8218 



Entomological Society. 



Exhibitions, fyc. 



Mr. Bond exhibited a female specimen of Sphinx Nerii, taken at rest in a garden 

 at Hastings on the 2nd of August last; and specimens of a Tinea which he considered 

 to be T. confusella, now for the fust time taken in England, though it had previously 

 occurred in Ireland. Mr. Stainton, however, was of opinion that the species was 

 T. nigripunctella. 



Mr. Bond, on behalf of Mr. Piffard, exhibited specimens of a Tortrix, apparently 

 of the genus Spilonota, taken on the trunks of poplars near London, in June: the 

 perfect insect concealed itself in the chinks of the bark, and was very sluggish. A de- 

 scription of the insect, by Dr. Knaggs, under the name of Spilonota Doubledayana, 

 n. sp.j was read. * 



Mr. Stainton exhibited a living specimen of Zelleria hepariella, and called atten- 

 tion to its position when in repose, resting on the four anterior legs, the hind legs 

 being elevated by the side of the abdomen, and with the head downwards, like an 

 Argyresthia. Mr. Stainton remarked that the pertinacity with which this species had 

 been referred to the genus Gracilaria was rather singular; it formerly did duty in all 

 British collections as Gracilaria rufipennella, and since that error had been pointed out, 

 and a new genus, Zelleria, created for it in the family Argyresthidae, the insect had 

 actually been twice described as a Gracilaria — by Gregson as G. Haighii (Zool.5295), 

 and by Herrich-Schaffer as G. taxella, in his * Schmetterlinge von Europa.' The spe- 

 cimen exhibited had been obtained by beating yew trees on Mickleham Downs, during 

 the previous week. 



Mr. Stainton also mentioned, as showing the progress that Entomology was 

 making in other countries, that he held in his hand a list of the entomologists of 

 Canada, who were thirty-six in number. 



The Secretary read a letter addressed to him by Miss Farington, of Woodin Hall, 

 Preston, Lancashire, requesting information as to the name, habits, and best mode of 

 extirpation of a small beetle which occurred in prodigious numbers in an old house 

 occupied as a grocer's shop ; it had been observed for the first time in that neighbour- 

 hood during the present year, infested the furniture and beds, and (the writer stated) 

 ate holes through the clothes of the inhabitants. Specimens of the insect were ex- 

 hibited, which proved to be Ptinus hololeucus. 



Sir John Hearsey exhibited various insects from India and China, including an 

 enormous gad-fly, two fine species of Cimex, a Cetonia, the cotton-insect (Aphis), and 

 other objects of interest. 



Mr. Waterhouse exhibited seven British species of Homalota not recorded in his 

 ' Catalogue,' and with which he had but recently become acquainted, and read the fol- 

 lowing notes respecting them : — 



"I. H. autumnalis, Erichson. One specimen found by myself in beating dead 

 sticks in a damp wood at Hawkhurst, in Kent. I have likewise seen specimens in the 

 collections of Dr. Power and Mr. Rye. 



* This insect has since been recognized as Pa3disca oppressana, described in 1835 

 by Treitschke, in the tenth volume of his ' Schmetterlinge von Europa.' The species 

 is included among the British Tortrices in the Museum 'Catalogue' of the late J. F. 

 Stephens, and in the ' Catalogue' of Mr. Doubleday (ed. 1859). 



