i89i.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



271 



approaching it. Mr. C. G. Barrett a variety of Argynnis aglaia, JL., taken in Norfolk, 

 two specimens of Lycana argiades, taken on Bloxworth Heath in 1885, and specimens 

 of Aplecta nebitlosa, Hufn., reared by Mr. ColHns of Warrington, from Delamere Forest 

 and named by him var. Rohsoni. Mr. Tugwell exhibited some some parasitic fungi 

 and remarked that it was one of the Entomophthorae — a tribe of fungi parasitic an 

 insects. He noticed this fungoid growth apparently growing from the soil in one of his 

 breeding cages in which eighty larvae of Scotosia certata, bred from ova, had 

 pupated, the larvse were fed on Berhcris vulgaris, the fungi were half an inch or more 

 high ; on examination he found that each of the fungus sprung from the pupae of 

 ■certata the whole of which were dead. Some were enveloped in the fungus but others 

 were apparently healthy, but traces of white thread-like spots of the fungus were 

 noticeable, and the pupae were dead and could be snapped asunder like a damp 

 rotten twig. Thinking that the germ of the fungus might have been introduced into 

 the larva by the food plant, Mr. Tugwell stated that he had placed some pupas of 

 Goftyna flavago in some of the same soil, and all those that were not on the point of 

 emerging were killed by the fungus. Mr. Fenn said he had experienced the same 

 thing in two or three cages. Messrs. Adkin, Carrington, West, and others took part 

 in the discussion which ensued. Mr. Adkin again exhibited the specimen of the 

 Tortrix which Mr. Carpenter had named donelana and remarked that he had been 

 stated, in a report of a previous meeting, to have exhibited these specimens as Tortrix 

 steineriana, var. dohriana, he had, however, when exhibiting them, said he had 

 considered them to be Tortrix vihurnana; he had now a specimen of the variety 

 dohriana from Dr. Staudinger's collection. Mr. Tutt had brought his series of this 

 variety which he had received from Herr Hoffman, and Mr. C. G. Barrett had 

 brought specimens of T . steineriana and examples of T. viburnana and its varieties. 

 Mr. Barrett said he had been in correspondence with Mr. Carpenter on this subject 

 and was still of opinion that the specimens were simply T. viburnana, Mr. Carpenter 

 had written him that although the larvae fed on pine, an example had fed equally 

 well on vaccinium. Mr. Tutt said that in this part of the genus there were some six 

 or eight species closely allied and it was difficult to separate these after studying the 

 variation among them, and he added that the figure published by Mr. Carpenter was 

 undoubtedly steineriana ; he did not for one moment suggest that Mr. Barrett was not 

 right in calling the Irish specimens viburnana but until more material was obtained he 

 did not think it could be assumed that they were distinct from the Continental 

 T. steineriana var. dohriana. Mr. Barrett remarked that Mr. Carpenter's figure was 

 from a single specimen and was extremely unlike the majority of specimens which had 

 since been bred. Mr. Oldham exhibited, among other species a black var. of Cerastis 

 spadicea, Hb., from his garden, near Epping Forest, and a specimen of Apaniea 

 ophiogramma , Esp., taken in the Forest. Mr. South remarked that the first-named 

 species should be called ligiila as it was not at all like Hubner's figure of spadicea. — 

 H, W. Barker, Hon. Sec. 



LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



November Dth. — Mr. S. J. Capper, F.L.S., F.E.S., in the chair. Mr. R. Newstead, 

 F.E.S., read a paper : " General Notes on the scale insects Coccidas." The author 

 gave a brief resume of the work done by the earlier naturalists and enumerated types. 



