THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



47 



the species, At the close of the paper an interesting discussion took place. 

 Mr. Tugwell said that some years ago he had taken A. cratcegi, at Heme, 

 a village near Heme Bay. Mr. Chaney stated that A. cratcegi was at one 

 time very abundant near Rochester, and in fact all over the Hundred of 

 Hoo, but disappeared about the vear 1871. Leucophasia sinapis, used also 

 to be abundant in a wood the other side of Chatham, but after the year 1856 

 it gradually became scarcer and scarcer, and about 1858 or 1859 disappeared 

 altogether. Mr. Carrington remarked that there was a general scarcity of 

 butterflies all over the country, and this he attributed to the severe winter of 

 1858 or 1859. Messrs. Tutt, Frohawk, Sheldon, Rendall, and others, con- 

 tinued the discussion. 



February IMh. — R. Adkin, Esq., E.E.S., President, in the chair. Messrs. 

 H. Collings and L. F. Hill were elected members. Mr. Stevens exhibited a 

 remarkable variety of Vanessa atalanta, and a suffused variety of V. io. Mr. 

 R. Adkin, Spilonata incarnatana, Hub., bred from larvae found in shoots 

 of Rosa rubiginosa, in the heart of Surrey, 40 miles from the coast. Mr. C. 

 A. Briggs, a large number of Lyccena corydon, including dwarfed forms, blue 

 and brown forms of the female, varieties with the spots absent from the 

 underside, or in excess of the usual number and running into streaks. Mr. 

 R. South, species of British and Foreign Lyccenidce, and contributed notes, 

 calling particular attention to a variety of L. corydon from Asia Minor, which 

 as far as he could remember were similar to the varieties exhibited by Mr. 

 Sabine, at the Society's meeting on 7th October, 1886, who had stated that 

 he had seen L. adonis (bellargus) and L. corydon in copula. This Mr. South 

 said was quite possible, and he was of opinion that this variety was hybrid be- 

 tween the two species referred to. Mr. Hall remarked that he had had an 

 opportunity of examining Mr. Sabine's varieties, and thought they were very 

 similar to the variety now exhibited. Mr. South added that if this was so it 

 could be safely assumed that Mr. Sabine's specimens were the variety polona 

 of adonis [bellargus), and were undoubtedly hybrid between corydon and adonis 

 (bellargus). Mr. Tutt observed that he thought the specimen referred to was 

 simply a local form of corydon. Mr. E, Joy exhibited lepidoptera from the New 

 Forest. Mr. Kelsall exhibited a living specimen of the Black Rat (Mus rat- 

 tus), and made some observations upon hi* exhibit. Mr. Cockerill exhibited 

 two species of Mollusca — Succinea pfeifferi, Rossm., and Cochlicopa lubrica, 

 Mill. — from Canada, and said the two species were also to be found abundantly 

 about London and throughout Europe. Mr. Cooper mentioned that he had just 

 received a specimen of the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) , shot at Bran- 

 don in Essex. Mr. J. T. Carrington contributed a paper " Hibernation and 

 Estivation/' which was followed by a discussion. — H. W. Barber, Hon. Sec. 



