146 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



[June 



Mr. Sauze, insects taken at Seal Chart, during the Society's Field Meeting on 

 May 19th. 



Mr. Turner, two specimens of the rare Homopteron, Centrotus comutus, taken by 

 Mr. Lewcock, at the same place also specimens of Helix lapicida, L., from Box 

 Hill. 



Mr. Step, Helix lapicida, L., Clansilia lamiuata, Mont., with var. albinos, Mog., 

 and var. pelhtcida, Jeff., Physa hypnorum, L., and a striking banded var. of 

 Limncea peregra, Mull. 



Mr. Step read a paper entitled " Land Crabs." — Hy. J. Turner. 



CITY OF LONDON ENTOMOLOGICAL AND NATURAL 

 HISTORY SOCIETY. 



Tuesday, 1st May, 1894. — The President (J. A. Clark, Esq.) in the chair. The following 

 gentlemen were elected members: — H. H. May, D. C. Bate, P. R. Richards, and G. H. 

 Shields, all of South London. 



Exhibits : — Mr. Battley, a series of Brephos notha from near Broxbourne, 

 with specimens of B. parthenias for comparison. He remarked that both sexes 

 of notha were without the cream-coloured blotches so conspicuous on the fore 

 wings of parthenias. The antennas of male notha were pectinated. Mr. Gurney, Silpha 

 quadripuuctata, Coccinella 22-pnnctata and G. 14-punctata, from the New Forest ; also 

 Dermestes murinus from Ongar Park Wood, Essex. Mr. Lewcock, a small, but perfect 

 female specimen of Biston hirtaria from which a paiasitic (dipterous) larva had emerged 

 and since become a pupa. Young hirtaria larvae had also emerged from the opening 

 made by the parasite ; these had, of course, been hatched in the body of their parent. 

 Mr. S. J. Bell, some curious ova laid on a primrose flower taken from a bought bunch. 

 They were of a pale colour, with a dark brown ring round the top and another round the 

 base, and there were two dots of the same colour between the rings. Their shape 

 resembled that of a butter tub. 



Mr. Battley announced that queen wasps were very plentiful at Southend, and he 

 recommended members to kill as many as possible, so as to reduce the probability of 

 another plague like that of last year. 



Tuesday, 15th May, 1894.— The President in the chair. Mr. T. L. Rix,of 20, Hartham 

 Road, Tottenham, was elected a member of the Society. 



Exhibits : — By Mr. Battley, preserved larvae of Miana strigilis, exhibiting two dist net 

 forms of coloration, viz. : — Grass-green and dirty cream colour, and a third form inter- 

 mediate between these two. By Mr. Clark, a bred series of Aleucis pictaria from the 

 New Forest. By Mr. May, larvae of Geometra papilionaria from Hayes, Kent, and 

 larvae of Pseitdolerpna pminata from Epping Forest. By Dr. Segueira, Nemeophila 

 pLantaginis and var. hospita ; also Fidonia conspicnata. and vars. of Ennomos qnercinaria, 

 one of which was a fine dark-banded form. Mr. Prout remarked that some larvae of 

 Miana furnncula which he once had resembled the strigilis exhibited by Mr. Battley. 

 Captain Thompson said that he had received a letter from a Birmingham correspondent 

 who wrote that he had taken about 20 specimens of Neuroni popnlaris flying low over the 

 grass in Epping Forest, and that they had revealed their whereabouts by a slight clicking 

 noise. Mr. Prout, Mr. Nicholson and others referred to other instances of slight noises 

 produced by Butterflies and Moths. Mr. Battley stated that during a visit to the New 

 Forest at Whitsuntide he had taken a nearly half-grown larva of ApaUira iris from the 

 same branch of sallow he took one from in 1892. — C. Nicholson and A. U. Battley, 

 Hon. Sees. 



