197 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. [September 



given in Dale's "British Butterflies," pp. 169-174, Newman's error 

 continues to crop up again and again. The early summer brood is the 

 var. Hutcliinsoni. 



Reports of Societies. 



THE SOUTH LONDON ENTOMOLOGICAL AND NATURAL 



HISTORY SOCIETY. 



July 2Sth. — C. G. Barrett, Esq, F.K.S., President in the chair Mr. Frohawk 

 exhibited seven specimens of Epinethile liypcranthus, bred from ova. The female 

 parent which was taken in the New F^orest was of the ordinary form, possibly the 

 male was of the lanceolate form, as out of the seven bred, no less than three were of 

 this variety, also a variety of Sesia form ki form is, having the usual red colour replaced 

 by burnished gold and also living pupae of Colias cdusa, Vanessa cardia', and Vanessa 

 atalanta. Mr. FYohawk stated he had obtained seventy pupa; of Colias cdusa, the ova 

 having been obtained from two females taken in the spring, he also remarked on the 

 abundance of Vanessa atalanta. Mr. Rice exhibited on behalf of Mr. Hickling 

 lepidopterous ova on stems of asparagus for naming, and Mr. T. W. Hall suggested 

 that probably they were TripJuena pronuha . Mr. South exhibited Zygcena trifolii, out of 

 a number taken in Middlesex, these shewing great variation in the size and colour of 

 the spots, in the colour of the hind wings, and in the width of the border of the hind 

 wings, and stated the series exhibited contained all the known varieties, also Asthena 

 hlomeri, taken in Buckinghamshire near the London border and made renjiarks there- 

 on. Mr. C. G. Barrett. Vanessa C-alhion and pointed out difference between the 

 first and second broods, a discussion ensued, the general opinion being that the 

 species was certainly double brooded. Mr. Frohawk remarked that he had 

 recently been to the New Forest and although the weather was bad he took 

 three white spotted specimens of Argynnis paphia, the variety valczina was fairly 

 common, and Limcnitis sibylla exceedingly so, and very late in its appearance. 



August lltJi, 1892. — The President in the chair. Mr. West (Streatham) exhibited 

 a series of Apamca opJiiogramma, and Eiipithecia succcnturiata . Mr. Barrett remarked 

 that the former species was very dark and one specimen unusually so. Mr. J. A. 

 Cooper said ophiogramma was frequently taken at Chingfood. Mr. Russell a hand- 

 Eome specimen of Pieris napi, from Woking, the upper wings being strongly suffused 

 \vith black and the spots unusually large. Mr. Barrett said the specimen was much 

 more strongly marked than those from the North of Ireland. Mr. Russell also 

 exhibited a series of F.pineplulc janira, males and females from Abbotts Wood, one 

 male shewed the orange coloured blotch in imitation of that of the female which 

 ?vlr. Barrett observed was the form found in the more northern and western range of 

 the species. Mr. Short referred to the exhibit made by Mr. Rice at the previous 

 meeting, of ova deposited on Asparagus, and in supporting Mr. T. W. Halls identifi- 

 cation showed ova of TripJuena pvonuba, on rush. Mr. Hawes exhibited a larvae of 

 what he originally thought to be Hespcria comma, but remarked that its lateness in- 

 that stage had made him feel doubtful as to its identity and he was now satisfied that 

 it was N isoniadcs tuges ; a discussion ensued in which it was pointed out by Mr. 

 F'rohawk that the larva of comma was distinguishable from tages by the white markings 

 on the tenth and eleventh segments and which were to be found on the underside. 

 Mr. Hawes also called attention to the tendency to lightness in colour in many 

 species of butterflies during the present season, and gave as instances the extra 

 brilliancy of the blue in the second brood of Lycoena teams j 's and the large propor- 

 tion of the ? 's of that species which were blue. A discussion took place in which 



