eaminla and <poraria, from Raeni Island, Queensland, and llycilinia 
tflabra, known by its small umbilicus, from the Lea valley. 
Jamaican Pykalidae.— Mr. W. J. Kaye, a box of Jamaican Pyra- 
lidae, collected by himself in August, 1898. 
Spilosoma lubricipeda.— Mr. H. Massey had most kindly forwarded 
from Manchester his drawer of Spilosoma lubricipeda, bred from wild 
larvae from York and Manchester, including the vars. eboraci and 
fasciata (from Yorkshire larvae only). Mr. A. W. Mera also brought 
up drawers of this insect showing the type, and vars. fasciata and 
radiata, to illustrate his paper of the evening. 
Chariclea umbra.— Mr. Bell exhibited a series of Charivlea umbra, 
from the Isle of Wight. When captured bright green “spikes” could be 
noticed on their heads, but were now withered. Mr. C. Nicholson, on 
examining these, said they were pollinia of orchids, and showed the 
Howers which these insects had been visiting. 
Hawthorn in bloom and spring butterflies.— Mr. Jennings said 
the hawthorn at Edmonton, referred to by him at the last meeting, 
was now showing dower buds, with one actually in bloom. Mr. 
Donisthorpe had seen (-ronopteri/.r rhamni dying at Chiddingfold, 
Surrey, on the 17th inst. 
Spilosoma lubricipeda.— Mr. A. W. Mera read a paper on “ Notes on 
Spilosoma lubricipeda ” (printed in Transactions). A long discussion fol¬ 
lowed, justifying Mr. Prout’s remarks about the advantage of having a 
paper on an insect well known to all members. Rev. G. H. Raynor asked 
what was the food-plant of var. radiata from York. In Lincolnshire 
that of lubricipeda was the elder, which had the tendency to produce 
dark forms. Mr. Dadd proposed a vote of thanks, and spoke about 
the fact of lubricipeda swarming on elders. He asked if radiata was 
the only form in Heligoland, and was informed it was the type there. 
Rev. G. H. Raynor, in seconding the vote, said his and the lecturer’s 
experiences did not correspond in two matters. A second brood of 
lubricipeda was never reared at Maldon, and he found eggs from pair¬ 
ings always hatched. Mr. Bacot found that it would feed on Virginia 
creeper and scarlet runner beans. He regretted no statistics of the 
broods were available with Rev. G. H. Raynor’s fine exhibits. Mr. 
Nicholson could speak to ivy, ferns, Japanese anemone and chrysan¬ 
themums being eaten by the larva of this insect, and wondered what it 
would not eat in the London district. Mr. Dadd cited nasturtium as 
being unpalatable. Mr. Tutt regretted that the scientific value of all the 
Rev.°G. H. Raynor’s trouble was practically lost by not keeping the 
series separate and preserving parents of each brood. He threw strong 
doubts on the British origin of the very first Yorkshire parents from 
which have been bred most of the var. radiata in the English cabinets. 
He understood that the British lubricipeda type was unknown in 
Heligoland, where the dark form only was reported to occur. A wild 
form" or race on the Lincolnshire coast will produce dark radiata forms 
if inbred and taken care of artificially, but dark forms are not found 
naturally in any numbers. In Heligoland Nature had apparently 
preserved the race by what breeders try for, isolation. If it is only a 
question of moisture or wet climate, why are the Irish and west of 
England specimens so buff? Food can affect the imago in other 
directions than size. A succulent and abundant diet will alter the 
size, but indirectly food might also alter the scales, the last outcome 
