217 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



[October 



from Folkestone, and a specimen of Polyomniatus fhlaas with a very pale posterior 

 wing. Mr. Clark, a very dark ? Odonestis potatoria and a fine specimen of P. phlc^as 

 without the characteristic copper colour. Mr. Tutt stated that he considered this, 

 and the many similar varieties recorded from time to time, to be cases of the ill- 

 development or absence of the pigment. Mr. Goldthwait, two vars. of Spilosoma 

 mcntltnistri from Walthamstow, one closely approaching 5. urtia^, also a series of 

 Colias edusa from Folkestone. Mr. Riches, a long series of Abraxas p'ossulariata and 

 living larvas of Dianthacia capsincola feeding on the seeds of " Sweet William." Mr. 

 Poul, a large number of species from Tunbridge Wells, including Coremia propugnata, 

 Macaria liturafa, etc. Dr. Buckell, living larvae of Eupithecia centanreata ten days old ; 

 also a series of Acidalia imniiitata from Leigh, Essex, and he read the following notes 

 on this species : "This is an insect about which Newman appears to have known 

 but little. Merrin states that it is found in fens and similar localities in June and 

 July and sometimes again in September ; he also adds that the larva hybernates, 

 feeds on some marsh plant and will also eat knot grass (Polygonum) . Mr. Seymour 

 St. John gives purple loosestrife, plantain, yarrow, valerian, and meadow-sweet as 

 regular foods, and groundsel, dandelion, whitethorn and clematis as foodplants in 

 confinement. The natural footplants appear to be quite as much hedgerow plants 

 as fen plants. " The best time for the imago would appear to be about the second 

 week in July. The examples shown were taken on July 15th, and on the 26th, they 

 were passe. They rise oat of the long grass as one walks along. Ova deposited last 

 year on July 26th, hatched on August 12th. On the 30th, I noticed that the larva? 

 were growing very slowly, they rested on the stems and leaves of the chickweed 

 curled up in the .shape of a note of interrogation (?)— -a similar attitude to that 

 assumed by the larvae of many Eupithecia?, etc. Their colour was a dingy green 

 without any characteristic markings. The larvae were exhibited before this Society 

 on October ist, and on the 4th, I noticed that some appeared full grown whilst others 

 remained quite small: some of the larger ones began to make earthen cocoons on 

 October loth, and the first pupated on the 17th, of the month. The moths however 

 failed to put in an appearance. The insect seems to be widely distributed but local. 

 It does not figure in any of London lists, but is recorded from the neighbourhood of 

 Swansea, Leigh, Romsey Hertford and Warrington. Mr. Tutt, also records it from 

 Wicken P'en, Mr. Simes, from Matley Bog near Lyndhurst, and Mr. Fenn, from 

 Deal". Mr. Tutt also read a paper on his recent work at Wicken Fen. In 

 • oleoptera, Mr. Heasler exhibited two very local species from Mitcham- — Trechus 

 discus and Hydroporus ferrugineiis ; he stated that he took the example of the latter 

 species with his hand and that he felt sure he could have procured more, had he had 

 a water net. 



September 15th, 1892.— Exhibits. —Lepidoptera : Dr. Buckell, larvae of Ephvra 

 punctaria ig days old, L/paris auriflua without the black markings, Nonagria despecta 

 from Wimbledon, and a dark form of Amphipyra pyramidea. bred from a larva fouud 

 in Kensington Gardens. Mr. Southey, series of Hadena pisi'and Cidaria dotata from 

 Hampstead, also a long series of A. gi ossulariata containing a specimen with a pale 

 straw ground colour, and a finely speckled example. Mr. Bacot, examples of Melitaa 

 CLiixia from the Isle of Wight, and a series of Thecla betula bred from South Devon 

 i;irvae. Mr. Rosevear, two specimens of Torrubia robertsii, a parasitic fungus having 

 for its host the larva of Hepialus vivescens, from New Zealand ; he also read some notes 

 descriptive of the growth, &c., of the fungus. Dr. Sequeira, Acronyda Ugustri, alni, 

 and series of Leucania turca and Aplecta herbida from the New Forest. Mr. Allbuary? 

 two very pale examples of Vanessa tirtic^ from Northfleet, the pale colour being 

 evidently produced by failure of the pigment. Mr. Clark, a very fine series of 

 Liparis monacha, bred from a pair received alive from Scarborough. The female was 

 very much suffused, and the male nearly black and the progeny followed their parents. 



