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The South London Entomological and 

 Natural History Society. — October 25th, 1894; 

 E. Step, Esq., President, in the chair. Mr. Hy. 

 Lamb, of Maidstone, and Mr. Arth. Cosway, of 

 Watford, were elected members. Mr. Jobson 

 exhibited a var. of Abraxas grossnlariata, from his 

 garden, having only a few black scales in place of 

 the usual markings. Mr. McArthur, bred series of 

 Hyps/petes sordidata, from North Devon, the lighter 

 specimens from bilberry -fed larvae, and the darker 

 ones from sallow-fed larvas. Mr. Frowhawk, 

 xanthic examples of Epinephcle hyperanthes and 

 E. janira. A long discussion ensued as to the 

 causes of this class of variation and the effect upon 

 the imago of injuries to the larva and pupa with 

 the bearing of Weismann's theory thereon. Mr. 

 Tutt, perfectly white vars. of Emydia cribrum, from 

 the Alps, with New Forest examples for comparison ; 

 also two specimens of the new British species 

 Cataplectica farrenii, from Cambs. Mr. Mansbridge, 

 the dry carcase of a mole taken from a barn door, 

 which was covered with lepidopterous cocoons 

 and pupa cases. Mr. H. Moore, two specimens of 

 the violet carpenter bee, Xylocopa violacea, from 

 Podensac, Gironde. Mr. R. Adkin, bred series of 

 Asphalia ridens, from the New Forest; and z.Lycana 

 agon, from Oxshott, having the two costal spots on 

 the underside of the lower wing united. Mr. T. W. 

 Hall, a species of Julicida found at Stephens' sale 

 rooms. Mr. Step read the report of the successful 

 fungus foray of the Society on October 13th, at 

 Esher and Oxshott. The methods of preserving 

 fungi were discussed at some length. Mr. Tutt 

 read a paper, entitled " Zygcena carnwlica, Scop., and 

 its Varieties," in which he gave a graphic descrip- 

 tion of the scenery at the foot of Mont Blanc, and 

 the delight afforded to an entomologist by the beauty 

 and abundance of the lepidoptera to be obtained 

 there. — November 8th, 1894; E. Step, President, in 

 the chair. Mr. R. South exhibited a large number of 

 species of lepidoptera representing his captures of 

 the season, and stated that it was the most barren 

 year he had ever experienced. Among the speci- 

 mens were a bred series of Cidaria truncata, Hufn., 

 var. Cenlum-notata, Fab., a unicolorous Hepiahts 

 velleda, and a series of Crambus margaritellus. Mr. 

 Frohawk, bred specimens of Vanessa atalanta, with 

 an incipient white blotch in the red band, and a 

 pale Thecla rubi, L. Mr. H. Moore, a turnip with 

 the rootlets extensively clubbed by the action of a 

 fungus Plasmodiophora brassica, and a series of 

 Chrysophanusplileas. Mr. Edwards, specimens of 

 many scarce species of lepidoptera, including Plusia 

 moneta, Phibalapteryx lapidata, Noctua depuncta, 

 Acidalia immorata, Dasycampa rubiginea, being among 

 them. Mr. R. Adkin, bred series of Dicranura 

 bifida, from Bucks, and of D. furcnla from Hants, 

 and in remarking upon the similarity of the two 

 species, pointed out their distinguishing features. 

 Mr. Fremlin, nice varied series of Emydia cribrum, 

 from the New Forest, and a series of Dasycampa 

 rubiginea, from Berks. Mr. C. A. Briggs, very fine 

 varieties of Lycana bellargus, from Kent, among 

 them were (1) an underside with the black spots 



much elongated, (2) an underside with most of 

 the black spots absent, (3) an underside with a 

 considerable increase in size of all the white and 

 lighter markings. Mr. Fenn, a Shetland form of 

 Cidaria immanata, and Scotch forms of Hepialus 

 huntuli, Emmelesia albulata, Pygara pigra, Hypsipetes 

 ruberata, and Phibalapteryx lapidata. Mr. Trenerry, 

 a light var. of Clirysophanus phlceas, from North 

 Cornwall. Mr. Manger, a very large Vanessa 

 cardui, the unusually fine band containing a white 

 spot. Mr. Carrington gave an interesting account 

 of his visit to Central Canada, from which he has 

 recently returned, more especially referring to the 

 flowers, their similarity to the European flora, and 

 autumnal magnificence. He exhibited a large case 

 of galls attached to various plants gathered near 

 Lake Manitoba, and a quantity of shells from the 

 shores of that lake ; also a fine example of a large 

 water-bug (Belostoma grandis), over two inches 

 long, which was common on warm evenings in 

 September around the electric lights in Winnipeg. 

 Mr. Tutt read a descriptive account of his observa- 

 tions of Zygana achillea, in the Alps, illustrating 

 his remarks by a large number of specimens taken 

 this year. On December 13th, Mr. Wm. Mans- 

 bridge will read a paper on '■ The Lepidoptera of 

 the Indian Territory, U.S.A., as observed by him- 

 self in 1893-4, with special reference to allied 

 British species." — Hy. J. Turner, Hon. Report Sec. 



Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society. 

 —A meeting was held on October 30th, in the 

 committee-room of the Norfolk and Norwich 

 Library, Mr. T. Southwell, F.Z.S., in the chair. 

 Seven new members were elected. Mr. J. T. 

 Hotblack read a paper on " Some Questions about 

 Herrings." Mr. Southwell read extracts from a 

 list of the Aculeate Hymenoptera, found by Mr. W. 

 H. Tuck in the village of Tostock, by which it 

 appeared that out of a total of 375 known British 

 species he had obtained 160, the number of species 

 recorded for the county of Norfolk by Mr. 

 Bridgman being 232. Mr. Southwell also read a 

 communication from Mr. Amyot, of Diss, in 

 which he called to remembrance the visit of the 

 society to the celebrated Winfarthing Oak, on July 

 7th, 1874 (see Transactions, vol. ii, p. 12). Up to 

 that date, from 1796, time seemed to have injured 

 the fine old tree very little, but since the visit much 

 mischief had been done. On September 5th 

 last, Mr. Amyot again measured the tree, and was 

 surprised to find that since 1S73 it had lost eighteen 

 inches in its circumference, being now only thirty- 

 eight feet six inches. He had also been informed on 

 good authority that the great Cowthorpe oak has also 

 diminished in girth to an even larger extent, a 

 result not easily to be accounted for. A very 

 beautiful variety of the nightjar sent to Mr. 

 Southwell by Mr. George Wilkinson, of Holt, for 

 the Norwich Museum, was exhibited. The bird, 

 which has the throat, breast, wings and central 

 tail feathers pure white, is described by Mr. 

 Stevenson, in the " Birds of Norfolk," vol. i., p. 349, 

 and was shot at Holt, by the late Mr. Barker, in 

 September, 1858. Variation in the plumage of 

 these birds is of rare occurrence. Mr. Patterson 

 exhibited a copy of a portrait of Lilly Wigg, the 

 original of which is in the library of the Linnasan 

 Society, and which had been presented to the 

 Yarmouth section by Sir James Paget. Mr. 

 Gurney exhibited a specimen of the yellow-browed 

 warbler, killed at Cley by Dr. Power, a species new 

 to Norfolk ; also a red -breasted flycatcher, from 

 Cley. The president (Dr. Plowright) sent some 



