Reports of Societies. 



87 



Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society. — Meeting, 

 Oct. 31st, the president (S. J. Capper) in the chair. — The Rev. H. H. 

 Higgins read a paper entitled Butterfly Life before Leaving the Egg," 

 in which he described the changes which take place in the ovum, which 

 result in the development of the larvs© — dwelling on the marvellous 

 power which causes an egg to produce a being similar only to its parent, 

 although under the highest power of the microscope no structural 

 difierence can be detected between the egg of a butterfly and that of any 

 other animated being. Mr. R. Wilding read a paper on "A Week's 

 Insect-collecting in the Vicinity of Preston," in which, after referring to 

 the history of the village of Hoole, he recounted his entomological 

 exploits by the banks of the river Douglas and on Hoole Moss, illustra- 

 ting his paper with his captures. During the conversazione the Rev. 

 H. H. Higgins exhibited the collection of insects made during the 

 "Argo" expedition to the West Indies, and oflered some remarks on 

 them. Mr. Sang, of Darlington, exhibited Nonagria sparganii, varieties 

 of A. grossnlariata, a gynandromorphous variety of L. Alexis, &c. ; also 

 a collection of coloured drawings by himself of 583 species of micro- 

 lepidoptera. Mr. Shnttleworth (Preston), a specimen of Apatura Ilia, 

 captured near Pinnar ; a specimen of C. fraxini from Southampton, &c. 

 Mr. N. Cooke, varieties of H. humuli, D. conspersa, G. ohscurata, C. 

 hilineata, &c., from the Hebrides. The president, a box of exotic 

 lepidoptera. Mr, J. Wall, living specimens under the microscope of 

 Acari, obtained from a beer barrel. 



Leeds Naturalists' Club and Scientific Association. —Meeting, 

 Oct. 4th, the president (Mr. V/. Barwell Turner, F.C.S., F.R.M.S.) in 

 the chair. — Mr. Wm. Nelson showed some fine specimens of the variety 

 alhina of Pupa marginata, from Cleeve Priors, in Worcestershire, 

 remarking that it is very rare, and but seldom seen by conchologists ; 

 whilst the president exhibited a series of wood sections, amongst them 

 being Zea mays, Zamia tridentata, Passiflora coerulea, Bamhusa orientalis, 

 and Notochloena Imvis. Mr. W. Denison Roebuck, a number of diagrams 

 which were sent for the recent Fungus Show. Other interesting objects 

 were shown by Messrs. F. Emsley, W. B. Russell, and J. Ladmore. 



Meeting Oct. 11th, the president in the chair. Mr. Samuel Drew, 

 F.R.S. Edin., of Sheffield, delivered a very interesting and instructive 

 lecture on "The Senses and Consciousness of Animals." 



Meeting Oct. 18th, the president in the chair. — Mr. Percy Alexander 

 showed berries of the buckthorn (Rhamnus cathariicus) and of the spindle 

 tree {Euonym,us Europo&us) from Grange-over-Sand ; Mr. W. Raine, eggs 

 of the cuckoo {Cnculus canorus) from the nests of meadow pipits ; Mr. J. 

 Grassham, eggs of the osprey {Fandion halia-.tus), and of the peregrine 

 falcon (^'a?co peregrinus). Mr. C. Smethurst brought a specimen of 

 Sphinx convolvuli, which had been captured in a garden near Burley 

 Church, about three weeks previously. Mr. H. Pollard exhibited a 



