SOCIETIES. 199 



on the estate of Lord Lilford, not accessible to the public, and that its 

 disappearance there was no doubt caused by the destruction of the food- 

 plant and other herbage, by burning the pasture and by the grazing of 

 sheep. Mr. Crowley, Mr. Tutt, Mr. Waterhouse, and Mr. Blandford 

 continued the discussion. It was moved by Mr. Tutt, and seconded by 

 Mr. Elwes, that a committee be appointed by the Council to investigate 

 the matter, and to report thereon. This was carried nem. con. Mr. 

 Guy A. K. Marshall communicated a paper entitled *' Notes on 

 Seasonal Dimorphism in South African Ehopalocera." Mr. P. Cameron 

 communicated a paper entitled " Descriptions of new species of Hyme- 

 noptera from the Oriental Eegion." — H. Goss, Hon. Secretary. 



South London Entomological and Natural History Society. — 

 April 23/yZ. T. W. Hall, Esq., Vice-President, in the chair. Mr. C. 

 A. Briggs exhibited a male specimen of Styloids melittce, taken at 

 Leatherhead on April 18th. Messrs. Barrett and Turner, series of 

 Triphcena comes {orbona) from various localities. Mr. Adkin, his very 

 long and varied series of the same species from many localities in the 

 British Islands, and also specimens from Asia Minor and Europe. He 

 then read a paper entitled '* Further notes on Triphcena comes, with 

 special reference to var. curtisii.'* After referring to his previous paper 

 on the subject, he discussed at length the geographical distribution and 

 variation of the species. Its range was from Syria in the east to the 

 Atlantic coast on the west, and from S. Sweden and the neighbour- 

 hood of Moscow in the north to the southern shores of the Mediter- 

 ranean on the south. Great Britain was its extreme N.W. limit, and 

 here occurred the greatest variation. In Asia Minor the specimens 

 were of a uniform clay-colour, the increase in intensity both of colour 

 and markings being very gradual up to its extreme N.W. limit in the 

 Orkneys, where the prevailing form was the var. curiisii. In Scotland 

 the forms of variations were endless. The specimens from Scilly had 

 scalloped transverse lines very plainly marked. He then discussed the 

 history and distribution of the var. curtisii, and gave as the results of 

 his experiments in breeding, that the species was, normally in its 

 southern localities, continuous brooded, but in its northern limits had 

 acquired the habit of hybernating in its larval stage. The extreme 

 colour of var. curtisii may have been developed for protection, but 

 further observations were necessary on this point. In the discussion 

 which ensued Mr. Barrett said that the scalloped appearance of the 

 second line was due to the coalescence of a row of dots with the slight 

 projections of the waved line, and referred to the habit of the species 

 of hiding under leaves, thus requiring little protective resemblance. 

 Mr. Tutt had observed the scalloped second line in many Noctuina, 

 and especially so in some specimens of Nonagria liitosa taken by Mr. 

 Burrows. It was, he said, well known that the neighbourhood of the 

 Moray Firth was very mild, and that its insect fauna was very like the 

 southern forms. For protective purposes ataval forms were often 

 returned to by insects. At Deal the species settled on the bare sand. 

 Lately he had looked up the synonymy of the species, and was of 

 opinion that the name ought not to have been changed from orbona. 

 Mr. McArthur said that var. curtisii was undoubtedly protected. Id 

 the north it settled on the hire peat and among scattered heath, and 



