1892.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



218 



the males in many cases being jet black, but all the females shewing a considerable, 

 white area. Mr. Clark, also read a paper on "A Melanic Race of Liparis moiiacha'' 

 Coleoptera : Mr. Heasler, series of Elater balteatus, Melandrys caraboides, Amaspis 

 thoracica, Ceuthorhynchus aspcrijolium. — A. U. Ba'jtley, and J. A. Simes, Hon. Sees. 



LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 



September 12th . — The President (Mr. S. J. Capper, F.L.S., F.E.S.) in the chair. 

 Mr. F. N. Pierce, F.E.S. read a paper entitled, "Some further researches upon the 

 genital structure of Lepidoptera." The author described the different species in the 

 genera Acronycta, A gratis, Noctna, &c., aud showed that in cases where the identity or 

 otherwise of species was disputed the genitalia might often be used as a sure means of 

 differentiation. The paper was illustrated by the author's preparations of these parts 

 thrown upon a screen by the aid of Oxy-hydrogen Micro-Lantern, and by photo- 

 graphs aiid specimens of each species described. The President exhibited varieties 

 of Angerona prunaria. Messrs. Gregson and Robson, challenge series of Abraxas 

 grossulariata. Mr. Scowcroft, varieties of Xantkia cerago; Mr. William Johnson, a 

 fine variety of Vanessa nvticcs, which had the ground colour \ery Y>^\e, Bombyx rubi 

 with the bands absent and Orgy la fascelina with a mass of dark scales near the 

 centre of the costa of the forewings ; Mr. I-^rince, varieties of Abraxas grossulariata and 

 a specimen of Colias edusa nearly the variety helice, captured at Wallasey. Mr. Harker 

 C. edusa from Crosby. Mr. Crabtree, a long series of C. edusa captured at Sidmouth 

 South Devon, who remarked that he had only taken one var, helice among 56 types. 

 F. N. Pierce, Ron. Sec., 



■ ■ (No other report had reached us up to the time of going to press). 



General Notes. 



MiCRO-LARVyE FOR THE MoNTH. — October has amved, and now is 

 the time to enjoy the autumnal beauty of the woods and country lanes. 

 The hedgebanks are still gay with many wild flowers, but a change 

 may soon come, so we must endeavour to collect all those larvae that 

 are now to be taken feeding on the leaves as soon as possible, for 

 tov/ards the end of the month we occasionally get slight frosts and 

 boisterous winds that soon cause the leaves to be scattered, and the 

 larva also, we then lose our chance of obtaining them during the 

 present season. In the seed heads ol golden rod (Solidago virgaiwea) 

 the larvae of C. oeimdaun may now be taken, and in the seed heads of 

 Ceiitcmria, the larvae of C. stvaniineana, the Inula conyza generally found 

 growing on dry chalky banks have the seed heads tenanted at this 

 time by the larvae ol G. bifracteila, and m the stems of CJienopodinm the 

 larvae of G. ohsolitella are now feeding, and the leaves are being 

 mined by the larvae of G. noeviffevella, which has a whitish mine, and 

 by the larva of Gel. hermaiiclla whose mine is a greenish colour, both 

 of which are often feeding on tlie same plant. The j}eads of the wild 

 marjoram must now be taken, for they contain the larva^ of G. 

 siibocellea which are among the seeds, in their Coleophora-like 

 cases. The fruit of the alder should now be examined for the larvae 



I 



