263 



THE BRITISH iNATURALIST. [December 



found on pine trunks, but that the larva fed on heather, and that he had this year 

 reared the species on heather. IV'Ir. Carpenter said the specimen of Ar^'viiiiis fapJiia 

 recently exhibited by him was a female, and not a male as recorded. 



November lOlIi, 1892 — The President in the chair. Mr. R. South exhibibited 

 portions of two broods of Corenua femcgata , and of two broods of C. unidentaria , and 

 read notes thereon, pointing out that the differences between the two forms of the 

 first-named species, and the difference between them and the last-named species, and 

 that he had been led to the conclusion that although it was correct to keep unidentaria 

 specifically distinct from ferrugafa, it might not be. equally correct to place the two 

 forms exhibited by him together as ferrugafa, and he asked the members to endeavour 

 to work out the life history of such varieties of this species as they might meet with 

 Air. Goldthwait mentioned having recently reai'ed imagines from a captured uni- 

 dentaria, which all followed the female form. Mr. Fenn said he had always found 

 both species breed very constant, and he had never bred iuuermediate forms. Mr- 

 W. F. de V.Kane exhibited Stauropus fag i , taken in Ireland ; a damaged specimen 

 of Notodonta bicolor, taken at a new locality ; a photograph of the pupa of Diant/iaiia 

 bavrcttii, and said he felt certain, from the structure of the pupa, that it belonged to 

 the Dianthcscia. Among other things in Mr. Kane's box were some curious forms of 

 Fidonia atoniaria ; Bryophila glandifera, varying to very black forms ; light forms of 

 Boarmia cinctaria ; one Gyniatophora or ; melaric forms of Xylophasia polyodon ; densely 

 black forms of Camptogramma bilineata ; peculiarly bronzed and black examples of 

 Hadena olcracea ; and dark Agrotis iucernea. Mr. ICane pointed out that these four 

 species were captured in a damp and dark locality, and all showed a strong melanic 

 tendency. Some interesting notes were contributed by Mr. Kane upon his exhibits, 

 and a discussion followed. Mr. Purdey, of Folkestone, among others, the banded 

 form of Cidaria sufuinata; long series of Cidaria russata, reared from ova and including 

 some beautiful varieties; a specime.i of Colias liyalc. taken at Folkestone in 1891 ; 

 Peronea comariana , closely resembling P. variegana, Schiff ; and a long series ot 

 Eupitliecia stevensata. Mr. Purdey stated ]Mr. Webb had been unable to get the larvae 

 of this insect to feed on juniper, and Mr. Purdey said that it did not occur at the same 

 time as E. sobrinala. Mr. Mera, varieties of Lyccena iearus and some very fine varieties of 

 Abraxas grossulai iata. Mr. Oldham, a very dark specimen of Hadena oleracea. Mr. 

 Herbert Williams, living larvae of Colias hyale, from a female captured in England, 

 and stated that he had obtained one pupa, Mr. Billups, the dipteron, Stratiomys 

 potamida, Mg., and its rare hymenopterous parasite Sniiera sispes, Sp., both having 

 been captured in the Plumstead Marshes. — H. W. Barker and A. Short, Hon. Sees. 



LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE ENTOMOLOGICAL 



SOCIETY. 



November 14th.— The President (Mr. S. J. Capper, F.L.S., F.E.S.), who occupied 

 the chair, referred to the death of Mr. j. T. Moore, who was one of the original 

 members of the society. Mr, John Wats m, 177, Moss Lane, East Manchester, was 

 elected a member of the society. Mr. W. R. Scowcroft, of Manchester, read a paper 

 entitled, " Switzerland, a naturalist's paradise," in which he described a nine day's 

 journey through Switzerland and gave an account of the Lepidopterous and 

 Coleopterous insects seen and captured, one of the most intercepting being pale 

 dimorphic forms of female Colias palenu, similar to the var. helice ot Colias edusa. In 

 all 70 species of butterflies, 59 species of moths, and 40 species of Coleoptera were 

 taken. The paper was illustrated by the specimens captured. The President 



