angle it proceeds backwards, merging again in the general surface at the extreme top of the pupa; on either side of this ridge is a slight hollow. The angular point of the ridge is rough and rounded, and is quite unsuited for such use as that of milhauseri; but there would appear reason to believe that this is really a rudimentary form of the "sardine-opener" of that species, and very possibly it has some use in more accurately directing the action of the cocoon-softening fluid; the cocoon contains wood-chips, just as those of our own Ceruras do. I must leave it to American entomologists, if they have not already done so, to define the function of this process, unless some one will generously send me a supply of cocoons, when I will do my best to make the observation.-T. A. CHAPMAN; Firbank, Hereford.

FOOD-PLANT OF PLUSIA INTERROGATIONIS.—The larva of P. interrogationis has never been found feeding on the nettles here; they are always found on heather. It seems that some entomologists do not know the proper food-plant of this species, so I thought I would make it known.L. G. ESSON; 6, Stafford Street, Aberdeen, N.B.

[Mr. McArthur says that Plusia interrogationis has the habit of resting on birch stumps, in places where the heather has been burned down during the previous year, and that the female moths deposit their ova on the young heather growing in such spots. He adds that larvæ of the species may be swept off the older heather, but these are almost invariably ichneumoned.-ED.]

PLUSIA IOTA LARVA FEEDING ON HAWTHORN.-It is probably not generally known that the larva of P. iota will feed and thrive on hawthorn (Cratagus oxyacantha). This fact was indeed new to me until about a week ago, when I received fifty larvæ of the insect in question from East Yorkshire. Among other plants which, as the leaves were more or less consumed, I failed to recognise, was a sprig or two of hawthorn, and with this plant the larvæ have since been supplied. Several are now in pupæ, and all are fast approaching maturity. I may add that I have occasionally found larvæ of P. iota on hedge wound-wort (Stachys sylvatica).—R. S.; May 20, 1890.

DIANTH ECIA CARPOPHAGA, Bork., var. CAPSOPHILA, Dup.-Referring to D. capsophila, in the Entomologist's Annual' for 1864, Dr. H. G. Knaggs says: "It is by no means unlikely that this species may eventually prove to be a variety of D. carpophaga; but it seems advisable to hear what the continental authors, who have so unanimously adopted it as a 'good species,' have to say in the matter, before rashly expunging it from our lists."-R. S.

MACROGLOSSA STELLATARUM.-My brother and myself took thirty-one larvæ of Macroglossa stellatarum, in various stages of growth, between the 1st and 5th of September, last year, in South Devon. Four of these died, but the rest turned into pupæ, from which the moths emerged at different periods, between October 20th and November 26th, nearly always in the afternoon. We also captured thirteen P. actaon in the same locality.C. M. WELLS; Hurstfield, The Avenue, Gipsy Hill, April 28, 1890.

SMALL EXAMPLE OF THE EARLY BROOD OF TEPHROSIA CREPUSCULARIA. -Of Tephrosia crepuscularia, I captured on 19th April, here, a very diminutive specimen, only measuring 1 inch from tip to tip of the wings. It is one of the brown forms, and the markings are much suffused. I

have, before, occasionally seen small forms at this season of the year. That this moth is certainly affected by locality, as stated during the Tephrosia controversy, is very evident the more one observes it, and that even in southern forms themselves.-T. B. JEFFERYS; Clevedon.

IS EUPITHECIA ABIETARIA, Göze, IDENTICAL WITH E. TOGATA, Hübn.? -Some of the specimens comprised in my series of E. togata agree very well with E. abietaria, Göze, whilst other examples connect these with typical E. togata. All the specimens are from Scotch localities, and the majority were bred from pupa. The variation in size is considerable; some examples hardly expand three-quarters of an inch, others measure one inch and a quarter. In the large specimens the tips of the wings appear rather more pointed than they do in the small specimens. Some had very bright red bands when they were fresh, but these have now lost their brilliancy. The central black spot of fore wings is always present, but varies in size; in some specimens it unites with one on the costa, and forms a short black fascia. The first and second lines are much nearer together in some specimens than in others, and in a few examples these lines exhibit a tendency to unite below the middle. From all I can ascertain of the appearance and habits of the larva of E. abietaria, there is nothing to separate it from that of E. togata, and I certainly fail to find that the two insects are specifically distinct in the perfect state. Compared with abietaria, togata is said to be larger, with bright red bands and larger central black spots, but none of these differences appear to hold good, as there are gradations in expanse and modification of markings. On the Continent, togata is much less frequently met with than abietaria.-RICHARD SOUTH.

