62 
somewhat connected with meteorological conditions (probably extreme 
wetness), as he found the species to vary remarkably in the wet and cold 
summer of 1888. The peculiar aberrations in shape which frequently 
occur in this genus had previously been discussed, and malformations 
appeared to be not uncommon in many Agrotid species. Xylophasia 
scolopacina, as seen in Mr. Southey’s exhibit, had a mottled form exactly 
parallel with X. hepatica var. charactered. Visitors at sugar, who ap¬ 
peared as poachers, were now a rather numerous family—mice, toads, 
frogs, &c. The series of Agrotis nigricans exhibited, was a very fine 
one, and illustrated well the range of variation which a polymorphic 
species could attain in a single season in a given locality. The vote of 
thanks was carried by acclamation. 
Nov. 6th, 1894.—Exhibits :—Mr. Nicholson : a series of five $ and 
four $ Trichiura crataegi, bred from twenty larvse, beaten from black¬ 
thorn in Epping Forest; the remaining eleven were either cripples, or 
were sacrificed for ova, of which he obtained about 200. Mr. Clark : a 
brownish specimen of Vanessa urticae from Tottenham. Mr. Bate: 
Boarmia repandata var. conversaria, and a fine banded form of Oporabia 
dilutata, from the New Forest. Mr. Bacot: Colias electra and var., 
from S. Africa, with C. edusa for comparison ; the variety closely re¬ 
sembled C. edusa var. helice, but was much suffused with blackish. He 
also exhibited 84 specimens of Orrhodia vaccinii, which varied a good deal 
in colour though the female parent (also in the box) was of a uniform 
purplish-brown. Mr. Southey : some very fine specimens of Acheta 
domestica, the house-spider, one of which had legs measuring about 2^ 
inches in length. Mr. Tutt: a box of Lepidoptera (mostly Rhopalocera) 
from Gresy, near Aix-les-Bains, representative of those caught during 
a stroll on the morning of Aug. 21st, and comprising among others 
Satyrus dry as (both sexes), Hipparchia arethusa exhibiting considerable 
variation in the depth of the orange colour and extent of the transverse 
band, Colias edusa, C. byale, second brood of Leucophasia sinapis, Pieris 
daplidice, Argynnis latona, Melitaea cinxia, M. athalia, Lycaena argiades, 
L. bellargus, L. corydon, Satyrus briseis, with a fine male variety of the latter, 
in which the central band was much restricted and clouded with fuscous, 
together with many other species. He exhibited also Zygaena carniolica, 
and vars. from Courmayeur and other localities in Savoy and Piedmont, 
on which he read notes relative to their habits and variation. Dr. 
Sequeira exhibited samples of wood naphtha, and Mr. Clark applied 
some to the bases of the wings of a dry specimen of Spilosoma lubrici- 
peda, with the result that in less than five minutes, the specimen was 
sufficiently relaxed to allow of its being reset. Dr. Sequeira extols the 
virtues of the spirit thus:— 
A RHYME OF REMXXTIOjq. 
It’s bother’d many an Ento’ when he’s had a valued moth, 
With wings set unsymmetric’ly, how best to get them both 
As even as a plumb-line, without the laurel jar 
Or sand that’s wet and mucky—too troublesome by far. 
I’ll give you my experience of something new and strange, 
That’s said to do just all you want, within a certain range. 
You get some pure Wood Naphtha—‘‘ syn ” Pyroxylic Spirit, 
