176 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



[July 



Tring, were elected Fellows of the Society. Mr. W. F. H. Blandford exhibited a series 

 of eleven male specimens of Rliina barbirostris from British Honduras, of which the 

 largest and smallest examples measure respectively 60 and 17 mm. The difference in 

 bulk, supposing the proportions to be identical, is as 43 to 1. He remarked that this 

 variation of the -size is especially common in the Brenthidce, Cossonidcs, and other wood- 

 boring Coleoptera. The President. Dr. Sharp, the Rev. Canon Fowler, Mr. Jacoby, the 

 Hon. Walter Rothschild, Mr. Merrifield, and Mr. Champion took part in the discussion 

 which ensued. Mr. A. J. Chitty exhibited specimens of Cardiophorus eqniseti, taken near 

 Braunton, on the north coast of Devon, in May, 1891. Mr. Champion and Mr. Blandford 

 made some remarks on the species. Mr. McLachlan exhibited for Mr. J. W. Douglas, 

 male specimens of a Coccid (Lecanium prunastri), bred from scales attached to shoots of 

 blackthorn {Primus spinosa), received from Herr Kael Sulc, of Prague. Mr. Douglas, 

 communicated notes on the subject, in which he stated that the species was common on 

 blackthorn in France and Germany, and should be found in Britain. Lord Walsingham 

 exhibited a series of Caccecia podana, Scop., reared from larvae feeding on Lapageria and 

 palms in Messrs Veitch's conservatories in King's Road. Chelsea, including some very dark 

 (melanic) varieties. The Hon. Walter Rothschild stated that he had taken the species on 

 lime. Mr. Hampson and Mr. Tutt also made some remarks on the habits of the species. 

 Mr. C. Fenn exhibited a long; series of Selenia lunaria, bred from one batch of egors, and 

 included both the spring and the summer forms ; and also two unforced specimens, which 

 emerged in November. He remarked that the variation between the two emergences, 

 viz., spring and summer, is considerable, and also the range of variation inter se, especially 

 in the spring form ; but it is very remarkable that the summer form has one or two 

 representatives among the specimens of the spring emergence. He said that the parent 

 female was taken at Bexley in May, 1893. M>- F. Lovell Keays exhibited, on behalf of 

 Mr. Arthur Lovell Keays, a variety of L. Alexsis (female), having the marginal ocelli on 

 the hind wings entirely without the usual orange-coloured lunules. The specimen was 

 captured at Caterham. on May 22nd, 1894, and was the first example of the species 

 observed by the captor this season. Mr. Barrett made some remarks on the specimen. 

 Mr. J. H. Durant exhibited a series of Steganoptycha pygmcsana, Hb., taken at Merton, 

 Norfolk, between the 25th March and the middle of April last. Lord Walsingham made 

 some remarks on the species. Mr. H. Goss read an extract from a report by Mr. J. R. 

 Preece, H.M. Consul at Ispahan, to the Foreign Office, on the subject of damage caused 

 to the wheat crop in the district of Rafsinjan by an insect which was called " Sen" by 

 the natives, and which he described as <; like a flying bug, reddish olive in colour, with 

 heavy, broad shoulders." Mr. Goss said he had been asked by Mr. W. H. Preece, C.B., 

 to ascertain, if possible, the name of the species known to the natives as "Sen." Dr. 

 Sharp said that in the absence of a specimen of the insect it was impossible to express an 

 opinion as to the identity of the species. The Rev. Canon Fowler exhibited, for Miss 

 Ormerod, specimens of Diloboderus abderus, Sturm, Eucranium arachnoides, Brull., and 

 Jl/egathopa violacea, Blanch., which she had received from the La Plata district of the 

 Argentine Territories, where they were said to be damaging the grass crops. He also 

 read notes from Miss Ormerod on the subject. Mr. Hampson raised an important point 

 as to what was the legal '"date of publication" of Part I. of the Transactions of the 

 Society, 1894. He pointed out that the question of the priority of the names of certain 

 new species described therein would depend upon the date of publication. A long 

 discussion then ensued, in which. Dr. Sharp, the Hon. W. Rothschild, Mr. Goss, 

 Mr. McLachlan, Lord Walsingham, Professor Poulton, and Mr. Verrall took part. 

 Professor Franz Klapalek, of Prague, communicated a paper entitled " Descriptions of a 

 new species of Raphidia, L., and of three new species of Trlcoptcra, from the Balkan 

 Peninsula, with critical remarks on Panorpa gibberosa. McLach." Lord Walsingham, 

 ex-President and V.-P., then took the chair, and a Special General Meeting, convened under 

 Chap. XVIII. of the Bye-laws, was held. — H. Goss and W. W. Fowler, Hon. Sees. 



