1890. 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



139 



remarks on the way the eggs were deposited. Mr. Frohawk, also showed a micro- 

 scopical drawing of the ova of the same species and a coloured drawing of a small 

 plant of Buckthorn about three inches in size, upon which he had found 7 ova. 

 Mr. Nussey exhibited living larva of Geometra papilionaria. Mr. C. Fenn, a very long 

 series of Saturnia pavonia, reared from eggs obtained by a female captured at Bourne- 

 mouth, the specimens were exceptionally large and the males very brilliant coloured. 

 He also showed long series of both sexes of Spilosoma mcndica, which he stated were 

 reared by him from ova obtained from a female taken at Eltham, the larvae being fed 

 on the common broad leaved plantain ; 42 imagines were bred, 21 <? and 22 ? . The 

 females varied little from the ordinary type, with one exception, which was curiously 

 blotched with dark gray on the left superior wing — the males varied from the usual 

 English type to a dull pale yellowish gray and quite 50 per cent diverged more or less 

 from the usual form. The pupae had been exposed to the weather in a very cold and 

 damp spot which he thought rather bore out Mr. Tutt's theory that moisture is the 

 cause of melanism or colour variation. Mr. R. Adkin remarked thai these specimens 

 showed more variation than was usually found in specimens of this species from 

 English localities, and asked whether anything was known of the male parent and 

 whether the female differed from the type. In answer Mr. Fenn said he knew nothing 

 of the male, and there was nothing special about the markings of female parent. 

 Mr. Tutt pointed out that the variation in the male was somewhat similar to the Irish 

 form known as var. rustica. 



Mr. Carrington exhibited among others, specimens of the Birds-nest Orchis 

 (Neottia nidus-avis) from Mickleham, and Mr. Step supplemented his remarks thereon 

 by explaining the process by which cross fertilization was effected. 



June 12th, 1890. — The President in the chair. Messrs. B. G. Rye, of Putney, 

 H. McArthur, of Brompton, and A. Ward, of Brighton, were elected members. Mr. 

 Wellman exhibited Acronycta strigosa, bred from pupae received from Cambridge, 

 Nemeobius lucina, bred from ova, and Eupithesia venosata, which had been two years in 

 pupae, and were received from the Isle of Man. Mr. Nussey, Acronycta myrica, from 

 Rannoch. Mr. F. Warne Nemeobius lucina, Macroglossa fuciformis, &c, from Horsley. 

 Mr. Robson a banded variety of Ephyra punctaria. Mr. Tugwell Nemoria viridata, and 

 a prettily marked male resembling the Rannoch form of Biston hirtaria. Mr. R. 

 Adkin, small and brightly marked specimens of Herbula cespitalis, from the Lands End 

 on behalf of Mrs. Hutchinson, also larvae of Larentia casiata, from the Grampian Hills 

 feeding on heather, and cases and imagines of Psyche villosella 



Mr. Tugwell, a bunch of Butterfly Orchis, Habenaria bifolia, received from Mr. L. 

 Gibb, and remarked on its beautiful fragrance, especially at night, there were generally 

 supposed to be two species of this Orchis growing in this country, the small one ex- 

 hibited, and the other growing from 18 inches to 2 feet in height. Mr. Step said that 

 fertilization of the species shewn was undertaken by certain moths, and Mr. Tugwell 

 said he had moths in his collection with pollen masses adhering. Mr. Carrington 

 observed that it was generally supposed that to transplant Orchids successfully was 

 a difficult matter, he had this year transplanted some numbers of six different species, 

 and all flowered and showed every sign of doing well. — H. W. Barker, Hon. Sec. 



\ 