VITALITY OF THE LARVA OF SPILOSOMA FULIGINOSA.-In the January and February numbers of Insect Life,'-a periodical edited by Professor Riley, and published by the U. S. Department of Agriculture,-is an interesting account of the life-history of S. fuliginosa, Linn. The writer, Mr. O. Lugger, says that in the district of St. Anthony, Minn., the species occurs commonly. Late in the autumn, "when the side-walks are covered every morning with a thick layer of frost, the larvae are rather abundant. They leave their hiding-places and crawl over the side-walks; at this time they are frequently themselves incrusted with crystals of ice. Some few days ago, with the thermometer ranging from 5° to 3° below zero, I found several of them crawling slowly through the snow. When the side-walks, made of boards, become warmed up by the rays of the sun, the caterpillars crawl away to the shady and cooler part." As an instance of the remarkable vitality of the larva, Mr. Lugger observes that on December 3rd, 1889, he found "in a little depression of the soil a clear cake of ice, and embedded in it the larva of the above species. By means of a hot iron I separated a cube of ice with the enclosed larva, and took it to my office. The caterpillar was entirely and solidly enclosed by the ice; no air-spaces could be detected among the hair. How long the caterpillar had been enclosed I could not say. Left the cube of ice in front of my window, where the temperature sunk for two days to 11° below zero. Later the weather moderated, and during the day a little ice would melt near the caterpillar, but never exposing it to the air. After being enclosed for fourteen days, I carefully melted the ice, and removed the caterpillar to a piece of blotting-paper. In less than thirty minutes the larva was crawling about, not injured in the least. Yet, to escape further experimentation, it has shown good sense and

spun up, and transformed into a pupa, healthy to all appearances." From the description of the imago it would seem that the American representative of S. fuliginosa is identical with that from Scotland; both are referable to var. borealis, Staud.-R. S.

LOCALITY LABELS FOR SPECIMENS.-I have often wondered this question has not been raised before, as I am convinced any publisher would make it pay if it was done in a large systematic way. Would it not be advisable to have a label printed for each county, and, where a large one, indicated by N., S., &c., for north and south, &c.; also, such as London, Manchester, Aberdeen, &c., for the towns where there are a considerable number of entomologists residing. It would be a good plan to leave a space for the strata on which the insects were taken,-chalk, clay, &c.; and of course a place for the date. Size, too, is a most important item, as they cannot be too small, for labelling the Micros, very well. About in. by in. would be ample for any insect, if not too large. Some collectors prefer an excessively minute label, which they pin underneath the specimen; this means the insect being taken up each time reference is made, which does not improve the specimen. In rare cases this can be done as well; but the label pinned at the side of the specimen or series from a particular locality facilitates reference considerably, and is, I think, the better plan.-A. E. HALL; Norbury, Sheffield, May, 1890.

SOCIETIES.

ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.-May 7th, 1890.-Capt. Henry J. Elwes, F.L.S., Vice-President, in the chair. Mr. W. G. Blatch, of 214, Green Lanes, Birmingham; Mr. F. J. S. Chatterton, of 132, Queen Victoria Street, E.C.; Mr. Charles Fenn, of Burnt Ash Hill, Lee, S.E.; and Mr. George B. Routledge, of 50, Russell Square, W.C., were elected Fellows; and Mr. A. E. Stearns was admitted into the Society. The Secretary read a letter from the Vicar of Arundel, asking for advice as to the course to be taken to get rid of the larvæ of a beetle which were destroying the beams of the Parish Church. Mr. C. O. Waterhouse said he had already been consulted on the question, and had advised that the beams should be soaked with paraffin oil. Dr. Sharp, Mr. M'Lachlan, Dr. P. B. Mason, and the Chairman made some remarks on the subject. Dr. Sharp exhibited specimens of Caryoborus lacerda, a species of Bruchida, and the nuts from which they had been reared. He stated that three of these nuts had been sent him from Bahia by the late Senor Lacerda, about six years ago; that one of the beetles had effected its exit from the nut during the voyage; a second had recently emerged, after the nuts had been in this country for five years; and that a third had undergone its metamorphosis and died within the nut. Dr. Sharp also exhibited several specimens of Diptera collected by Mr. Herbert Smith in St. Vincent, and read a letter from him to Mr. Godman on the subject of the vast number of species of this order which he had recently collected in that island. Mr. M'Lachlan, Dr. Mason, Mr. Waterhouse, and Capt. Elwes took part in the discussion which ensued. Mr. R. F. Lewis, on behalf of Mr. W. M. Maskell, of Wellington, New Zealand, exhibited and read notes on about twenty-five species of Coccidæ from that colony. He also exhibited some specimens of the larvæ and imagos of Icerya purchasi, Maskell, obtained

from Natal, where the species had proved very destructive to orange, lemon, and other fruit trees. He also showed specimens of the larvæ of an allied species from Natal, originally assigned by Mr. Douglas to the genus Ortonia, but which Mr. Maskell was inclined to regard as a new species of Icerya. Mr. M'Lachlan and the Chairman commented on the interesting nature of the exhibition, and the importance of a knowledge of the parasites of injurious insects, in connection with which special mention was made of the researches and discoveries of Prof. Riley. The Secretary exhibited, on behalf of Mr. T. D. A. Cockerell, of Colorado, a large collection of insect galls, and read a letter from Mr. Cockerell on the subject. Dr. Mason said he should be happy to take charge of these galls, with a view of rearing the insects and reporting the results. Mr. H. W. Bates communicated a paper entitled "On new Species of Cicindelidæ."-H. Goss, Hon. Sec.

THE SOUTH LONDON ENTOMOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. -April 24th, 1890.-J. T. Carrington, F.L.S., President, in the chair. Mr. F. Warne exhibited a melanic variety of Hemerophila abruptaria, Thnb., taken in the London district. Mr. Barrett asked whether this species had been recorded for any other neighbourhood. Mr. Briggs, in reply, said it was generally known that it occurred in the north and east of London only. Mr. Carrington, referring to the variety hadita of Spilosoma lubricipeda, Esp., remarked that between 1860 and 1870 this particular variety only occurred in a timber-yard close to the railway station at York; he had recently visited the neighbourhood, and was interested to find that, although the timber-yard had been taken by the railway company, the variety now occurred in fair numbers throughout the whole district, showing the gradual establishment of certain forms of variation. Mr. Tugwell exhibited specimens of the common butter-burr (Petasites vulgaris, Desf.), and made some remarks thereon, mentioning that it was the food-plant of Hydrocia petasitis, Dbl. Mr. Tutt said that at Sheffield the species was taken in the factory yards on the plants growing among the refuse, but very rarely among the larger plants growing on the river banks. Mr. Rice, on behalf of Mr. H. Syer Cuming, exhibited, among other documents, the original rules and constitution of the Aurelian Society, bearing date June 1st, 1801: the rules and objects of the Entomological Society of London, founded on the Aurelian Society, and dated May 1st, 1806,—both being signed by the founders of the two Societies; a printed book of bye-laws of the latter Society, date 1807; an autograph letter and circular, signed by A. H. Haworth, dissolving the Entomological Society of London, date April 10th, 1806; a priced catalogue of Haworth's collection, sold at Stevens', June 23rd, 1834, and ten following days; and a catalogue of insects belonging to the Entomological Society, sold at Stevens', April 16th, 1858. Mr. R. Adkin read a paper on the "Occasional Abundance of certain Species of Lepidoptera in the British Islands." [See abstract of this paper on first page of the present number.] Messrs. South, Tugwell, Barrett, Carrington, and others took part in the discussion which followed.

