189I-J 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



237 



structurally and in their variations. N. augur, also, was not a true Nocfua, and 

 would be better if placed in a genus by itself. Glareosa and depuncta were closely 

 allied, as, notwithstanding the difference in colour, of the British specimens, the 

 Scandinavian depuncta were grey, and closely resembled glareosa. The next group 

 included C .-nigrum, triangiilum, rhomboidea, brunnea and ditrapezium, all of which had a 

 square dark blotch between the reniform and orbicular, and another more or less 

 triangular spot between the orbicular and the root of the wing, these two spots 

 being sometimes joined by a dark line passing beneath the orbicular. Taniocampa 

 gothica also had these markings stongly developed, and thus, although a true Tanio- 

 campa, assumed the superficial appearance of a typical Noctua. Fcstiva and conflua 

 were originally confounded by Newman, who figured small, moorland specimens of 

 festiva as conflua, but the specimens of conflua from Iceland, from which the species 

 was named, were very different, having narrowerer and more pointed wings. This 

 prm occurred in the Shetland Isles, but hitherto, he had not received any authentic 

 reports of its capture on the mainland of Britain, the species usually sent out as var. 

 conflua being the small specimen of festiva. 



Messrs. Glark, Milton, Southey and Dr. Buckell continued the discussion, the 

 latter remarking that the reniform of N. augur was different in shape to that of the 

 other species of the genus. A vote of thanks to Mr. Tutt concluded the meeting.— 

 G. A. Lewcock and A. IJ. Battley, Hon. Sees. 



LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



October 12th. — The Vice-President, Rev. H. H. Higgins, in the chair. Mr. C. E. 

 Stott read a paper entitled " Notes on Celana Haivorthii," (which will shortly appear 

 in our columns, Ed.) Mr. J. Collins read " x-V few remarks on Aplecta ncbulosa," 

 and exhibited five specimens of a melanic form, bred from larvae found at Delamere, 

 and for which he proposed the varietal name of Robsoni, in honour of Mr. J. E. 

 Robson, of Hartlepool. He described the variety as follows: — "Anterior wings, 

 ground colour, dark grey-black, orbicular and reniform stigmata more or less 

 obscured with dark grey ; a grey shade preceeding the subterminal lines ; fringes, 

 pale greyish white. Posterior wings, dark grey, lunule inperceptible. Head, thorax, 

 and body like the hind wings, dark grey ; thoracic lobes, pale grey. 



The Secretary read a communication from Mr. Tutt stating that the specimens of 

 Tortrix donelana exhibited at the last meeting, had, at the South London Entomological 

 Society, been stated to be T . stcineriana , var. dohrniana, and that the name of donelana 

 would therefore fall to the ground. It was pointed out that doneland had already 

 been referred to stcineriana, but incorrectly. Mr. Townsing showed a remarkable 

 gynahdionurphons specimen of Orygia antigiia, the head of which possessed the male 

 structure, whilst the body was that of the female. Mr. Harker a specimen of 

 Vanessaio, the ground colour of which was fulvous brown, apparently owing to the 

 paucity of the scales. ^\r. Gregson a \-ery \-ariable series of DiantJiacia conspcrsa, 

 including the melanic form. Messrs. Townsing and Prince, dark forms of Abraxas 

 gsossulariat^i, and ISIr. Pierce (the Secretary), Rctinia rcsinana, and their resinous 

 nodules from fir-trees. — J. N. Pierce, Hon. Sec. 



