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Royal Meteorological Society. — The first 

 afternoon meeting of the present session was held 

 on Wednesday, May 16th, at the Society's rooms, 

 70 Victoria Street, Westminster, Dr. C. Theodore 

 Williams, President, in the chair. A most interest- 

 ing paper on "The Wiltshire Whirlwind of October 

 1st, 1899," was read which had been prepared by 

 the late Mr. G-. J. Symons, F.R.S., a few days before 

 he was stricken down with paralysis. This whirl- 

 wind occurred between 2 and 3 P.M., commencing 

 near Middle Winterslow and travelling in a north- 

 north-easterly direction. The length of the damage 

 was nearly twenty miles, but the average breadth 

 was only about 100 yards. In this narrow track, 

 however, buildings were blown down, trees were 

 uprooted, and objects were lifted and carried by 

 the wind a considerable distance before they were 

 deposited on the ground. Fortunately the greater 

 part of the district over which the whirlwind 

 passed was open down ; otherwise the damage, and 

 perhaps loss of life, would have been considerable. 

 At Old Lodge, Salisbury, the lifting power of the 

 whirlwind was strikingly shown by some wooden 

 buildings being raised and dropped several feet 

 north-west of their original position. At a place 

 eighteen miles from its origin the whirlwind came 

 upon a rick of oats, a considerable portion of which 

 it carried right over the village of Ham and de- 

 posited in a field more than a mile and a half 

 away. A paper by Dr. Nils Ekholm, of Stockholm, 

 was also read on " The Variations of the Climate 

 of the Geological and Historical Past and their 

 Causes." In this the author attempts to apply the 

 results of physical, astronomical, and meteorological 

 research in order to explain the secular changes of 

 climate unveiled by geology and history. — William 

 Marriott, Assistant Secretary. 



South London Entomological and Natural 

 History Society. — March 8th, Mr. W. J. Lucas, 

 B.A., F.E.S., President, in the chair. Mr. Harwood 

 exhibited a species of Blatta from the Eastern 

 Counties, which was apparently new to Britain. 

 Mr. Adkin, a bred series of Eugonia autumnaria 

 from Bournemouth. Mr. Colthrup, a specimen of 

 Euchelia jacobaeae, with the red areas unusually 

 pale, a very beautifully marked variety of Eurrhy- 

 para urticata, and very small examples of Pieris 

 rapae, including a yellow variety. Mr. Lucas ex- 

 hibited living specimens of the immature stage of 

 Blatta australasia from Kew r , and a case contain- 

 ing preserved examples of the whole of the British 

 Cockroaches, with drawings of several species. Mr. 

 Main, living specimens of Blatta americana from 

 Silvertown. Mr. Edwards, living specimens of 

 Phyllodromia germcmica, male, female, and im- 

 mature. Mr. Moore, numerous exotic species of 

 Cockroaches. Mr. Tutt, a long and varied series of 

 Epunda lutulenta, taken at Mucking, Essex, by 

 Rev. E. Burrows in 1898-99, and gave notes as 

 to the occurrence and variation of the species. Mr. 

 Lucas read a paper entitled " Cockroaches: Natives 



and Aliens." illustrating it with numerous lantern 

 slides. March 22nd. Mr. W. J. Lucas, B.A., F.E.S., 

 President, in the chair. Mr. Montgomery exhi- 

 bited specimens, of a second generation and a 

 partial third brood of Coremia designata, and gave 

 notes on their life-history and variation. Mr. 

 F. N, B. Carr, a varied series of Hibernia leuco- 

 plicaria from Lee. Some very beautiful lantern 

 slides on Ornithological Subjects were then exhi- 

 bited under the auspices of the Society for the 

 Protection of Birds,, including copies of a number 

 of plates from Lord Lilford's " British Birds," and 

 numerous studies of the nests and haunts of birds 

 by Mr. E. B. Lodge. April 12th, Mr. F. Noad Clark 

 in the chair. Mr. Edwards exhibited a living 

 specimen of Scorpio europaem, sent by Dr. Chapman 

 from Cannes. It fed readily upon cockroaches. 

 Mr. Sich, living larvae and cases of Coleophora 

 lineolea from Chiswick. Mr. Noad Clark, photo- 

 micrographs of the ova of (1) Eugonia fiiscanta/ria, 

 showing clearly the serrated edges ; (2) Geometra 

 vemaria, in piles as deposited ; and (3) Ncnronia 

 papillaris. Mr. Colthrup, specimens of Bombyx 

 quereus var. callunac ■ and Mr. Tutt gave an in- 

 teresting account of the Lasiocampid moths, to 

 which he had recently been devoting his attention. 

 He showed that they formed a clearly definable 

 section, and contained numerous easily distinguish- 

 able, although closely allied, sub-sections and 

 genera. The various points of view of ovum, larva, 

 pupa, and imago were taken into consideration, 

 and contrasted and compared with allied groups 

 as well as among themselves. April 26th, Mr. W.J. 

 Lucas, B.A., F.E.S.. President, in the chair. Mr. 

 Buckstone, specimens of Tripliaena fimbria bred 

 from ova. The larvae had been fed exclusively on 

 cabbage. Mr. Turner, Longicorn Coleoptera — (1) 

 Saperda populnea, taken by Mr. Day at Carlisle ; 



(2) BJiagium bifasciatum from the New Forest ; 



(3) Clytus mystieus from Brockley ; (4) C. arietis 

 from Lewisham ; together with larvae of (i) Calli- 

 ■morpba dominula from Deal, where they were 

 comparatively scarce ; (ii) Bombyx quereus from 

 Deal, on garden-rose ; (i\\)Perieallia syringaria from 

 Bexley. Mr. Lucas, specimens of the snake's-head 

 plant, Fritillaria meleagris. including a white 

 variation from Oxford. Mr. Moore showed a Kaffir 

 necklace made of the so-called " eggs " of the 

 white ant, Term.es bellicosits, but he found they 

 were really the encysted pupae of a species of 

 Coccid of the genus Margarodes, having sub- 

 terranean habits. Mr. Lucas, a specimen of the 

 dragon-fly, Sympetriim vulgatum. a male taken by 

 Mr. Hamm, of Oxford, at Torquay, on August 15th, 

 1899. This is the second authenticated British 

 specimen, the other being in the collection of 

 Mr. C. A. Briggs, of Lynmouth. Mr. Adkin, a tine 

 bred series of Eugonia fuseantaria, reared from 

 Lew r es ova. He stated it was easy to breed when 

 sleeved. Mr. Clark reported that he had received 

 ova of Gonepteryx rliamni which had been found 

 deposited on the stems of the buckthorn. Mr. 

 Harrison reported having seen a dragon-fly, Libel- 

 lula quadrimaculata, on wing at Easter. Mr. Step 

 exhibited a considerable number of lantern-slides, 

 made by himself, of " Wild Flowers at Home," and 

 described their characteristics and surroundings at 

 some length. A discussion ensued upon this branch 

 of natural history study. The use of the photo- 

 graphic camera was recommended as an exact 

 record of observations on natural objects. — Hy. J. 

 Turner, lion. Report Sec. 



