i8g2.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



Carrington described the mode Mr, Nicholas Cooke adopted to take this species and 

 also the plan Mr. Salvedge followed : he also said the Rannoch specimens were 

 always smaller than the Welsh ones. Mr. R. Adkin also exhibited a specimen of 

 Euchloe cavdamines, taken at Hayward's Heath, having a distinct V shaped mark 

 below the discoidal spot on the under side of the primaries. Mr. C. G. Barrett 

 remarked on this form of variation as occurring in so many species, particularly the 

 genus Oporabia and in Setina iyrorella, the V mark was caused by the union of the 

 black scales on the two divisions of the median nervure. Mr. C. Fenn pointed out 

 that in the cardamines shewn, the black scales were not on the divi.sion of the nervure. 

 Mr. Hawes, a living example of Polyommatus phlceas, bred from ovum deposited 28th 

 August, the larva pupating October 2nd, and after being kept in a high temperature 

 emerging 25th inst. Mr. Hawes also stated that he had been endeavouring to obtain 

 ova from various species of butterflies by lamp-light, and had succeeded with viegara 

 and napi. Mr. R. South, a series of Liparis monacha, var. ereniitor, bred from French 

 larvae, and remarked it would be interesting to ascertain the origin of this form, he 

 had never taken it in England although he was told it occurred in the New Forest. 

 Mr. C. G. Barrett was of opinion that this suffused form did not occur in the New 

 Forest, but it was found in the Midlands. Mr. Tutt said that Miss Kimber had bred 

 an exceedingly dark one from the New Forest, and Mr. Dobson had got a fine series 

 of banded forms from the same locality. Mr. Tugvvell thought in Mr. South's 

 specimens the darkening arose from the ground colour being darke'-, whereas in 

 English specimens it was the thickening of the black scales that caused the 

 variation. Observations were made by members on collecting butterflies on dull 

 days at rest, the Lycaenidae, Hesperidae, Argynnis, Papilio machaon and McUtc^a ath- 

 alia, were specially alluded to. Some remarks were made as to obtaining all the in- 

 formation possible with regard to the reported capture of Polyommatus virgaurcea near 

 Seaford. 



December lotJi, i8gi. — The President in the chair. Mr. C. G. Barrett exhibited 

 and remarked on a number of species collected by Mr. Russ in the West of Ireland, 

 in particular referring to the prevalence of pale and dark forms of so many species 

 occurring together in a locality where the climate was an exceedingly wet and stormy 

 one; among others, he instanced several species of Agrotis, Hydrcecia micacea,H. 

 nictitans, &c., there were also specimens of Lycana icarus, having black spots in the 

 hind margin, and examples of Pieris napi, approaching bryonice. Mr. South said that 

 the particular form of L. icanis, occurred in the Isle of Wight and at Perthshire. 

 Mr. Weir referred to the P. napi and said he had received the same form from Cavan. 

 Mr. Fenn, in reference to light and dark forms of certain species occurring together, 

 said he thought wherever a variable species occurred, the extremes would be found. 

 Mr. Tutt said this was well known, but, in his opinion, there was generally a 

 particular characteristic for each locality, although the whitest and palest forms of 

 A. tritici occurred at Deal, yet some that were almost black were fouud ;the majority 

 of the specimens showed a tendency to run of a bluish tint, while those taken by Mr. 

 Russ showed a tendency to run brown ; other instances occurred with Taniocampa 

 instabilis, Noctua castanea, var. neglecla, and Xylophasia polydon. Mr. R. Adkin 

 exhibited a variety of Pieris napi, ? in which the usual spots and apical patch of the 

 forewings were united to form an almost continuous sub-marginal band ; also a series 

 of Petasia nubeculosa. Mr. S. Edwardes, among others, exhibited Ornithoptcr a 

 brookiana, from Borneo, and Mr. Weir remarked that until lately the species had alone 

 represented a section of the genus but an allied species had been discovered in 

 Palawar, thus affording a further contribution to the probability that the fauna and 

 flora of that island would prove to be more Bornean than Phillipine. Mr. J. H 



