THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



17 



Moseley, a case illustrating the life-history of the Hessian Fly (Cecidomyia 

 destructor), with examples of infected straw ; and on behalf of Mr. Bignell, 

 a case of British galls with gall flies, and contributed notes. Mr, Fenn, on 

 behalf of Mr. T. D. A. Cockerell, caddis cases {Eelicopsyclie sp. ?), a genus 

 of Trichoptera, from Divide Creek, Garfield Co., Colorado, which very closely 

 resemble the shells of the genus Valvata. Mr. R. Adkin exhibited series 

 of Spilosoma mendica, including males varying in colour from creamy- 

 white to smoky-brown, and females of the usual white form bred from ova 

 from Co. Cork ; males of the creamy- white shade, taken at light at Antrim ; 

 and bred males and females of the usual English type, for comparison ; and 

 remarked that the light-coloured males were the var. rustica, Hub., that it 

 had been taken both in the north and extreme south of Ireland, but that he 

 had no definite record of it from the central or western districts, and that it 

 appeared to be very doubtful whether the usual smoky-black form of the 

 male occurs at all in that country. Mr. West, of Streatham, exhibited speci- 

 mens of Locustidte, from Switzerland. 



December 8th, 1887.— The President in the chair. Messrs. W. White, 

 F.E.S., A. J. Hodges, T. H. Leach, F.L.S., F.Z.S., G. BP Verrall, F.E.S., 

 F. Grut, F.L.S., F.E.S., F. J. Winkley, A. Waterhouse, H. A Yardley, 

 and G. B. Routlidge, were elected members. Mr. Sheldon exhibited 

 examples of the spring and summer broods of Scoparia angudea, and called 

 attention to the larger size of the summer brood, which led to a considerable 

 discussion, in which Messrs. Jenner Weir, Carrington, Tutt, and others 

 took part. Mr. Ince, a comparative series of Nepa cinerea, and remarked 

 on the colour of the abdomen ranging from red in some specimens to black 

 in others. Mr. Tutt, examples of micro-lepidoptera, shewing the system of 

 setting specimens unpinned, as advocated by Mr. G. Coverdale some time 

 ago. Mr. Fenn read notes received from Mr. T. D. A. Cockerall on a case 

 of mimicry between Vanessa antiopa, and a species of Locustida, observed 

 by him in the Colerado Rocky Mountain region. — H. W. Barker, Hon. Sec. 



CLYDESDALE NATURALISTS' SOCIETY. 



The usual monthly meeting of this society was held at 207, Bath Street, 

 Glasgow, on Wednesday evening, 21st December, 1887. Mr. T. J. Hen- 

 derson, president, in the chair. Mr. John Young, F.G.S., exhibited type 

 specimens of a new fossil sponge, Tholiasierella crassa (Hinde), the spicules 

 of which were first observed at Crawfield Quarry, near Beith, where they 

 were brought to view by the softer stone surrounding them wearing away by 

 the action of the weather. Since the remains of silacious spicules of carboni- 

 ferous sponges were first discovered in Ayrshire some twelve years ago, no 



