i89i.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



117 



Dr. D. Sharp exhibited a number of eggs of Dytiscus marginalis laid on the sheath 

 of a species of reed, and commented on the manner of their oviposition, which he 

 said had been fully described by Dr. Reginibart. 



The Rev. A. E. Eaton exhibited a collection of Psychodida from Somersetshire, 

 including six species of Psychoda, eleven species of Periconia, and one species of Ulomyia. 

 Mr. M'Lachlan commented on the interesting nature of the exhibition. 



Mr. P. Crowley exhibited a specimen of Prothoe Caledonia, a very handsome 

 butterfly from Perak ; and a specimen of another equally handsome species of the 

 same genus from Tonghou, Burmah, which was said to be undescribed. 



The Secretary read a letter from Mr. Merrifield, pointing out that the statement 

 made by Mr. Fenn, at the meeting of the Society on the ist April last, of his views 

 on the effects of temperature in causing variation in Lepidoptera, was incorrect ; he 

 (Mr. Merrifleld) had never suggested what might happen to Taniocampa instabilis, and 

 had expressly stated that he had found a reduction of the temperature below 570 to 

 produce no effect, whereas in Mr. Fenn's experiments the temperature must have been 

 below 400. 



The Secretary also read a letter which Lord Walsingham had received from Sir 

 Arthur Blackwood, the Secretary of the Post Office, in answer to the memorial which, 

 on behalf of the Society, had been submitted to the Postmaster-General, asking that 

 small parcels containing scientific specimens might be sent to places abroad at the 

 reduced rates of postage applicable to pockets of bond fide trade patterns and samples- 

 The letter intimated that, so far as the Englisk Post Ofhce was concerned, scientific 

 specimens sent by sample post would not be stopped in future. — H. Goss, Hon. Sec. 



THE SOUTH LONDON ENTOMOLOGICAL AND NATURAL 



HISTORY SOCIETY. 



April 2p'd, 1891. — W. H. Tugwell, Esq., President, in the chair. Mr. E. Sabel, 

 of Clapham, was elected a member. Mr. R. South exhibited a series of Polyommatus 

 phlceas, among which were examples of the vars. schmidtii, Gerb., and eleus, Fab., 

 and some other interesting aberrations, together with representations of the species 

 from Europe, Asia, and Africa. Mr. R. Adkin, Emmelesia albulata, bred from 

 pupae received from Shetland, 1888, and stated that in 1889 four only were bred, 

 while in 1890 upwards of twenty emerged, including var. griseata, Stgr., and var. 

 thnles, Weir. Mr. Adkin also exhibited Cedesti gysselinella, pupa in drawn- 

 together fir needles, and Lithocolletis vacciniella, larvae mining under side of 

 leaves of vaccinuim, both species from Rannoch. Mr. Tugwell, Larentia olivata, 

 from Portland, Mr. Billups, the three cabinet drawers of life histories shewn by 

 him at the Annual Exhibition, and made remarks thereon ; also pupa and imago of 

 Eulophus damicornis, bred from Demas coryli, by Mr. Symes ; Cetonia aiirata, 

 showing the position of the species in the cocoon after its change from the larval 

 stage ; and on behalf of Mr. Mansbridge, galls on Hieracium and birch, collected 

 near Leeds. Mr Billups expressed an opinion that the maker of the former was ^4 

 hieraeii, Bouch., and probably the galls on the birch were a species of Phytoptus. Mr. 

 Carrington exhibited and read notes upon Terrestrial Mollusca found near Toulon, 



