SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Ill 



The South London Entomological and 

 Natural History Society. — July gth ; Mr. C. G. 

 Barrett, Vice-President, in the chair. Mr. R. Adkin 

 exhibited a short bred series of Dianthcecia nana 

 [conspersa), from larvae taken in Hoy ; they were 

 all dark in colour, about midway between the 

 Shetland and Scottish mainland forms ; also a 

 series of D. capsincola, from the same locality, 

 showing no variation from the usual English form. 

 Mr. Auld, series of varieties of Abraxas grossidariata 

 bred this year ; one specimen was said to be of a 

 unique form, the basal half of each wing being 

 curiously streaked, while the outer half was quite 

 normal ; on the hind wings the streaks were very 

 irregular in length. Mr. Turner, series and life- 

 histories of the following species of Coleopliora : 

 C. lineolea from Brockley and Lewisham, C. alhitar- 

 sella from Lewisham, C. palliatella from Epping 

 Forest, C. laricella and C. fuscedinella from Carlisle ; 

 the latter species showed the young curved cases, 

 which are abandoned early, and new straight ones 

 made ; also living pupas of Gonopteryx rhamni from 

 Byfleet. Mr. Lucas, bred specimens and pupa- 

 skins of the local dragonfly, Erythro^nma naias, from 

 Byfleet. Mr. Perks, a specimen of the Polyporus 

 sulphureus taken from an old willow. Mr. Enoch, a 

 living: specimen of the very rare male of Prestwichia 

 aquatica, which, with the assistance of Messrs. 

 Dennis and Scarfield, he had discovered in a pond 

 in Epping Forest ; it had only the merest rudi- 

 ments of wings. He much doubted the statement 

 that the species was parasitic on the eggs of 

 dragonflies ; the ovipositor seemed too strong 

 and too long. He suggested that the ova were 

 deposited in some aquatic larvas. — July 23rd; 

 Mr, T. W. Hall, F.E.S., Vice-President, in 

 the _ chair. Mr, West (Streatham) exhibited 

 specimens of Catocala promissa and C. sponsa, 

 bred from larvae taken during the Society's Field- 

 meeting at Whitsuntide. Mr. R. Adkin, a bred 

 series of a Hypsipetes, reared from larvas taken 

 in Orkney by Mr. McArthur. He was unable to 

 say whether they were H. trifasciata or H. riiherata, 

 although he was inclined to think they were 

 referable to the latter species. He also exhibited a 

 specimen oiCanonympha pampliilus, with the row of 

 ocelli on the underside very well developed. Mr. 

 Dennis, a series of undersides of Ciipido minitna, 

 taken at Horsley, showing a complete gradation in 

 the number and development of the spots, and also 

 one upper side well scaled with blue. Mr, FremUn. 

 specimens of Polyonunatus asiracJie var. salmacis, 

 from Castle Eden Dene. Mr, Mansbridge, varieties 

 of A hraxas grossulariata bred from larvae obtained at 

 Horsforth, Out of 150 larvas two or three per cent 

 only showed a more than ordinary variation, com- 

 pared with some fifteen per cent last year from the 

 same locality. Two specimens were asymmetrical, 

 and one was a nicely radiate form. Mr. West, 

 (Greenwich) exhibited specimens of the hemipteron 

 Dicyphus epilobii from Eltham. Mr. Moore, a 

 specimen of the second brood of Cyan iris argiolus, 

 taken on July 12th at Oxshott, and also a specimen 

 of Plebeius ctgon destitute of the row of fulvous 



blotches on the upper surface, and one having 

 confluent spots on the underside. Mr. Robt. 

 Adkin contributed a- paper entitled "Notes and 

 Observations made during the Society's Field 

 Meeting at Chalfont Road, on July iSth, 1896."— 

 August 13th ; Mr. C. G. Barrett, F.E.S., in the 

 chair. Mr. S. Stevens exhibited an unusually 

 small specimen of Papilio machaon, having the 

 black band on the hind wing very narrow. Mr. 

 R. Adkin, a bred series oi Pachnohia hyperborea, from 

 pupas taken at Rannoch. Mr. McArthur, a pre- 

 served larva of the same species, mounted on a 

 twig of its food-plant (Eynpetrum nigrum) the crow- 

 berry, and gave interesting details as to its life- 

 history. — Hy. J. Turner {Hon. Report Sec.) 



North London Natural History Society. — 

 June 25th ; Mr. C. B. Smith, President, in the 

 chair. — Insects, plants and photographs from North 

 Wales were largely represented, including : Exhibits 

 by Mr. C. Nicholson, Calocampa vitusta, Emmelesia 

 affinitata, Lithosia griseola, Emmelesia decolorata and 

 Melanippe iinangulata, all from Pwllheli ; also photo- 

 graphs of the Pwllheli district, in Wales ; Mr. 

 Battley, a piece of stone from North Wales with 

 dendritic markings resembling moss, also specimens 

 oi Carterocephalus palamon, A crony eta ligicstri, Cidaria 

 silaceata, etc., from Northamptonshire; Mr. R. W. 

 Robbins, plants and insects from Wales, and larvae 

 of Dianthcecia capsincola and D. carpophaga, and 

 imago of Sesia myopceformis from Clapton ; Miss 

 Simmons, specimens of Bryonia dioica, Ononis 

 arvensis (rest harrow), Silene cucubalus, Habenaria 

 conopsea (sweet-scented orchis), Ophrys apifera (bee 

 orchis), and Briza media. Mr. L. J. Tremayne 

 drew attention to the recent discussion in the 

 Entomological Society of London on the question 

 of over-collecting in the lepidoptera, which resulted 

 in the formation of a committee to enquire into the 

 matter, moved the following resolution, which was 

 seconded by Miss Nicholson and carried : " That 

 this society heartily approves of the action of the 

 Entomological Society of London in appointing a 

 committee to deal with the question of over-collect- 

 ing in the lepidoptera, and will be pleased to 

 support the society in any action they may think 

 fit to take in the matter." Mr. C. B. Smith read a 

 paper entitled, " Notes from North Wales," being 

 a description of a holiday spent there last July 

 by himself and Mr. R. W, Robbins. They had 

 fixed their headquarters at Barmouth, and had 

 thoroughly explored the surrounding district, 

 ascending Snowdon and Cader Idris, and visiting 

 all the places of interest in the neighbourhood. — 

 July nth; Mr. C. B. Smith, President, in the 

 chair. Exhibits: Mr. C. Nicholson, two ova which 

 he supposed were Dianthcecia capsincola. They were 

 laid on the flower of Lychnis vespertina, the white 

 campion, and were whitish when laid, but became 

 brown as the flower withered. They were from 

 Clapton. Mr, Prout rather queried their species, 

 as he said that D. capsincola has a very long ovi- 

 positor, and one would expect the eggs to be more 

 deeply inserted in the plant and not so conspicuous as 

 these appeared to be. Mr, Nicholson also exhibited 

 a cocoon of Cossus ligniperda from the Island Horse- 

 shoe Point, near Spring Hill; also series oi Bombyx 

 qiiercus and B. calluna from Cromer, North Wales, 

 Yorkshire and Hampshire ; also, a pair of Raphidia 

 ophiopsis (the snake-fly), from Epping Forest, and 

 a couple of leaves from a lime-tree growing in the 

 grounds of Sir H. Bessemer, at Dulwich. The 

 tree always produces abnormally large leaves. 

 Those exhibited measured loj inches by S inches. 



