5o 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



[MahciI 



Just as many introduced plants, can and do exist in England, but from 

 the climate fail to produce seed. So too Deilephila gain fails to hold 

 its place as a regular British resident and from climatic reasons oniy. 



6, Lewisham Road, Greenwich. 



REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 



February 5th, 1893— The Right Hon. Lord Walsingham, M.A., F.R.S., President 

 in the chair. 



Tee President announced that he had nomiuated Mr. J. \V. Dunning, M.A., 

 F.L.S., Captain H.J.Elwes, F.L.S., and Mr. Frederick DuCane Godman, M.A. 

 F.R.S., Vice-Presidents for the Session 1890 — 1891. 



Mr. B. A. Bristow, of Champion Hill, S.E. ; Mr. J. E. Eastwood, of Whitley, 

 Surrey ; Mr. Albert B. Farn, of Stone, Greenhithe, Kent ; and Mr. O. Goldthwaite, 

 of Leyton, Essex, were elected Fellows ; and Mr. R. S. Standen was admitted into 

 the Society. 



Mr. F. D. Godman exhibited a specimen of Papilio thoas, from Alamos, in the 

 State of Genora, Mexico, showing an aberration in the left hind wing. Mr. R. Trimen 

 remarked that butterflies of the genus Papilio were seldom liable to variation. 



Mr. Charles G. Barrett exhibited a series of specimens of Phycis subovnatella, Dup., 

 from Pembroke, the east and west of Ireland, the Isle of Man, and Perthshire ; and 

 a series of Phycis adornatella, Tr., from Box Hill, Folkestone, Norfolk, and Reading ; 

 also a number of forms intermediate between the above, taken in the Isle of Portland 

 by Mr. N. M. Richardson. He said that these forms proved the identity of the two 

 Supposed species, which he believed were both referable to P. dilutella, Hb. He also 

 exhibited specimens of Hesperia lineola, and a pale variety of it taken in Cambridge- 

 shire by Mr. H. W. Vivian : specimens of Epischnia bankesiella, a recently-described 

 species, taken by Mr. N. M. Richardson in Portland ; and a specimen of Retinia 

 margarotana, H.-S., a species new to Britain, discovered in Mr. Hodgkinson's collec- 

 tion amongst a number of Retinia pinivorana which had been collected in Scotland. 



Mr. W. H. B. Fletcher showed a series of Gelechia fumatella from sandhills in 

 Hayling Island and near Littlehampton, and, for comparison, a series G. distinctella, 

 from the same place. He also showed a few bred specimens of G. ter rella, and a series 

 of preserved larva?. He stated that on the downs the larva? live in the middle of the 

 tufts of such grasses as Festuca ovina and allied species, and that on sand-hills where 

 herbage is more sparse, they make silken galleries under stones, and sally forth to eat 

 blades of grass growing near their homes. 



Mr. H. Goss read a communication from Dr. Clemow, of Cronstadt, St. Peters- 

 burg, on the subject of the coincidence of vast flights and blights of insects during the 

 years 1757, 1763, 1782, 1783, 1836 and 1847, and the epidemic of influenza, During 

 the year 1889 no unusual activity in the insect world has been recorded. Mr. H. T. 

 Stainton and Mr. M'Lachlan made some remarks on the subject, the purport of which 

 was that there was no connection between epidemics and the occurrence of swarms 

 of insects. 



