SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



'43 



The South London Entomological and 

 Natural History Society. — Thursday, June 

 28th, E. Step, Esq., President, in the chair. Mr. 

 C. Fenn exhibited a bred series of Geometra 

 papilionaria, from one brood of which some larva; 

 were not fully fed ; a specimen of Heliothis peltigera, 

 having the blotch in the dark border of hind wing 

 very large ; a very long series of Selenia lunaria, 

 showing spring, summer and intermediate forms, 

 from one batch of ova ; and a Mantis, from 

 Australia. Mr. R. Adkin, specimens taken during 

 the Society's Field Meeting at Reigate, including 

 the specimen of Pachetra leucophcea, previously 

 reported, and vars. of Lyccena Icarus and L. bellargus. 

 Mr. Dennis, ova and young larvae of Bombyx nibi, 

 from Reigate. Mr. Manger, a specimen of " British 

 Coral," Lcpralis foliacca, taken from a portion of the 

 French Atlantic cable about sixty miles from Brest. 

 Mr. Turner, a long series of Lyccena bellargus, from 

 Box Hill, showing all the ordinary variations, some 

 of the females having a considerable amount of the 

 male coloration. A discussion took place as to 

 the scarcity and lateness of insects this year, 

 especially with regard to the Geometrae. — July 

 12th, President in the chair. Mr. R. Adkin 

 exhibited a bred series of Dianthcecia scana, from 

 Unst, all very dark and some unicolorous, and a 

 yellow banded var. of Sesia myopiformis, from Mr. 

 Wellman's collection. Mr. Oldham, series of 

 Rum ia cratcegata, including one with a very well 

 developed waved line on all four wings ; of Noctua, 

 and others. Mr. Dennis, varieties of Epinephclc 

 janira, including a fine xanthic specimen. Mr. 

 Auld, a long-bred series of Phorodesma smaragdaria, 

 from Essex, one specimen having only the 

 discoidal spots present. Mr. C. A. Briggs, a 

 specimen of the rare lace wing fly, Nothochrysa 

 capitata, taken at Wisley. Mr. Edwards, two 

 specimens of Ornithoptera crasus, from Batchian ; 

 Papilio gyas, from India ; and P. electra. Mr. 

 Turner, series of Lyccena minima from Galway, 

 showing gradual diminution of spots on the under- 

 side, a brown suffused var. of L. astrache, from 

 Reigate, and an asymmetrical var. of Smerinthus 

 tilice. Mr. Winkley, recently-hatched young of 

 Helix pomatia, concerning which a long discussion 

 ensued ; also fossil wood from Shanklin and two 

 fossil oysters, one from the same place and the 

 other from the centre of Australia. Mr. Hall, 

 examples of Dvosera rotundifolia and D. intermedia, 

 from Wisley, and read notes. A long discussion 

 ensued. Mr. Step, specimens of Spircea filipendula 

 and Canluus nutans, from the' chalk downs, and 

 described their characteristics. Mr. Rice, two 

 cocks' nests of the wren, one from Wisley and an 

 ordinary nest for comparison ; also the eggs of a 

 bullfinch taken during the Field Meeting at 

 Wisley. Mr. Turner read the report of the 

 Field Meeting on July 7th, at Wisley, and Mr. 

 Carrington made some remarks upon the scarcity 

 of Lepidoptera in that district and noted the 

 abundance of Neuroptera. —Hy. J. Turner, (Hon. 

 Report. Sec). 



Royal Arsenal Natural History Society — 

 The annual exhibition of this society was held 

 recently in the lecture hall of the Mechanics' 

 Institute, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. There was a 

 varied and interesting display of many objects. 

 The President (the Rev. C A. Berry) gave an 

 opening address on "The Maternal Cares and 

 Industry of Spiders," having previously given a 

 short account of the society of which he was 

 president, stating that it was formed in the middle 

 of the year 1888. Another address was given by 

 Mr. A. Dayes, the Secretary, on "The Breathing 

 Organs of Plants and Insects." Another was 

 given by Mr. Oakshott on " The Advantages of 

 the Study of Natural History." Among the 

 various objects of interest exhibited were cases of 

 eggs shown by the Rev. J. Hewitson, and a 

 complete collection of English butterflies, with two 

 exceptions, shown by Mr. T. W. Brown ; splendid 

 specimens of stuffed birds, by Mr. Colebrook ; Mr. 

 F. Redding, case of fossils ; Mr. Dennis' cases 

 of shells and Mr. Whiteley's humming-birds were 

 exceptionally interesting. Mr. Potter's pond life 

 and Italian toad, and Mr. Old's live snakes 

 attracted much attention, as also did the fine 

 collection of cacti and other plants lent by Mr. 

 J. Singleton, of Plumstead Common, whose skill in 

 the cultivation of cacti is well ' known. Mr. 

 Jenkins, of Deptford, showed under his microscope 

 a specimen of the sun-animalcula undergoing 

 fission ; he also exhibited specimens of Foramin- 

 fera. The Assistant-Secretary's (Mr. A. Selfe) 

 cases of slowworms and birds, and Mr. Oakshott's 

 vipers and live tawny owls are worthy of note. — 

 A. Dayes, Hon. Sec, 44, Vicarage Park, Plumstead. 



Selborne Society. — On Saturday afternoon, 

 July 7th, the members of the united field clubs of the 

 Selborne Society joined forces at Merstham, Surrey, 

 for a ramble through fields and woods, by road and 

 hill, to Caterham Valley. Professor Boulger kindly 

 escorted the party and entertained the members on 

 the way from the funds of his own intimate personal 

 knowledge of the country, pointing out many 

 interesting features, notably of the botany and 

 geology of the district. A party of nearly twenty 

 ladies and gentlemen met by the 4.13 train at 

 Merstham and at once started by a footpath across 

 the fields in the direction of Caterham Valley. 

 Among the plants which attracted special attention 

 on account either of their beauty or rarity, or both, 

 were : Reseda lutea and R. luteola, Helianthemum 

 chanucistus, Polygala vulgaris, Lychnis githago, 

 Hypericum hirsutum, Mclilotus officinalis, Anthyllis 

 vulneraria, Astragalus glycyphyllus, Hippocrepis comosa, 

 LatJiyrus sylvestris, Spircea ulmaria, Agrimonia odorata, 

 Rosa micrantha and R. rubiginosa, Angelica sylvestris, 

 Cornus sanguinea, Sherardia arvensis, Achillcea ptarmica, 

 Cariuus nutans, Crepis tar axacif alia , Lactuca muralis. 

 Campanula trachelium, Blackstonia perfoliata, Erytlirsa 

 centaurium, Echium vulgare, Linaria viscida, Euphrasia 

 officinalis, Verbena officinalis, Thymus chameedtys, 

 Calamintha officinalis, Clienopodium bonus-henricus, 

 Euphorbia platyphyllos, Cephalanthera pollens, Epipactis 

 lati/olia, Orchis maculata and Carex pendula, in 

 addition to some seven or eight species of grasses, 

 and many others. The Roman snail, Helix pomatia, 

 was to be seen occasionally crawling over the chalk, 

 much to the delight of many of the party to whom 

 it was a novelty. Arriving at Caterham Valley 

 about 7.30, an excellent tea was served at the 

 Railway Hotel, and after the meal Professor Boulger 

 entertained and instructed the party with a lecturette 

 on the Flora of the Chalk Downs, especially in 



