THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



15 



CITY OF LONDON ENTOMOLOGICAL AND NATURAL 

 HISTORY SOCIETY. 



A very fair muster of members took place on the 1st December, 1887, and 

 exhibits were numerous considering the time of year. The various species of 

 the genus Hibernia occurring in the autumn, were shewn by several members 

 and from all accounts appear to have been as numerous as ever in the vicinity 

 of London. Some variations of the common Ermines (A. litbricepeda and 

 menthastri) , and also some of A. grossulariata, were in Mr. Thompson's box. 

 Mr. Biggs shewed some interesting species captured in the vicinity of Monte 

 Video, and a large Sphinx taken many hundred miles from land in the Pacific- 

 Mr. Clark contributed some enormous specimens of the common house-spider, 

 and Mr. Eedle shewed an albino specimen of the Siskin, captured at Brox- 

 bourne. Mr. Eedle further reported that a specimen of the Fork-tailed Petrel 

 had been shot at Leigh, in Essex. 



It being the annual meeting, the Vice-president, in the absence of the 

 President, read a short address, after which the Treasurer and Secretaries read 

 their reports, which were very satisfactory. The election of officers was then 

 proceeded with, and all the officers were re-elected. A vote of thanks con- 

 cluded the proceedings. 



At the following meeting, Mr. Allbuary exhibited a nice series of A. ulmata 

 captured in Kent. Mr. Cripps, on behalf of the coleopterists, excited much 

 admiration by his beautiful exhibit of the brilliant little Lema melanopa, cap- 

 tured at the rather uninteresting locality of Rainham. Mr. Hillman made a 

 very interesting exhibit with a selection of British shells, including the genus 

 Helix with hybrids. A selection of these he presented to the Society, and in 

 doing so made some remarks on the importance of the science of conchology, 

 not only as collections of shells, but on account of the interesting habits of 

 many of the species when alive. In the course of his remarks he also com- 

 mented on the absence of true knowledge respecting the earlier stages of many 

 of the Pkryganida, and suggested making up a dredging party for the pur- 

 pose of working out some of the problems of pond life. 



With reference to the white siskin exhibited at the previous meeting, Mr. 

 Hillman mentioned the capture of a white red- pole (Linaria minor), and a 

 white skylark (Alanda arvensis), at the Wormwood Scrubs, and a speckled 

 specimen of the blackbird (Turdus verula), the latter of which he promised 

 to exhibit at a subsequent meeting. 



Mr. Clark then read a paper on the leaf-cutting or upholsterer bee {Mega- 

 chile centuncularis) , giving the life-history of this very interesting species, 

 together with a detailed account of their curious constructions. The paper 

 was supplemented by examples of the cells, dissected and mounted in a very 



