THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



THE MANCHESTER MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 



At the Monthly Meeting of the Manchester Microscopical Society, held on Thursday, 

 the 3rd May, 1894, a paper was read by Mr. W. Moss, on " The Radula as an aid to 

 classification." The paper was illustrated by a series of shells and by means of lantern 

 slides and mounted radulas. the latter ably exhibited by Mr. Furnival with the oxy- 

 hydrogen lantern and lantern microscope. 



The value of the radula as an important aid in the classification of univalve Molluscs 

 was shown by instances of shells conchologically resembling each other but differing 

 widely in the radulse, and by species far apart in conchological resemblance and 

 geographical distribution possessing very similar radulse. The system of classification 

 based on conchological data was shown to be generally supported by the evidence of the 

 radula, and whilst neither shell nor radula could be relied upon absolutely to determine 

 species, the latter often supplied the missing link in the evidence which the shell alone was 

 unable to furnish. — W.M. 



LEPIDOPTERA. 



Scarcity of Insects. — -The weather here up to the present time has 

 been most unfavourable for collecting, and insects have been scarce. 

 Although the sallows were in fine condition during the latter end of 

 March and beginning of April, very few of the Taeniocampidae put in an 

 appearance, save T. gothica. Sugar has yielded nothing up to the 

 time of writing. During May searching for larvae in waste places at 

 night proved somewhat lucrative, however. A fine specimen of 5. 

 populi was captured in Strand Street, in the town of Douglas, this 

 morning, and brought to me alive. — H. Shortridge Clarke, Sulby 

 Parsonage, Lezayre, Isle of Man, June 4th, 1894. 



On Type Insects. — The Canadian Entomologist for this month (May) 

 has just come to hand, and I would ask Mr. Dale to mark carefully a 

 statement on p. 142. thereon, by the well-known naturalist, Mr. A. R. 

 Grote, M.A. He writes as follows : — " The description is the sole real 

 authority for the authenticity of the ' type.' A number of times have 

 I in print drawn attention to this fact, that when a supposed ' type ' 

 contradicts the published description, the ' type ' must be held to be 

 spurious. Not only does literature bring ample evidence that ' types ' 

 have been subsequently made, but a mistake in labelling, a changing of 

 the label may not infrequently occur, and has often occurred as the 

 result of accident. We may go further, and say that a description 

 must tolerably well conform to the appearance and character of the 

 specimen to be accepted as having been drawn up from it." In the 

 Introduction to Vol. IV. of my British Noctticc and their Varieties, I 

 have discussed at length what appears to me the proper usage of 

 " types," and if Mr. Dale will only do me the honour to read what I 

 have written thereon, and tell me wherein my opinions differ from his 

 own, I shall be very pleased to discuss the matter with him. — J. W. 

 Tutt, Westcombe Hill, S.E., May 18th, 1894. 



