SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



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The South London Entomological and 

 Natural History Society. — September 8th, 

 Mr. J. W. Tutt, F.E.S., President, in the chair. 

 Mr. Little, 17, Belgrave Street, King's Cross, was 

 elected a member. Mr. F. Clarke exhibited some 

 very admirable photographs of the eggs of Lepi- 

 doptera sent to him by the President. They 

 included those of Erebia embla, Chionobas jutta, 

 Polyommatus bellargus, P. icarus, Gonepteryx rhamni 

 and Spilosoma menthastri. Mr. Edwards, specimens 

 of Abraxas ulniata vars. from York. It was stated 

 that neither on the present occasion nor when the 

 var. was taken years ago did the ova produce dark 

 imagines like the. parents. Mr. West, specimens 

 of Forficiila lesnei from Box Hill and Reigate, at 

 both of which places it was common. Mr. Lucas, 

 a series of the local grasshopper, Mecastethus 

 grossus, from the New Forest, where it had this 

 yeaf occurred in some numbers. He kindly 

 presented a pair to the Society's collections. Mr. 

 R. Adkin, a series of Smerinthus tiliae, and remarked 

 on the variation to be seen in the central band. 

 Mr. Turner, a yellow variety of Callimorpha 

 dominula, bred from a Deal larva this year ; bred 

 specimens of Myelois cribrella from Benfleet, where 

 the larvae were most abundant ; a bred example of 

 A . grossulariata from Camberwell, having the space 

 internal to the marginal spots of a brownish tinge, 

 the rest of the wing surfaces being normal ; and a 

 series of Aglais urtica, bred from larvae taken 

 at Box Hill, and fed up in a greenhouse, having 

 the usually large black blotch on the inner margin 

 of the forewings either entirely absent or re- 

 presented by a few black scales. Mr. Dennis, 

 specimens of the filmy fern {Hymenophyllum ivilsoni) 

 from Wales, where it is found in somewhat 

 exposed situations. Mr. Moore, a series of blue 

 females of Polyommatus icarus from Folkestone, 

 which were well marked. Mr. Mansbridge, a 

 series of undersides of the female of Pkbius aegon, 

 selected to show the ordinary range of variation in 

 the species as it occurs in St. Leonard's Forest. 

 Mr. Montgomery, an exceedingly fine dark suffused 

 male aberration of Dryas paphia, one of two bred 

 from ova. Mr. Ashby, a tiny aberration of P. 

 corydon from Riddlesdown, and a female of P. 

 aegon from Oxshott, showing blue splashes. Mr. 

 Bishop, a beautiful bred series of Geometra ver- 

 naria from Guildford. During the summer the 

 Society's rooms have been redecorated and the 

 electric light introduced. — Hy. J. Turner {Hon. 

 Report. Sec.) 



Leicester Literary and Philosophical 

 Society. — Section D (Biology) held its monthly 

 meeting on Wednesday evening, July 20th, in the 

 New Council Chamber, Princess Street. Mr. G. 

 Creswell Turner in the chair. There were several 

 exhibits, including the greater spear-wort by Mr. 

 Jackson, who had found it growing in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Leicester. Some paper string, by 

 Mr. Turner, who rather doubted the durability of 

 it, at the same time owning that perhaps much 

 paper, looked upon as waste, might be utilized in 



this manufacture. Mr. Bell showed some abnormal 

 forms of ash leaves found growing in his own 

 garden at Knighton. Mrs. Clarke-Nuttall, B.Sc, 

 read a paper on " Electro-Horticulture," or the 

 results of plants grown by electric light. The paper 

 showed that this artificial light is in some cases a 

 valuable auxiliary to market gardeners ; notably in 

 the growing of lettuces ; it further described some 

 modifications of plant structure which were induced 

 by this means. A short discussion followed ; but 

 much has yet to be discovered to make it a perfect 

 success.—/. M. Read, Hon. Sec. 



Greenock Natural History Society. — On 

 August 13th the members of this society had an 

 excursion to Bute. The party after reaching 

 Rothesay took coach to Kilchattan Bay, under the 

 leadership of Mr. J. Ballantyne of Rothesay. The 

 chief object of this visit was of an archaeological 

 nature. The party made its way to St. Blane's 

 historic chapel. The first subject for their examina- 

 tion was what is popularly known as " The Deil's 

 Cauldron," regarding the use of which there are 

 various theories, one of them being that it was 

 used as a place of penance. The chapel was next 

 visited. Particular attention was paid to the 

 restorations and the beautiful chancel arch in the 

 wall which divides the nave from the chancel. 

 This arch is said to be one of the most lovely of 

 which our country can boast. St. Blane's tomb 

 close beside the south chancel wall was also noticed. 

 For its better preservation the Marquis of Bute 

 had a bronze casing put over it in 1874. The 

 double graveyard was also examined — the higher 

 one next the church being reserved for men, and 

 the lower or inferior one for women, because, as a 

 legend says, a woman had refused to assist St. 

 Blane when carrying holy earth from the shore to 

 the graveyard, which had been brought by him 

 from Rome. After various other things of interest 

 had been examined, the party returned to Kilchat- 

 tan Bay, where a short time was spent in examining 

 some of the botanical and other natural history 

 objects to be found there. Amongst them may be 

 mentioned the sea raddish [Raphanus viaritimus), 

 one of our local British plants. The sea holly, 

 which used to grow here in abundance fifteen to 

 twenty years ago, is now about extinct, owing to 

 visitors pulling it up and taking it away. The 

 return journey to Rothesay was by way of 

 Mountstuart, and when passing Ascog Bay a 

 most interesting view was obtained of several 

 solan geese, which were busy fishing here quite 

 close to the shore. Although this bird is plenti- 

 ful about Ailsa Craig it is seldom seen so far 

 up the firth. — G. W. Niven, Hon. Sec, 23, Newton 

 Street, Greenock. 



City of London Entomological and Natural 

 History Society. — August i6th, 1898. — Exhibits: 

 Mr. J. A. Clark, a series of Cidaria sagittafa bred 

 from larvae taken at Wicken. Dr. J. S. Sequeira, 

 who had spent the first three weeks of July at 

 Margate, showed a box of captures including 

 banded forms of Camptogramma bilineata, Acronycta 

 aceris — a long series taken at sugar — a single Asthena 

 luteata, Neuria reticulata (sapponariae), and Cossus 

 ligniperda taken at sugar. He also exhibited a 

 heavy piece of Australian Kauri pine, which, when 

 split, disclosed a dead immature longicorn beetle in 

 a cell a little larger than itself, no communication 

 was discernible from the outside. Mr. C. Nicholson, 

 two pupae of Saturnia pavonia in one cocoon from 

 Weybridge. — H. A. Satize, Hon. Sec. 



