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Feb. 1 2th, 1895.—The Secretaries read the following report of a 
most successful Conversazione which had been held a fortnight 
before :—“ This Society, though it can boast a career extending 
over a period of 36 years, has never till recently launched out into 
exhibitions, soirees, or similar public functions. However, on the 
5th February last it emerged from its lengthy, but by no means 
inactive or unfruitful seclusion, and held a conversazione in the 
Library of the London Institution, Finsbury Circus, in a smaller room 
of which building the Society holds its ordinary meetings. Notwith¬ 
standing the fact that this was its first venture in this direction, the 
result was eminently satisfactory, and both visitors and members 
agreed that the efforts of the exhibition-committee met with signal 
success. The weather being favourable, a goodly number of members 
and friends gathered together to inspect the numerous exhibits, and to 
indulge in quiet chat. The hum of conversation was pleasantly inter¬ 
rupted at intervals by vocal and instrumental selections, the pro¬ 
gramme of which was kindly arranged by, and efficiently carried out 
under the superintendence of, Mr. W. J. Petty, organist of St. 
Andrew’s, Plaistow. Although the Society is more particularly 
devoted to the study of Entomology, as its name implies, the exhibits 
were not by any means confined to insects, but embraced many other 
branches of Natural History, and the members received very able 
assistance in this respect from their friends and from members of 
other Societies. It is, of course, impossible to enumerate all the exhibits, 
but the following may be selected as worthy of special notice :— 
Among the British Lepidoptera, Mr. G. Elisha very generously 
sent twenty drawers of “ Micros,” which were universally admired; 
Mr. B. A. Bower also exhibited in this group his two cabinet drawers 
of Tortrices, which were exquisitely set and arranged with much neat¬ 
ness. Mr. D.C. Bate’s exhibit of Arctiafuliginosa, showing hybernating 
larvse, cocoons, and perfect insects all belonging to the same brood, 
was very interesting. Mr. Tutt showed his long series of the various 
species of “ Sallows,” and Mr. C. A. Briggs very kindly sent his 
“ Blues ”; among the latter many beautiful and striking varieties were 
noticeable, as well as several examples of hermaphroditism. Mr. J. A. 
Clark’s Geometrae and Mr. F. J. Hanbury’s Agrotidae and Diurni 
also deserve mention, the latter included a fine series of ChrysopJianus 
dispar. Mr. Quail contributed four drawers of “ life-histories.” One 
of the tables was occupied exclusively by a brilliant gathering of 
exotic Lepidoptera, the exhibitors being Messrs. A. Bacot, D. C. Bate, 
J. A. Clark, W. A. Pearce, Dr. J. S. Sequeira and Capt. B. B. Thomp¬ 
son. Mr. Clark’s exhibit included a perfect pair of the largest 
Lepidopteron known (except, perhaps, Attacus atlas), Thysamia 
agrippina , a native of Brazil, which measures ten inches across the 
expanded wings. Representatives of most of the other sub-orders of 
Insect a were provided by Messrs. J. S. Soul (Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, 
Neuroptera, &c.), 0. E. Janson (Coleoptera), G. A. Lewcock (Coleop¬ 
tera), G. B. Ashmead, H. A. Auld and J. A. Clark, the two latter 
gentlemen showing nests of several British species of Vespa. In the 
department of Botany, Commendatore Thomas Hanbury came over 
from Italy purposely to show and describe a collection of the fruits of 
