Reports of Societies. 



151 



Hull Field ^^'aturalists' Society, — Meeting 6th March.— Mr, Slater 

 showed a male blackbird of last year, recently shot at Sutton, near Hull, 

 the entire plumage dark mottled slate grey, lightest on the head, throat, 

 and rump. A member read a interesting paper on the birds observed in 

 East Holderness. 



Meeting Mar. 20th. — Mr. Dobree showed dark specimens of TJiyatira 

 hatis, from the Amur river, and also a new variety of the same species 

 from the same district, which has received the name of Derasoides ; also 

 Fetasia nubeculosa, from Northern Russia, of a light grey, and Calocampa 

 exoleta, from Russian Turkestan, of a slate grey. He also reported 

 having taken Brephos parthenias in Houghton Woods on the lltli March. 

 Mr. J. Swailes read notes on an ornithological tour in West Sutherland- 

 shire, which were of much interest. — JS. F. Dobree, Pres. 



Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society. — Monthly 

 meeting, February 27th, the president, Mr. S. J, Capper, in the chair. 

 Mr. Benjamin Cooke, of Southport, read a paper on ''Abundance and 

 Scarcity in Insect Life," in which he alluded to several of the known 

 causes which resulted in insects being more or less abundant in some 

 seasons than in others, the former being especially the case in dry 

 seasons. He recommended more extended observations of meteorological 

 conditions with reference to insect life as a means of gaining more informa- 

 tion of the causes of their abundance and scarcity. Mr. Walker of 

 Chester, during a discussion which followed the paper, stated the curious 

 fact that, throughout Europe, the drier the climate the greater was the 

 number of species of lej^idoptera, and even in England the north-east or 

 dry side of the island was more productive of butterflies than the south- 

 west, or moist side. 



Manchester Cryptogamic Society. — Captain Cunliffe, F.R.M.S., 

 who occupied the chair, exhibited varieties of Distichium capillaceum, and 

 Grimmia apocarpa as well as a series of microscopic mounts of species of 

 the genus Andresea collected during the recent Scotch excursion, but 

 which had not been fully determined. Mr. J. Cash undertook their 

 further examination . Mr. Stanley exhibited a series of slides of Hepaticse 

 mounted for microscopical investigation. Mr. W. H. Pearson made a 

 few remarks on one of the forms of Lophocolea hidentata which had been 

 raised to the rank of a species by Limpricht under the name of Lop>liocolta 

 cnspidata. It is distinguished from the typical form in addition to other 

 characters by being monoicous. Dr. Carrington and Prof. Lindberg 

 record it from Ireland, Mr. G. Davis from the south of England, Mr. Wild 

 from Stumps Wood, and Mr. W. H. Pearson from Bettwys-y-coed. 

 It is probably commonly distributed and many of the species are 

 peculiar in having a strong aromatic smell. — Thomas Rogers, Hon. 

 Sec. 



