72 
THE entomologist’s RECORD. 
the memorial which, on behalf of the Society, had been submitted to 
the Postmaster-General, asking that small parcels containing scientific 
specimens might be sent to places abroad at the reduced rate of postage 
applicable to packets of bona fide trade patterns and samples. The 
letter intimated that, so far as the English Post Office was concerned, 
scientific specimens sent by sample post to places abroad would not be 
stopped in future. — H. Goss, Hon. Secretary. 
South London Entomological Society. — May i^th, 1891. — 
Mr. Jager exhibited living larvae of Callimorpha hera from ova laid 
by a female captured in Devon. Mr. Frohawk, a variety of Euchloe 
cardamines ^ . Mr. W. H. Tugwell, a series of bred Lobophora 
viretata, and on behalf of Mr. J. E. Robson, a most interesting box 
of insects, containing amongst others a suffused variety of Abraxas 
iilmata, a variety of the same species resembling A. paniaria in the 
absence of the spots a hybrid Smerint/ms ocellatus-populi., a re- 
markable underside of Vanessa atalanta., fine varieties of Lyc(zna 
alexis, Vanessa urticcE and many others ; whilst on behalf of Mr. 
Collins of Warrington, the black var. of Aplecta nebulosa {Ent. Rec., 
i., p. 241), and Leucatiia lithargyria var. marginata {Ent. Rec.., i., 
p. 242) were exhibited. Mr. Fenn exhibited a strange moorland 
form of a Tortrix which Mr. C. G. Barrett referred to T. costana. 
Mr. Adkin exhibited a fine series of varieties of Noctiia festiva, from 
Forres, N. Wales, Kent, etc., some of the bright red forms being 
particularly striking. Mr. Carrington considered that certain speci- 
mens of the so-called var. conflua sat on the sugar differently to 
typical f estiva., and that there might be an undetected species among 
them. Mr. Merrifield’s remarks on the effect of temperature on the 
coloration of Sele?iia illustraria and Ennojnos autumjiaria^ as 
published in the Trans. Ent. Soc. Ldnd.., were read, Mr. C. G. 
Barrett making some comments thereon. Mr. Tutt then gave a 
short lecture on “ Reproduction and Parthenogenesis.” He ex- 
plained first of all the methods of asexual reproduction by fission, 
gemmation and ency station in monads, the Amceba., and Vorticella ; 
showed how both asexual and sexual reproduction occurred in Hydra., 
the former by gemmation and by artificial subdivision, the latter by 
the development of spermatozoa and ova. The reproduction of the 
common earthworm was considered, its hermaphroditism and method 
of copulation explained, showing how by the arrangement of the 
spermathecae and male genital pores common fertilisation was effected. 
The sexual reproduction of the cockroach was then considered, and 
lastly, that of insects generally. 
Referring to the asexual reproduction due to gemmation, the 
well-known parthenogenetic reproduction in Aphis was compared 
with that in Hydra, and the daughter-cells, produced all the summer 
in the former, were looked upon as a specialised form of gemmation, 
whilst the normal sexual reproduction appeared similar in both cases, 
excepting that Hydra was hermaphrodite, whilst Aphis had distinct 
sexes. Parthenogenesis and its influence on the sexes of bees was 
then mentioned, and the probability of parthenogenesis occurring in 
insects was discussed, with references to cases which seem beyond 
dispute. A discussion followed in which Messrs. Tugwell, C. G. 
Barrett and J. T. Carrington took part. — Ed. 
