10 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



[Januar\ 



Mr. C. J. Gahan exhibited specimens of the common "book-louse," Atropos 

 pnlsatoria, Fabr., which he had heard making a ticking noise similar to that made by 

 the "death-watch" (Anobium). 



Mr. B. A. Bower exhibited the following rare species of Micro Lepidoptera : — 

 Spilonota pauperana, Frol. ; Gelechia osseella, Stn. ; Chrysodysta bimaculella, Haw. ; and 

 Elachista cingilella, Fisch. Lord Walsingham and Mr. Tutt made some remarks on 

 the specimens. 



Mr. R. Adkin exhibited a variety of Anthochavis cardamines, and one specimen of 

 Sesia scoliaformis bred from a larva found at Rannoch. 



Mr. G. T. Baker read a paper entitled " Notes on Lycana (recte Thecla), Rhymnus, 

 Tcngstramii, and Pretiosa." A discussion followed, in which Lord Walsingham, Capt. 

 Elwes, and Mr. Baker took part. 



Mr. F. Merrifield read a paper entitled " The effects of artificial temperature on 

 the colouring of Vanessa urtica and certain other species of Lepidoptera." The author 

 stated that both broods of all three species of Selenia, Platyptevyx falcataria, Vanessa 

 iirtica, Bomhyx qnercns and var. calluna, and Chelonia caja were affected by temperature 

 in the pupal stage, the lower temperature generally producing the greater intensity 

 and darkness of colour ; some of the Vanessa uvtioce made a near approach to the var. 

 polaris of Northern Enrope. A long discussion ensued, in which Mr. E. B. Poulton, 

 Mr. McLachlan, Prof. Meldola, Mr. Barrett, Mr. Jenner Weir, and Lord 

 Walsingham took part. 



Mr. W. Bateson read a paper entitled "On the variation in the colour of the 

 cocoons of Eriogaster lanestris and Saturnia carpini," and exhibited a large number of 

 specimens in illustration of the paper. Lord Walsingham congratulated Mr. 

 Bateson on his paper, and on the intelligent care and method shown in his 

 experiments, and said he was glad to see that at Cambridge there was an entomologist 

 ready to enter this interesting field of investigation, and perhaps at some future day 

 to contest the palm with Mr. Poulton as representing the sister University of Oxford. 

 He had noticed the larvae of 5. carpini, if left in a box with dead food, and probably 

 partially starved, made a light-coloured cocoon; but, that, when the cocoon was 

 made under natural conditions, on living food-plants on the moors, it was of a dark 

 colour. Mr. Poulton, Prof. Meldola, Mr. Bateson, and others continued the 

 discussion. — H. Goss and W. W. Fowler. Hon. Sees. 



THE SOUTH LONDON ENTOMOLOGICAL AND NATURAL 



HISTORY SOCIETY. 



November 26th, 1891. — W. H. Tugwell, Esq., President, in the chair. Mr. J. A. 

 Cooper exhibited five specimens of Arctia caja, the red colour of the inferior wings 

 being replaced by yellow ; he remarked that from some thousand larvae collected 

 near Wanstead Flats, all of which had been fed under normal conditions, he had 

 reared seven of this form, all of which emerged on the same day ; as far as he could 

 say there were no atmospheric conditions which would account for the variation. 

 It would be noticed that one of the specimens had a blackish fringe to the inferior 

 wings, Messrs. Tugwell, Carrington, and Tutt made some observations on specimens 

 of this species occasionally having the fringes and antennae of a jblackish colour 

 Mr. R. Adkin a specimen of Sesia scoli^efurmis, bred at Rannoch from a lar\-a found 

 there, and he remarked on the difficulties attending the rearing of the species. Mr. 

 'l^igwell thought the specimen was smaller than those that were obtained from 

 Llangollen and he suggested "assembling" as a method of obtaining males of 

 the species as 5. sphegifovmis and 5.' ciilicifonnis were taken in this way. Mr. 