May 8th, 1890.-The President in the chair. Messrs. S. G. C. Russell, of Balham; G. C. Dennis, of York; and J. H. Rowntree, of Scarborough, were elected members. Mr. Charles Fenn exhibited Hedya pauperana, Dup. Mr. Moore, galls of the so-called whistling tree, Acacia fistula, from Lower Egypt. Mr. Clarke, two series of plants from Cambridge and Penzance. Mr. Step, Arum maculatum, L., and gave an interesting account of the economy of the species.-H. W. BARKER, Hon. Sec.

BIRMINGHAM ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY.-April 21st, 1890.-Mr. W. G. Blatch, President, in the chair. Mr. E. C. Rye showed Brephos parthenias from Cannock, &c. Mr. R. C. Bradley showed Diptera, including Thereva ardea from Wyre Forest, new to Britain; Sapromyza platycephala from Moseley, also new to Britain; and Microdon devius from Wyre Forest, confirmed as British. Mr. W. G. Blatch showed Coleoptera from Cannock,-Cymurdis vaporariorum, Agathidium globosum, Homalota diversa, and Stenus guynimeri, all new to the district. Mr. R. Freer read a paper on "Sexual Dimorphism," in which he contended that the pigment in the wings of insects was a development of waste energy; that females, which required much energy fo: the reproduction of species, and the development of the larger size necessary for that purpose, had little to spare for pigment, and were usually light; while males, which were smaller and used less energy in the reproduction of species, were usually darker. Much discussion followed the paper, in which Messrs. W. G. Blatch, Neville Chamberlain, H. Stone, E. C. Rye, and C. J. Wainwright took part.

May 5th, 1890.-Mr. W. G. Blatch, the President, in the chair. Mr. John Galbraith, of Harborne, was elected a member. Mr. Neville Chamberlain showed Ennomos quercinaria and Ematurga atomaria, in both of which species the males are larger than the females, and which, therefore, weighed against Mr. Freer's theory of sex, as given at the last meeting. Mr. R. C. Bradley showed Diptera,-Xylota signis from Sutton, and Xabiens sylvarum from Wyre Forest. Mr. W. G. Blatch showed Coleoptera,-Calodera æthiops, Oxypoda lentula, Dimopsis erosa, and Homalota diversa, all from Knowle. Mr. G. H. Kenrick read a paper on "South African Butterflies," in which he gave an account of a recent journey there, and exhibited the species taken, which included Danais chrysippus (the commonest of all), many Acræas, Papilios, Pieridæ, &c.; also the moths, Deiopeia pulchella and Sterrha sacraria. He showed several very interesting cases of mimicry. Mr. Chamberlain said he had been in Egypt at the time Mr. Kenrick was at the Cape; there he saw very few butterflies, but of those few Danais chrysippus, as at the Cape, was much the commonest.-COLBRAN J. WAINWRIGHT, Hon. Sec.

OBITUARY.

ENTOMOLOGY has lost an able, ardent, and most unselfish student in Mr. WILLIAM Berry Farr, J.P. and Town Clerk of Maidenhead, who died on the 17th instant. Mr. Farr's collection of insects is large and in admirable order. Though of late years Entomology has supplied the chief occupation of his leisure time, and has carried him to almost every district in England, he was in fact an all-round naturalist of wide knowledge and experience. A fourteen years' residence in India afforded him an exceptional opportunity of studying in particular the habits of insects, birds, and reptiles, very many specimens of which attest the energy and success of his pursuit. Of late years Mr. Farr has been in failing health, but his favourite quest afforded him gratification till the last days of his earnest, manly, and well-spent life. We understand that his large collection, both of arms and objects illustrative of various branches of Natural History, may be acquired by the town of Maidenhead on the sole condition that a proper place is provided for its reception.