Northern Entomological Society, 



5919 



sent hy Mr. Wilson ; E. linaria, upon flowers and seed of the common toadflax ; E. 

 rainutaria, flowers of Calluna vulgaris; E. sobrinata, junipers; E. castigaria, seed of 

 Lychnis diurna ; E. castigaria from Mr. Wilson ; E. centureata, upon flowers and seed 

 of Senecio Jacobsea ; E. irriguata, sloe-leaves; E. succentureata, found upon wild 

 plum where Linum was growing in the same bush, but never observed to eat either, 

 also found freely upon AchilljEa Millefolium (principally sent by Mr. Wilson) ; E. 

 Absinthiata, taken freely on flowers and seed of Senecio Jacobsea; E. assimilata, 

 under black currant leaves. 



Mr. Gregson also exhibited a box containing seven varieties of Abraxas ulmaria, 

 collected over a series of years, observing that ]Mr. Dale had kindly sent down a con- 

 tinental specimen of Abraxas pantaria. Linn., for comparison, and he had little doubt 

 of its being only a variety of ulmaria, for two of his recent light varieties were counter- 

 parts of what the foreign one had been when it was first captured (age had taken from 

 its beauty) ; the under side also agreed exactly. 



He also exhibited a box of Coleoptera recently captured ; amongst them were 

 Anchomenus marginatus and sexpunctatus, Bembidium bipunctatura and pallidi- 

 penne, &c. 



Acentropus niveus a Lepidopterous Insect. 



The following paper, contributed by Edwin Brown, Esq., of Burlon-on-Trent, was 

 read by Mr. B. B. Labry, the author being unavoidably absent: — 



" I am glad, as a sort of inaugural thesis, to communicate to the Society the fact 

 of my having proved Acentropus niveus to be a lepidopterous insect. I had spent 

 many hours at various times in search, by means of my boat, after the earlier states of 

 this insect, and had carried home many curious larvae captured amongst the water- 

 weeds, in the hope that some one or other would prove to be the right one, but with- 

 out efi'ect, until I one day found, in the axils of the thread-like leaves of Potamogelon 

 pectinatus, several small silken cocoons, strengthened by the incorporation of small 

 pieces of leaves, arranged lengthwise, from the same plant. On reaching home I 

 placed them in a deep dish of water, in which were some stones projecting above the 

 water, and, having placed the dish in my garden, so as to secure the full light of the 

 sun upon it, I covered the whole with a bell-glass. On the following day T had the 

 great gratification of observing a perfect male Acentropus niveus resting upon one of 

 the stones : I searched for and found the empty chrysalis, and in the evening sent it 

 off" to Mr. Haliday, in proof of the lepidopterous nature of the insect. Depending 

 upon obtaining a further supply of larvae on my next visit to the river, T opened the 

 remaining cocoons, and found therein one similar pupa undeveloped, and two or three 

 small greenish larvae, which I presume to be those of Acentropus niveus. Unfortu- 

 nately the heavy rains of last month set in immediately afterwards, and the floods 

 prevented me going on the river again until all trace of the early stages of the insect 

 was lost. The pupa-case puts the relationship of the Acentropus beyond a doubt : it 

 is clearly the chrysalis of a moth, and I presume the proper location of the species in 

 our list will be immediately after the genus Hydrocampa." 



Mr. Brown added that he had before him three examples of Locusta migraloria 

 recently captured in his neighbourhood, and that another example was seen but not 

 caught. One female had deposited some eggs. 



An interesting conversation ensued, all the members evincing great pleasure that 

 this loug-disputed question was brought to a close, especially as it had terminated 



