1 86 THE BRITISH NATURALIST. [September 



hornet pounce down upon a wasp, and after a long struggle, kill and eat it. He also 

 remarked upon the large numbers of these two insects this season. Mr. Huckett 

 stated that some larvae of Arctia caja, reared from the egg, were already spinning up. 

 Mr. Southey reported that Hepialus sylvinus was common on Hampstead Heath, but 

 that the usual Noctuae appeared to be very scarce. Mr. Bloomfield gave an account 

 of an excursion to Wicken Fen on August 5th. Nonagria despecta, N. hellmanni, and 

 Apamea fibrosa being some of the best insects observed. The larvas of Papilia machaon 

 were scarce and very small, the greater part being only just out of the egg. — 

 A. U. Battley and J. A. Simes, Hon. Sees. 



THE SOUTH LONDON ENTOMOLOGICAL AND NATURAL 



HISTORY SOCIETY. 



July 27th, 1893. — J. Jenner Weir, Esq., f.l.s., f.z.s., f.e.s., President, in the chair. 

 Mr. A. Robinson exhibited a magnificent series of Callimorpha hera, bred from ova 

 obtained from a female captured in Devonshire, in August, 1892. He mentioned 

 that among those he bred, a large number were deformed in the hind wings, and 

 principally in the left one. Mr. Robinson also had two specimens of Dicranura 

 bicuspis, from Tilgate Forest, one being a very light variety. Mr. Turner exhibited a 

 fine series of Pempelia palumbella, from Oxshott, also a few Thera variata, one being 

 almost unicolorous, and T.firmata, &c. Mr. Dennis brought a box of Thecla betula, 

 bred at the end of June, one having the orange band somewhat smaller than usual. 

 Mr. R. Adkin exhibited specimens of Smerinthus populi, from Lewisham, the New 

 Forest, and Sutherlandshire, for comparison, three of those shown being of that very 

 light brownish form that occasionally occurs, one from each of the localities named ; 

 also a few Smerinthus ocellatus, bred from larvae found at Lewisham. Mr. Barrett 

 exhibited the larvae belonging to the Diurnea group, referred to by him at the last 

 meeting, and made some comments thereon. These larvae, if not actually still alive, 

 were in a state of very fresh preservation, and Mr. Weir said he thought there was 

 hardly any doubt about their having been stored by one of the Mason Wasps, as 

 food for its young. Mr. H. Williams exhibited five pupae of Lencophasia sinapis, for 

 the purpose of showing the gradual development of the perfect insect, one of which 

 emerged during the course of the evening. The average dates were, ova laid 26th 

 May, hatched 6th June, the first pupating on the 9th July. Mr. -Step exhibited the 

 following species of galls from Epsom, viz. : Audricus fecundatrix, Neuroterus lenticularis, 

 Andricus astreus, Cynips kollari, Rhodites nervosus, R, rosa, and R. eglanterex. Mr. Step 

 expatiated upon the advantages of studying the Phytophagous Hymenoptera, and a 

 discussion ensued, in which Messrs. Step, Barrett, Weir, and others took part. 



August 10th, 1893. — J. Jenner Weir, Esq., f.l.s., f.e.s., President, in the chair. 

 Mr. Weir exhibited some cases which had been found under a Sycamore, by a 

 neighbour of his, Mr. Tolhurst, at Beckenham, Kent. He said attention had been 

 called to these cases by seeing them hopping over a gravel path, a power which they 

 retained for some days after they were obtained. The cases were circular disks 

 about 13 mm in diameter, and had been made from the upper cuticle of the leaf, 

 forming one side, and silk the other. Upon examining the leaves of the tree, the 

 round spots from which the cases were partly formed were plainly visible and also 

 the large blots from which the larvae had eaten the parenchyma. It was at first 

 thought that they might be the cases of a Tischeira, but they did not agree with any 

 of the species found in this country, and they had since been identified by Mr. 

 McLachlan as the work of a Saw-fly, Phyllostoma aceris, Kalt. The President also 

 exhibited nearly adult larvae of Hemcrophila abruptaria, and drew attention to the fact 

 that two pairs of prolegs were as usual in geometers fully developed, and that there 

 were also two other imperfect pairs in front of these, he considered these very 

 imperfect prolegs to be vestigial. Mr. Frohawk exhibited specimens of Macroglossa 



