 

 one of which had the central band almost complete. 

 Mr. Tunaley a specimen of Ermpis tessalata, having 

 in its grasp a Tipula which it had captured. The 

 middle legs of the Ermpis clutched the shoulders of 

 the wings of the Tipula, the hind legs were bent 

 under the wings and body, while the fore-legs of 

 the Ermpis were free to grasp any support. The 

 Tipula was thus held in a vice, and frequently lost 

 its legs in the struggle. The Ermpis repeatedly 

 pierced the thorax of the Tipula with its lancet, 

 but was not always successful, owing to the 

 struggles. This could easily be observed if the 

 insects were placed together in a small glass-topped 

 box. He also exhibited an asymmetrical form of 

 Coremia designata from Ranmore, Surrey, having 

 the band of the right primary narrower than usual 

 but filled in completely with the dark colour. The 

 inner margin of the band was straighter than in 

 normal specimens. Mr. Mansbridge, a specimen 

 of Syrichthus malvcB having a notch at the apex of 

 all the wings in which the cilia were present, but 

 shorter than usual. A discussion ensued, some 

 members considering it to be caused by an injury 

 to the pupa, and others thought that the cilia were 

 shorter than usual and that the proximity of the 

 white patch somewhat accentuated the appearance 

 of the notch. Mr. Edwards, a specimen of the 

 rare Papilo danisepa from the Khasi Hills, and a 

 short series of Leptocircus curius. He then read a 

 few notes on the very aberrant genus of the Papili- 

 oninae, Leptocircus. After enumerating the species 

 and stating the characters by which it differed from 

 the other genera of the family, he described its 

 distribution and quoted the opinions of various 

 collectors that the species were mimics of species 

 of Neuroptera both in their appearance and 

 habits. It was noted by various members that 

 the defoliation of the oaks was this year not so 

 much due to the attacks of Tortrix viridana, but to 

 the larvae of the different species of Hybcrnia 

 It was also remarked that oaks, having bright 

 green foliage, had comparatively escaped attack, 

 but that trees which had leaves of a dark 

 brownish green were mostly completely stripped. 

 — June 25th; Mr. R. South, F.E.S., President, in 

 the chair. Mr. West, of Streatham, exhibited a 

 bred series oi Hypsipetes ruberata containing uniform 

 and banded specimens, and a specimen of 

 Trochilium crabroni/ormis, bred from an osier-stem 

 cut at Streatham in expectation of obtaining 

 Sesia formiaeformis. Mr. R. Adkin, a bred series 

 of Eupithecia venosata from Hoy, with series from 

 Shetland, Forres and Isle of Man for comparison, 

 and noted that the Orkney ones were of a browner 

 shade, while the Isle of Man specimens were like 

 South of England netted forms ; also full-fed larva; 

 of Calocampa vetusta, reared on dock from Inverness- 

 shire ova. Mr. Barrett, a series of the rare 

 Osmylus chrysops from Haslemere. Mr. South, 

 types of the variation obtained from a brood of 

 Spilosoma meniliastri from Aberdeen. Several were 

 smoky, one had dark fringes, in another the 

 edges of all the black markings had run in appear- 

 ance. Mr. Mac.Vrthur, the five most remarkable 



