THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION.— September 9, 1866. 415 
which he had from Dareuth, ou blades of grass 
(Luzula sp. ?). 
Mr. Green exhibited Oleora lichenaria, a rare Moth, 
reared from larvae feeding upon an orange-coloured 
Licben. 
Mr. G. Stevens exhibited the chrysalis of Macroglossa 
stellatarum, the Humming-bird Hawk Moth, and Agrotis 
Ashworthii in the larvae state, from Wales. The last- 
named species had been referred to the three different 
genera Spcelotis, Agrotis, and Polia, on account of its 
peculiar characters in the larvae state. 
Mr. Dutton exhibited a number of rare Lepidoptera 
recently captured in the Isle of Wight; and Mr. Moore 
a box of Coleoptera from Southend, including many 
rare species. 
Mr. Westwood again called attention to the new 
work on German Coleoptera by Dr. Schaum and other 
continental entomologists, with reference to the views 
attempted to be carried out in it respecting the specific 
identity of many insects hitherto regarded as distinct 
species, although closely allied together. By Dr. 
Schaum great numbers of these supposed species had 
been sunk to the rank of local varieties or sub-species, 
and the President stated that a similar opinion was 
fast gaining ground amongst botanists. 
Mr. Westwood also mentioned the curious discovery 
of masses of eggs of a species of Phryganea, or Caddice 
Fly, enclosed in patches of gelatinous material upon 
Yew and other trees, instead of their being deposited 
under water, as is the usual habit of the insects of this 
group. These gelatinous masses had been communicated 
to him from the grounds of Sir Walter Trevelyan, in 
Northumberland, and although a similar circumstance 
seems to have been recorded by one of the old writers 
on Entomology, none of the modem works on the 
subject had noticed it. The young larvae, when hatched, 
bear the gelatinous mass, and are very active. Mr. 
Walker stated that he had noticed the species of Limne- 
philus, one of the Peryganeideous genera, especially 
partial to Yew-trees. 
A memoir on a new Brazilian Beetle, belonging to 
the curious genus Myrnecella, by Mr. Bates, was read. 
A Meeting of the British Pomolooical Society was 
held at the Rooms, 20, Bedford Street, Covent Garden, 
on Thursday last. Robert Hogg, Esq., Vice-President, 
in the chair. 
A seedling White Grape was exhibited by Mr. Ivery, 
of Dorking, which attracted considerable attention, as 
supplying a feature in the list of early hardy Grapes 
which has hitherto been wanting. The two varieties 
upon which we mainly depend in this country for out¬ 
door cultivation are the White Sweetwater and the 
Muscadine. The former is known from its loose bunch 
and great number of imperfectly developed berries, and 
the latter by its straight and well-set bunch and rather 
small berries. This seedling, which was produced by 
Mr. Ivery, was of a character perfectly distinct from 
either of these. The bunch is large and heart-shaped, 
as large and of the same form as that of the Black 
Hamburgh; the superior secondary stalks being long, 
give it the appearance as if shouldered, though it is 
not so; very wide at the upper end and tapering to¬ 
wards the lower. The main stalk and secondaries 
are very stout and firm. The berries are as 
large as those of the Black Hamburgh, and of a 
roundish oval shape, like the White Muscat. The 
skin is white, covered with a delicate bloom, thin, 
and separating freely from the flesh. Flesh tender 
melting, and very juicy, with a flavour superior to the 
Muscadine, and separating very freely from the seeds* 
of which there are from two to four. The berry comes 
away very cleanly from the stalk, without leaving any 
strings of fibre behind. The bunch exhibited was 
grown in an ordinary greenhouse along with miscella¬ 
neous plants, and had been subjected to the ordinary 
treatment of such houses, notwithstanding which it 
was an excellent specimen of Grape-growing. The 
meeting highly commended it as a valuable acquisition, 
and worthy of general cultivation. It has been proved 
to ripen freely out of doors. Its origin is said to have 
been from seed received from abroad, and raised by a 
gardener in the neighbourhood of Dorking. 
Mr. Thomas F. Rivers, of Sawbridgeworth, produced 
a bunch of the Prolific Sweetwater Grape, which is a 
decided improvement on the old White Sweetwater. 
The bunch is of equal dimensions throughout its whole 
length, and well set, having none of the imperfectly 
developed berries which are found in the old variety. 
The berries are large, round, and fleshy, and with an 
excellent flavour, though, in the specimen produced, 
being rather immature, there was an agreeable acidity. 
Mr. Rivers, however, stated that when perfectly ripe the 
berries assume an amber tinge, and then the flavour is 
more rich and saccharine. 
Two bunches of a new seedling Grape called Chasselas 
Precoce were received from M. Transon-Forteau, of 
Orleans. This variety, as grown at Orleans, is said to 
be from three weeks to a month earlier in the open air 
than the common Chasselas or White Muscadine. If 
in this country it should be found to possess the same 
properties, its value would be duly appreciated. The 
bunch is long and thickly set; the berries are white, 
round, and of the size of the Muscadine; and the 
flavour, though the fruit was necessarily immature to 
admit of carriage from such a distance, was certainly 
of such a character as to justify the Society in believing 
that it is a Grape equal to the old variety. 
Mr. Whiting, of The Deepdene, sent admirablo 
specimens of Kirlce's, Belgian Blue, and Jefferson Plums, 
all of which had been grown against a wall. Kirke’s 
and Jefferson were very richly flavoured ; but Belgian 
Blue was not so, and is evidently a variety more 
adapted for culinary purposes than for dessert; being 
an excellent bearer as a standard, it is a question 
whether it is desirable to occupy a wall with it. Mr. 
Paul, of Cheshunt, and Mr. Rivers, also exhibited 
specimens of Kirke’s Plum from standards, which, 
though not so large in size nor so fine in colour as 
