SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 239 



Entomological Society of London. 



May 6th.— Prof. Raphael Meldola, F.R.S., President, in the chair. 



Mr. Percy Evans Freke, of Step House, Borris, Co. Carlow, was elected 

 a Fellow. 



Mr. Champion exhibited specimens of Amarafamelica, Zimm., from 

 Woking, Surrey, a recent addition to the British list. He also exhibited, 

 on behalf of Mr. Dolby-Tyler, a series of Eburia quadrinotata, Latr., from 

 Guayaquil, Ecuador, showing variation in the number of the raised ivory- 

 white lines on the elytra. 



Mr. Horace Donisthorpe exhibited a specimen of Pterostichus gracilis 

 with three tarsi on one leg, takeu near Weymouth last month. 



Mr. G. T. Porritt exhibited a series of Arctia menthastri which he had 

 just bred from Morayshire ova; the ground-colour of the specimens varied 

 from the usual white, through shades of yellow, and dark smoky brown. 



Mr. Merrifield exhibited specimens of Gonepteryx rliamni bred from 

 larvae fouud in North Italy and Germany, the pupae of which had been 

 subjected to various temperatures. He said that high temperature appeared 

 to cause an increase of yellow scales in the female, and low temperatures 

 generally reduced the size of the orange discal spot on the fore wings of both 

 sexes. He also exhibited some bred specimens of species of Vanessa, the 

 result of experiments tried with a view to ascertain the extreme of high 

 temperature that the pupae would bear, and its results. The species 

 exhibited included Vanessa atalanta, V. urtica, and V. antiopa. Mr. Merri- 

 field said that the effects on the imago produced by temperature were being 

 made the subject of systematic research by Prof. Weismann, Dr. Standfuss, 

 Mr. E. Fischer, and others. Mr. Elwes asked if these experiments had 

 been made on pupae only or on the larvae as well. Mr. Merrifield said 

 that the results were only noticeable when the experiments were made on 

 pupae. The effect of them on larvae was not apparent. 



Mr. Kirkaldy exhibited and made remarks on ova of Notonecta glauca 

 v&r.furcata. 



Mr. Tutt exhibited living larvae of Apamea ophiogramtna, together with 

 the grass on which it was feeding. He said the species was formerly 

 considered rare in Britain, but was now found freely in any localities where 

 ribbon-grass (Digraphis arundinacea) was plentiful. 



The Secretary read a communication from Mr. E. Meyrick on the 

 subject of Prof. Radcliffe-Grote's criticisms contained in his paper published 

 in the ■ Proceedings' of the Society, 1896, pp. x-xxv, on the use of certain 

 generic terms by Mr. Meyrick in writing on the group of Lepidoptera known 

 as the GeometridcB. Mr. Meyrick stated that he rejected the main assump- 

 tion on which the criticisms were based. 



Mr. McLachlan opened a discussion as to the best means of preventing 



