THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



59 



February 22nd, 1893. — Henry John Elwes, Esq., F.L.S., F.Z.S., President in the 

 Chair Mr. Kenneth J. Morton, of Glenview Cottage, Carluke, N.B. ; Herr A. F, 

 Nonfried, of Kakonitz, Bohemia ; and Mr. Charles B. Taylor, of Rae Town, 

 Kingston, Jamaica, were elected Fellows of the Society. Mr. F. J. Hanbury 

 exhibited, on behalf of Mr. Percy H. Russ, of Sligo, several long and very variable 

 series of Agrotis tritici, A. valligera, and A. cursoria, togather with Irish forms of many 

 other species, some of which were believed to be new to Ireland. Mr. W. H. B. 

 Fletcher and Mr. J. W. Tutt made some remarks on the species. Mr. R. W. 

 Lloyd exhibited specimens of a species of A cams found in New Zealand wheat. He 

 _ stated that Mr. A D. Michael had examined the specimens, and pronounced them to 

 belong to Tyroglyphus farina, a species which had been known for over a hundred 

 years as a destroyer of corn, and was only too abundant all over Europe, and 

 probably over the temperate regions of the world. Dr. T. A. Chapman exhibited, by 

 means of the oxy-hydrogen lantern, photographs of the larva of Nemeobius lucina in its 

 first stage, showing the conjoined dorsal tubercles, each carrying two hairs, which 

 are remarkable in being divided into two branches. For comparison he also showed 

 by means of the lantern, drawings of the young larva of Papiiio ajax, after Scudder, 

 and of a portion of a segment of Smevinthus populi, as the only instances known to 

 him of similar. dichotomous hairs in lepidopterous larvae. Mr. Poulton pointed out 

 that he had described the forked hairs of Smevinthus in the Entomological Society's 

 ' Transactions ' for 1885, and that such hairs were even better developed in the 

 genus Hemaris originally described, as he believed, by Curtis. Mr. Poulton also 

 said that he had noticed similar forked hairs covering the newly hatched larva? of 

 Geometra papilionaria. Mr. Poulton exhibited, and made remarks on a number of 

 cocoons oi Halias prasinana, in order to show the changes of colour produced in them 

 by their surroundings ; he also exhibited the coloured backgrounds employed by him 

 in his recent experiments on the colour of larvae and pupae, and illustrated his 

 remarks by numerous drawings ou the blackboard. Dr. Chapman read a paper 

 — which was illustrated by the oxy-hydrogen lantern — entitled "On some neglected 

 Points in the Structure of the Pupa of Heterocerous Lepidoptera and their Probable 

 Value in Classification." A discussion ensued, in which Mr. Elwes, Mr. Poulton, 

 Mr. Champion, and Mr. Merrifield took part. Dr. F. A. Dixey communicated a 

 paper entitled " On the Phylogenetic Significance of the Variations produced by 

 Differences of Temperature on Vanessa atalauta." The President, Mr. Merrifield, 

 Mr. Poulton, Dr. Chapman, and Mr. Tutt took part in the discussion which ensued. 

 — H. Goss, Hon. Secretary. 



CITY OF LONDON ENTOMOLOGICAL AND NATURAL 



HISTORY SOCIETY. 



Tuesday, February 7th, 1893. — Exhibits. Mr. Mera, a fine series of Hybernia 

 defoliaria, full ochreous, with a very clear dark band. These were all from one 

 batch of eggs, and showed the effects of heredity, as almost every specimen was 

 distinctly banded and followed the parent form, none of the usual unicolorous 

 specimens being bred with them. Mr. Huckett, bred specimens of Hybernia defoliaria. 

 He remarked that these had emerged almost continuously from October until the 

 present time. Mr. Front, several Geometra- with the transverse lines approximating 

 the enclosed band in some cases revolving itself into a line. These included 

 specimens of an^ularia, pennaria, abbrcviata, variata, octllata and montanata, Mr. Boden, 

 Coccyx strobilana, C. splcndidulana, C. argyrana, C. abiegand, C. nanana, and C. vaeciniana, 

 all from West Wickham, Mr. Gates, Hypercallia christierneila , from Sevenoaks. 

 Exhibits of the genus Xanthia were made by Messrs. Bacot, Battley, Boden, Clark, 

 Gates, Hodges, Riches, Routledge, Sequeira, Southey and Tutt. Mr. Tutt then 

 read his paper on " The Genus Xanthia," after which a discussion took placa. 



