SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



191 



The South London Entomological and 

 Natural History Society. — August 23rd, 1894; 

 E. Step, Esq., President, in the chair. Mr. A. Hall 

 exhibited two cabinet drawers of Diurni, captured 

 in Switzerland during a fortnight in July, compris- 

 ing about one hundred species, among which were 

 noticed specimens of Hesperia lineola ; Mr. Filer 

 showed a very dark Stauropus fagi, from Ashdown 

 Forest ; Rev. J. E. Tarbat, a remarkable aberra- 

 tion of Vanessa cardui, from North Wales; Mr. 

 Mera, Agratis tritici and A. aquilina, stating that 

 it was considered by some persons that these were 

 forms of one species. A discussion ensued, Messrs. 

 Barrett, Fenn, and others taking part. Mr. 

 Frohawk, pupas of Vanessa urticce, showing beautiful 

 variation in colour, induced by artificial surround- 

 ings ; Mr. A. E. Pearce, exquisite drawings and paint- 

 ings of plants by himself ; Mr. Sauze, various forms 

 of Formica nigra, and contributed notes thereon ; 

 Mr. Step, on behalf of Mr. Barber, of Brighouse, a 

 young terrestrial salamander, on which a dis- 

 cussion ensued. Mr. Perks, a microscopic fungus on 

 sycamore leaves. — September 13th, 1894; President 

 in the chair. Mr. R. Adkin exhibited, on behalf of 

 Mr. South, all the named forms except var. albana, 

 of Peronea variegana ; on behalf of Mr. Murray, of 

 Carnforth, a beautifully bleached var. of Erebia 

 cethiops, from his neighbourhood; on behalf of 

 Mr. W. F. de V. Kane, a pale grey var. of A grot is 

 segetum, from North Ireland ; he himself exhibited 

 a branch of the rare Star - thistle (Centaurea 

 calcitrapa), from Eastbourne, and a short series of 

 Arctia caja, bred this year, with notes on the vari- 

 ation shown by them. Mr. C. G. Barrett, the 

 specimen of Plusia moneta, taken at Norwich by 

 Mr. Tillett ; and a beautiful red var. of Oncocera 

 ahenella, taken at Folkestone by Mr. Purdey. 

 Mr. Filer, series of Epinephele hyperanthes, from 

 Brockenhurst and Halstead, showing local vari- 

 ation. Mr. H. Moore, male and female living 

 specimens of the Orthopteron Ephippigera vitium, 

 from Poictiers, and read notes as to their habits ; 

 he also contributed his observations upon Lepi- 

 doptera in France during August. Mr. A. Hall, a 

 splendid var. of Pyrantels myrinna, from Bogota, 

 South America, with the type form for comparison. 

 Mr. Dennis, a living specimen of the "silver fish," 

 Lepisma saccharina. Mr. Manger, a specimen of 

 the rare stalk-eyed crustacean, Gonoplax angulata, 

 which had been dredged off Weymouth. Mr. Step, 

 several specimens of Polyporus perennis, from 

 Oxshott. Mr. Perks, a fungus of the genus 

 Tubercularia. Mr. C. G. Barrett, photographs of 

 the entomologists who recently met at Mr. Capper's 

 house in Liverpool. Mr. Tutt gave a lengthy and 

 interesting account of what Dr. Chapman and 

 himself had observed during a tour through 

 France, Switzerland and North Italy, especially 

 referring to those species of Rhopalocera which 

 occur in Great Britain. A discussion ensued, and 

 Mr. Mansbridge gave a few remarks upon Lepid- 

 optera in the Indian Territory, U.S.A. Mr. West, 

 of Greenwich, a specimen of the rare Coleopteron, 



Lebia cyanocephala, from Bookham, with specimens 

 of the two races of L. chlorocephala, for comparison. 

 — Hy.J. Turner, Hon. Report See. 



Wolverhampton Naturalists' Field Club. — 

 The famous " Wren'sNest" near Dudley, mentioned 

 in Hugh Miller's " First Impressions of England," 

 was visited by the above Society on Saturday, 1st 

 September, when a paper was read by the President 

 on " The Geology of the Wren's Nest Hill," 

 describing the two beds of Wenlock limestone with 

 intervening basins of limestone shale. Numerous 

 fossils were examined in situ, corals, brachiopods 

 and encrinites. A few uncommon plants attracted 

 attention, the yellow wort (CJilora perfoliata), the 

 centaury and the deadly nightshade (Atropa 

 belladonna). Mr. J. C. Blackshaw followed with a 

 paper on "The Operculate Mollusca," dealing with 

 those species which have an operculum or lid 

 usually attached to the foot. — John Darby, Hon. 

 Secretary ; September 14th, 1894. 



Greenock Natural History Society. — An 

 excursion took place on Saturday, 1st September, 

 to Port Bannatyne, the journey being continued to 

 Kilnaichael by brake via Ettrick Bay. The first 

 place of archaeological interest visited was Aultmore 

 Fort, which is situated on a precipitous declivity 

 on the northern coast of Bute, opposite Kames, in 

 the Kyles of Bute. A portion of the wall, about 

 eighty feet long and about twelve feet wide, is still 

 to be traced. A short distance southwards, the 

 well-preserved ruin of Kilmichael Chapel was 

 inspected with interest. In the east end of the 

 interior the altar still remains in its original 

 position. Cairnbaan was next visited. It consists 

 of a large accumulation of stones loosely thrown 

 together on the surface of the ground in the form 

 of a cross. It is one hundred and sixty-six feet 

 long by fifteen feet in breadth, the transversal being 

 about fifty feet in length. Two cists, still intact, 

 are to be found in the structure. These are about 

 four feet long by about three feet deep, and were 

 probably used as places of burial. Of some of the 

 less common plants obtained on the way may be 

 noted the wood and meadow-cranesbills (Geranium 

 sylvaticum and G. pratense), the field gentian 

 (Gentiana campestris) and the gipsy-wort (Lycopus 

 enropceus). — G. W. Niven, Hon. Secretary, 27, Brymner 

 Street, Greenock; September ijth, 1894. 



Andersonian Naturalists' Society. — The 

 sixth meeting of the tenth session of this society 

 was held in the Andersonian Buildings, 204, George 

 Street, Glasgow, Professor George Bell Todd, 

 president, in the chair. There was a very large 

 attendance. Reports of excursions to Lanark, 

 Mauldslie, Symington, and Kinross, were read. 

 Mr. Joseph Watson, vice-president, exhibited the 

 beautiful and interesting polyzoa, PlumatcUa repens, 

 L., and Fredericella sultana, G., and read an in- 

 teresting paper on the forms. The paper was 

 much enhanced by reference to two enlarged 

 drawings of the forms and specimens under the 

 microscope. Mr. Watson also exhibited a tube of 

 leeches — a new species — which he had found over 

 five years ago in this same district. A specimen 

 sent to Mr. Rankin, assistant to Professor Young, the 

 university, was recently pronounced as anew species. 

 Dr. Young names it in the meantime Glossiphonia 

 scutigera, but Mr. Watson claims the specific name, 

 calling it G Watsonii, the special point of difference 

 being a chitinous cutaneous plate on the dorsal 

 surface near the anterior region, on account of 

 which Professor Young thinks it would be well to 



