Repoets of Societies. 



61 



Lattcashire and Cheshire Entomological Society — Monthly 

 meeting, Sept. 25th, in the Free Library, the president (Mr. S.J. Capper) 

 in the chair. — Mr. Benjamin Cooke, of Southport, read a paper on 



Classification," as applied to British insects. He recommended the 

 adoption of a system of arrangement based on the character of the 

 metamorphosis undergone in the earlier stages, as preferable to a system 

 founded on the structure of the perfect insect only. Mr. Cooke also 

 considered that in each order the carnivorous species should take prece- 

 dence, on account of the greater amount of differentiation in the organs 

 of the mouth. During the conversazione which followed the meeting, Mr. 

 Cooke exhibited specimens of Rhyssa pursuasoria, from the New Forest, 

 Hampshire; Mr. Walker, preserved larvae of Agrotis Ashworthii ; and 

 Mr. J. Wall (under the microscope), specimens of the house-fly infested 

 with parasites. 



Manchester Cryptogamic Society. — Monthly meeting, Sept. 13th, 

 Captain Cunliffe presiding.— Several of the members had recently made 

 excursions to the Breadalbane mountains, and exhibited some of the 

 rarities brought home from that district ; Mr. Squire Ashton showed 

 specimens of Timmia, Ulota Ludwigii, and Hypnum Oakesii ; Captain 

 Cunliffe, specimens of Orthothecium rufescens, Uicranella squarrosa, and 

 Siylostegium ccespiticium. All the parties had found the beautiful Hypnum 

 crista-castrenses fruiting more abundantly this year than had hitherto been 

 seen, and Mr. Aslitun had very kindly made up a few packets for dis- 

 tribution. Mr. Wm. Horsfall contributed freshly gathered specimens of 

 Cryphcea heteroma^la from Tenby. Mr. H. Boswell, of Oxford, sent 

 specimens of a Sphagnnm new to Britain, which he had discovered at 

 Whitchurch, Salop. It had hitherto been found only in America, where 

 it is known as Sphagnum Torreyanum (Sullv.) Mr. Boswell also sent 

 specimens of Sphagnum intermedium, var. pulchrum (one of the prettiest 

 of the bog mosses), from the same locality, and Tortula princeps from 

 Blair Athol. The hon. sec. exhibited several species of frondose hepatics 

 from Southport, the Pallavicinia hibernica being remarkable for its 

 strongly pungent odour when dry. — Thos. Rogers, Hon. Sec. 



Meeting, October 11th, Capt. Cunliffe in the chair. — Mr. James Cash 

 exhibited and distributed specimens of a moss which he had collected on 

 Meal Tarmechan, during an excursion to the Highlands in company of 

 the vice-president, in September last, and which he had now determined 

 by microscopical examination to be the rare Myurella apicidata. Mr. 

 Cash also exhibited a few interesting mosses he had gathered in Mont- 

 gomery during the present month (October), Sderopodium ccespitosum. 

 Myrinia pxdvinata, and Tortula latifolia being amongst the number. The 

 two latter species are new records for that district. Mr. W. H. Pearson, 

 specimens of the new hepatics described by Dr. Spruce in his recent 

 memoir on the Cephalozioe, namely, Cephalozia leucantha, (Spruce) 

 collected by Mr. Sim near Banchory, Scotland, and C. oeraria (Pearson) 

 from the mouth of an old copper mine near Tyn-y-groes, N. Wales ; also 

 the following : — Jung. Helleriana, Nees, a species new to Britain, 



