* rv j#
5. I 'JO.
tr^Hs^ctioHs
OF THE
CITY OF LONDON
Entomological & Natural History
Society
c?-. ii.
FOR THE YEAR 1907.
PUBLISHED BY THE
CITY OF LONDON ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY,
THE LONDON INSTITUTION, FINSBUBY CIBCUS, E.C.
Price Two Shillings.
- ■ —
yr//o-
CITY OF LONDON
Entomological & Natural History
SOCIETY,
Established 18S8.
MEETINGS HELD AT
The London Institution
FINSBURY CIRCUS, E.C.
Council for the Year 1908.
President
Vice-Presidents
Trustees
Treasurer
Librarians
A. W. Mera.
I T. A. Chapman, Dr., f.z.s., f.e.s.
' J. A. Clark, f.e.s., m.p.s.
Frederick J. Hand dry, f.l.s., f.e.s. ' L. B. Prout, f.z.s., f.e.s.
j James Scoti Sequeira, m.r.c.s.
( T. Huckett.
I P. H. Tautz,
( 33, North Audley Street, W
f G. H. Heath.
{ V. Eric Shaw.
Curators
Reporting
Hon. Secretaries
G. G. C. Hodgson.
A. J. Willsdon.
S. J. Bell,
Pen-y-bryn, Knight’s Hill,
West Norwood, S.E.
Corresponding
Thos. H. L. Grosvenor,
Walldeans, Gloucester Road, Redhill.
AND
Rev. C. R. N. Burrows and Messrs. H. M. Edelsten, Edward Harris, J. Riches and A. Sich.
TR7* NS ACTIONS
OF THE
City of London Entomological
AND
Natural History Society.
PART XVII.
(1907.)
WITH LIST OF MEMBERS.
THE SOCIETY’S ROOMS, LONDON INSTITUTION, FINSBURY CIRCUS, E.C.
February, 1908.
Names and Addresses of Members.
Apkin, B., f.e.s., 4, Lingard’s Koad, Lewisham, S.E.
Bacot, A. W., f.e.s. , 154, Lower Clapton Boad, Clapton, N.E.
Bayne, A. F., f.e.s., Gerencia, Ferro Carril Del Sud, Buenos Ayres.
Beattie, Wm., Glen Lodge, Mickleham, Surrey.
Bell, S. J., Pen-y-bryn, Knight’s Hill, VV. Norwood, S.E.
Benton, B. G., Waterperry, Wood Lane, Highgate.
Bloomfield, W., 1a, Boyston Villas, East End Boad, East Finchley.
Bouskell, F., f.e.s., f.r.h.s., Market Bosworth, Nuneaton.
Bowles, E. A., m.a., f.l.s., f.e.s., Myddleton House, Waltham Cross, Herts. Brady, Jas., 4, Ham Park Boad, Stratford, E.
Briggs, C. A., f.e.s., Bock House, Lynmouth, B.S.O. North Devon.
Brooke, Chas., 1, Berners Street, W.
Broome, E. G., Hurst Vicarage, Twyford, Berks.
Burrows, Bev. C. B. N., The Vicarage, Mucking, Stanford-le-hope, Essex. Capper, Chas., Glyndale, Glebe Boad, Barnes Common.
Chapman, Dr. T. A., f.z.s. f.e.s., Betula, Beigate, Surrey.
Clark, J. A., f.e.s., m.p.s., 57, Weston Park, Crouch End, N.
Cockayne, E. A., f.e.s., 16, Cambridge Square, W.
Conquest, G. H., The Moorings, Meteor Boad, Westcliff-on-Sea.
Cox, W. Ilston, 7, Cleveland Avenue, Merton Park, Surrey.
Crabtree, B. H., f.e.s., Cringle Lodge, Levenshulme, Manchester.
Cross, F. B., Park Villa, Bruce Grove, Tottenham, N.
Dale, Sydney W., The Lawn, Archers Boad, Southampton.
Dodd, W. B., Trederwen, Village Boad, Enfield, Middlesex.
Edelsten, H. M., f.e.s., The Elms, Forty Hill, Enfield.
Edwards, S., f.l.s., f.z.s., f.e.s., Kidbrooke Lodge, Blackheath, S.E.
Gardner, J. E., 204, Evering Boad, Clapton, N.E.
Garland, G. B., 94, Sedgwick Boad, Leyton, E.
Grosvenor, Thos., H.L., Walldeans, Gloucester Boad, Bedhill.
Hamling, T. H., 27, Kentish Town Boad, Camden Town, N.W.
Hanbury, Frederick J., f.l.s., f.e.s., 96, Clapton Common, N.E.
Hanbury, F. Capel, 96, Clapton Common, N.E.
Harris, Edward, f.e.s., St Conan’s, Chingford, Essex.
Harrison, A., f.l.s., f.c.s., f.e.s., Delamere, Grove Boad, South Woodford. Hayward, H. C., Bepton School, Bepton, Derbyshire.
