216 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



the food-plant of the species belonged— -was not a native of Scotland, some 

 species had been introduced, and were cutivated in gardens. 



Mr. South exhibited an interesting series of about 150 specimens of Boar- 

 ynia repandata, bred in 1876, and during the present year, from larvse col- 

 lected on bilberry in the neighbourhood of Lynmouth, North Devon, including 

 strongly marked examples of the typical form, extreme forms of the var. 

 conversaria, Hiib., a form intermediate between the type and the variety last 

 named, and examples of the var. destrigaria, Steph. Mr. South said that an 

 examination of the entire series would show that the extreme forms were con- 

 nected with the type by intermediate forms and their aberrations. 



Mr. Poulton exhibited young larvse of Apatura iris, from the New Forest ; 

 also eight young larvge of Sphinx convolvuli reared from ova laid on the 29th 

 August last by a specimen captured by Mr. Pode in South Devon. Mr. 

 Poulton said the life-history of the species was of extreme interest, throwing 

 much light upon that of Sphinx ligustri, as well as upon difficult points in 

 the ontogeny of the species of the allied genera Acherontia and Smerinthus. 



Mr. Stainton commented on the interesting nature of the exhibition, and 

 said he was not aware that the larvse of Sphinx convolvuli had ever before 

 been seen in this country in their early stages. 



Mr. M'Lachlan remarked that females of this species captured on former 

 occasions, when the insect had been unusually abundant, had been found 

 upon dissection to have the ovaries aborted. 



Mr. E. W. Lloyd exhibited two specimens of Elater pomonce, and one of 

 Mesosa nubila, recently taken in the New Forest. 



Mr. Porrit exhibited a series of melanic varieties of Diurnea fagella, from 

 Huddersfield, and stated that the typical pale form of the species had almost 

 disappeared from that neighbourhood. 



My. Goss exhibited, for Mr. J. Brown, of Cambridge, a number of puparia 

 of Cecidomyia destructor (Hessian Fly), received by the latter from various 

 places in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Wiltshire. He also exhibited 

 a living larva of Cephus pygmceus, Lat. (the Corn Sawfly), which had been 

 sent to Mr. Brown from Swaffham prior, Cambridgeshire, where, as well as 

 in Burwell Fen, it was stated to have been doing considerable damage to 

 wheat crops. 



Mr. Yerrall, in reply to a question by Mr. Enock, said he believed that the 

 Hessian Fly was not a recent introduction in Great Britain, but had been 

 here probably for a great number of years. In reply to a further question, 

 he admitted that he was unable to refer to any but recent records of its cap- 

 ture. 



Prof. Riley said he was unable to agree with Mr, Yerrall, and was of 



