Societies and Academies.

Abstract

LONDON.Entomological Society, July 3.—Lord Walsingham, F. R. S., President, in the chair.—A letter was read from Mr. E. J. Atkinson, Chairman of the Trustees of the Indian Museum, Calcutta, in which assistance was asked from British entomologists in working out various orders of Indian insects.—The following motion, which had previously been unanimously passed at the meeting of the Council, was read to the Society:—“That papers containing descriptions of isolated species widely remote in classification or distribution are, as a rule, undesirable for publication, as tending create unnecessary difficulties for faunistic or monographic workers.” Mr. McLachlan, Mr. Jacoby, Mr. Elwes, Dr. Sharp, and others took part in the discussion that followed.—Mr. McLachlan, on behalf of Prof. Klapálek, of Prague, who was present as a visitor, exhibited preparations representing the life-history of Agriofypus armatus, Walk., showing the curious appendages of the case. Prof. Klapálek, in answer to questions, described the transformations in detail. A discussion followed, in which Mr. McLachlan and Lord Walsingham took part.—Mr. H. J. Elwes exhibited a specimen of an undescribed Chrysophanus, taken in the Shan States, Upper Burmah, by Dr. Manders, which was very remarkable on account of the low elevation and latitude at which it was found; its only very near ally appeared to be Polyommatus Li, Oberthur, from Western Szechuen, but there was no species of the genus known in the Eastern Himalayas or anywhere in the Eastern tropics.—Mr. G. T. Porritt exhibited a remarkable series of Arctia mendica, L., bred from a small batch of eggs found on the same ground at Grimescar, Huddersfield, as the batch from which the series he had previously exhibited before the Society was bred. This year he had bred forty-five specimens, none of which were of the ordinary form of the species: as in the former case, the eggs were found perfectly wild, and the result this year was even more surprising than before.—Mr. R. W. Lloyd exhibited specimens of Harpalns cupreus, Steph., and Cathormiocerus sodus, Boh., recently taken at Sandown, Isle of Wight.—Mr. O. E. Janson exhibited a fine male example of Theodosia howitti, Castelnau, a genus of Cetoniidæ resembling some of the Dynastidæ in the remarkable armature of the head and thorax. The specimen had recently been received from North-West Borneo. —Mr. W. White exhibited specimens of Heterogynis paradoxa, Ramb., and stated that this insect represented an extreme case of degeneration, the mature female being only slightly more developed than the larva, the prolegs being quite atrophied. Lord Walsingham made some remarks on the subject.—Mr. T. R. Billups exhibited a fine series of the very rare British beetle, Medon (Lithocharis) piceus, Kr., taken from a heap of weeds and vegetable refuse in the neighbourhood of Lewisham on May 19.—Mr. W. F. Kirby read a paper entitled “Descriptions of new species of Scoliides in the collection of the British Museum, with occasional reference to species already known.”—Mr. J. B. Bridgman communicated a paper entitled “Further additions to the Rev. T. A. Marshall's Catalogue of British Ichneumonidæ.”—Mr. J. S. Baly communicated a paper entitled “On new species of Diabrolica from South America.”