SOCIETIES. 371 



liibited by Mr. Tutt had been hitherto noticed. He considered that 

 Mr. Tutt had made out his case, and he agreed in the conclusion at 

 which he had arrived. Mr. McLachlan, Herr Jacoby, and Professor 

 Meldola continued the discussion. Mr. E. Ernest Green exhibited a 

 typical specimen of Ephyra omicronaria, together with what he believed 

 to be a remarkable melanic variety of the same species, taken by Dr. 

 Dudley Wright at Pegwell Bay, near Eamsgate, in September last. 

 Some of the Fellows present, after an examination of the specimen, 

 expressed an opinion that it was a variety of an Acidalia, and not of 

 Ephyra omicronaria. Mr. Goss stated that Mr. Harry Fisher, the 

 botanist to the Jackson-Harmsworth expedition, had returned to 

 England. He hoped that he would have been present at the meeting 

 to exhibit a few minute Diptera and other insects which he had 

 collected in Franz Josef Land. Mr. McLachlan made some remarks 

 on insects and flowers in high latitudes, and Mr. Elwes, Sir George 

 Hampson, and Professor Meldola also commented on the subject. — 

 H. Goss, Hon. Secretary, 



South London Entomological and Natueal Histoky Society. — 

 October 8th, 1896.— T. W. Hall, Esq., F.E.S., Vice-President, in the 

 chair. Mr. Ficklin exhibited several species of Lepidoptera set in 

 their natural positions of rest, thus sliowing the pattern of the 

 transverse markings which adapted them to their surroundings. Mr. 

 Carpenter, a male specimen of Polyommatus [Lyccena) icarus, with a 

 completely bleached hind wing, from Folkestone ; several female 

 examples of Pararge megara, bred from Ranmore Common, having a 

 tendency to form a broad black median band ; and a bred series of 

 Chrysophanus {Polyommatus) phlceas from Abbot's Wood, having well 

 developed blue spots on the secondaries. Mr. H. Moore, two large 

 species of Orthoptera from Florida, viz. Romalea microptera and 

 Cyrtacanthacris subsittaca. Mr. J. T. Carrington, Calophasia platyptera, 

 a species of moth new to Britain, taken by himself between Shoreham 

 and Brighton on Sept. 14th, 1896. The species is closely allied to the 

 *' shark-moths," and is a native of Central and Southern Europe. The 

 larvas feed upon toadflax. Mr. Ashdown, a specimen of the rare 

 Coleopteron, Molochus minor, from Mickleham ; and a black var. of 

 Toxotus meridianus from Surrey. Mr. Adkin, a bred series of Calocampa 

 vetusta from Sutherland ; and a bred second brood of Acidalia virgularia 

 {incanaria) from Brockley. Mr. Lucas, a hitherto unnoted variety of 

 Pyrameis [Vanessa) atalanta, having the indistinct deep black blotches 

 which are interior to the red marginal band of the hind wings, with 

 well-marked blue centres. It was captured near Ipswich by Mr. H. L. 

 Hearsum, of Kingston. Mr. Barrett, a pupa-case and cocoon of Pam- 

 phila (Hesperia) comma, which had been found by Mr. Hamm, of 

 Reading ; and also some eggs which had been deposited on stems of 

 grass by an observed female. A discussion took place as to what was 

 the usual food-plant of the species. The general opinion was that it 

 was a grass-feeder, as are most Pamphilids. Mr. C. A. Briggs, a fly taken 

 from a starling, presumably Ornithomyia avicularia, one of the Hippo- 

 boscidee infesting birds. Mr. H. J. Turner, a living specimen of 

 Uropteryx sambucata, taken in his garden on Oct. 8tb, and no doubt a 

 second-brood individual. 



