THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



167 



of Wight. Mr. Riches stated that he had bred during the season, a series of S. 

 ocellatus, which had spent two winters in the pupa. Dr. Buckell then read the 

 records of Sphingidse that he had received for the Society's London Fauna List, to 

 which the members present made many interesting additions. — A. LI. Battley and 

 J. A. Simes, Hon. Sees. 



THE SOUTH LONDON ENTOMOLOGICAL AND NATURAL 



HISTORY SOCIETY. 



July 13th, 1893. — Chas. G. Barrett, Esq., f.e.s., Vice-President, in the chair. 

 Mr. E. Oldham exhibited specimens of Macaria liturata, Melanthia albicillata, and many 

 others, some fine forms Odonestis potatoria, and a specimen of Plusia moneta, captured 

 at Woodford on the 2nd June-, Mr. Adkin remarking that this species appeared to be 

 distributing itself gradually over the country. Mr. South showed a remarkable form 

 of Tviphana pronuba, it being the typical pronuba on one side, and the variety innuba 

 on the other, also a variable series of Coccyx ochsenheimeriana and C. taedella from 

 Middlesex. Mr. Fenn exhibited long bred series of Dicranura bifida, Boarmia roboravia 

 and Notodonta dictcea, from Bexley, the New Forest and Deal respectively. Messrs. 

 Adkin, South, Frohawk and Briggs showed very long series of Pieris brassica, from 

 many parts of England, Scotland and the Isle of Man, &c, for the purpose of show- 

 ing the variation existing, both in size and markings. Mr. Adkin drawing attention 

 to the manner in which the depth of colour in the tips varied from black to dove-grey. 

 One shown by Mr. South was no larger than an average Pieris rapes. Mr. Frohawk's 

 comprised, amongst others, a number from Harwich, these corresponded to the 

 Southern French type and had no doubt immigrated. Mr. H. Moore showed three 

 specimens of the Harlequin beetle Acrocinus longimanus, from Trinidad, &c. Mr. 

 Auld, a fine var. of Lomaspilis margmata, from Folkestone. Mr. Step, a number of 

 pupae of the Bacon Beetle, Dermestes lardams, which he stated were being experi- 

 mentally tried as bait for fishing when in the larval condition. Mr. Barrett 

 mentioned a curious instance in which a number of lepidopterous larvae had been 

 found in earthen cells in a book drawer, and were supposed to have been placed 

 there by one of the fossorial Hymenoptera. Mr. West, of Streatham, shewed Sesia 

 bembeciformis. Mr. Turner, two varieties of Argynnis selene, and a number of Tortrices 

 and Tinea, including Penthina pruniana, Sciaphila subjectana, S. hybridana, Tortrix 

 ministrana, Phoxopteryx mitterbachneriana, Nemophora swammerdamiella, &c. Mr. Briggs 

 also exhibited a portion of the outer covering of a tree wasp's nest, which was 

 curiously striped with blue, the insect having no doubt been using blue paper or 

 other material of that colour in its formation. — H. Williams, Hon. Secretary. 



VARIETY BREEDING. 



BY W. H. TUGWELL. 



Whilst my brothers of the net have been ranging the field, wood, 

 and fen, in active pursuit of their Entomological game during the 

 splendid weather of the marvellous summer, unfortunately for myself, 

 I have been confined to the lonely sick chamber, through a severe 

 attack of lumbar neuritis. Yet, thanks to the charms of rearing larva 

 from the egg, I have still been enabled to get some most interesting 

 experiences amongst my breeding cages. Last year I fortunately 