Heath, G. H., 277, Brockley Boad, S.E.
Hodson, L. S., Maisonette, Palmers Green, N.
Hodgson, G. G. C., Stoneleigh, Oxford Boad, Bedhill.
Hopson, Montagu F., l.d.s., r.c.s. Eng., f.l.s., f.e.s.,
30, Thurlow Boad, Bosslyn Hill, Hampstead, N.W. Huckett, T., 200, New North Boad, Islington, N.
James, Bussell E., 18, Onslow Gardens, Highgate, N.
Janson, 0. E., 95, Claremont Boad, Highgate N.
Kaye, W. J., f.e.s., “ Caracas,” Ditton Hill, Surbiton.
King, Henry A., “Oakleiglj,” Coolhurst Boad, Crouch End, N.
Langford, D., “Brooklyn,” Dollis Boad, Church End, Finchley.
Massey, Herbert, f.e.s., “Ivy Lea,” Burnage, Didsbury.
Mera, A. W., 79, Capel Boad, Forest Gate, E.
Newbery, E. A., 12. Churchill Boad, Dartmouth Park, N.W.
Newman, L. W., 41, Salisbury Boad, Bexley, Kent.
Nicholson, C., 35, The Avenue, Hale End, Chingford, N.E.
Oldham, Charles, 2, Warwick Villas, Chelmsford Boad, Woodford.
Pearson. G., 10, Brushfield Street, Bishopsgate, E.C.
Phillips, Hubert C., m.r.c.s. Eng., m. & l.s.a. Loncl., f.e.s.,
_ _ 262. Gloucester Terrace, Hyde Park, W.
Pickett, C. P., f.e.s., Hera House, 99, Dawlish Road, Leyton, E.
Prout, Louis B., f.e.s., “ The Elms,” 246, Richmond Road, Dalston, N.E. Raynor, Rev. G. H., m.a., Hazeleigh Rectory, Maldon, Essex.
Reid, Edward, “ Birdhurst,” Ckorleywood near Rickmanswortk, Herts.
Riches, J., 52, Calverley Grove, Hornsey Rise, N.
Routledge, G. B., f.e.s., Tarn Lodge, Headsnook, Carlisle.
Rydon, A., “ Awbrook,” Lindtield, Sussex.
Sabine, L. A. E., 1, Selliurst Road, South Norwood, S.E.
Sauze, H. A., 22, Earlsthorpe Road, Sydenham, S.E.
Sequeira, James Scott, m.r.c.s., Crescent House, Cassland Road,
„ South Hackney, N.E.
Shaw, V. Eric, 20, Salisbury Road, Bexley, Kent.
Sich, Alfred, f.e.s., Corney House, Chiswick, W.
Simmons, C. W., 43, Fairmead Road, Tufnell Park, N.
Studd, E. F., m.a., b.c.l., f.e.s., Oxton, Exeter.
Tautz, H. E., “The Mithers ” Nower Hill, Pinner, Middlesex.
Tautz, P. H., 33, North Audley Street, W.
Thornthwaite, W., f.r.a.s., ‘'Wedges,” Itchingfield, Horsham.
Todd, R. G., “ The Limes,” Hadley Green, N.
Tonge, A. E., “ Aincroft,’.’ Grammar School Hill, Reigate.
Turner, E., Manor House, Twickenham.
Whitehouse, Harold B., 61, Lambeth Palace Road, S.E.
Wightman, A. J., “ Ailsa Craig,” Lewes, Suffolk.
Willsdon, A. J., 28, Albany Road, Manor Park, E.
Honorary Members.
Anderson, E., 11, Marlton Crescent, St. Ivilda, Melbourne, Australia.
Avebury, Right Hon. Lord, p.c., d.c.l., f.r.s., f.l.s., f.g.s., f.e.s.,
High Elms, Beckenham.
Walsingham, Right Hon. Lord, m.a., l.l.d., f.r.s.. f.l.s., f.z.s., f.e.s.
Merton Hall, Thetford, Norfolk.
REPORTS OF MEETINGS.
Dec. 18tli, 1906.— Entephria c^siata and E. ruficinctata. — Mr. E. A. Cockayne short series from Rannoch district, including dark and banded forms of both species.
Pierts BRASSICA5— Mr. A. Harrison, a series reared from ova laid by typical $ , taken at Wavertree near Liverpool. In several of the 2 s, and one or two $ s, the spots on the forewings, on both the under and upper sides, were connected by black scales, thus forming in the more extreme instances a broad band.
Bindahar/’e Sugriva. mimicry. — Dr. Cl. G. C. Hodgson, in exhibiting specimens from Australia, stated that he had observed that this species rested either head downwards or horizontally, so that the ocelli on the underside of the hindwings resembled a head, and the “tails ” simu¬ lated antennae ; the fact that all the specimens exhibited were more or less damaged at the anal angle of the hindwings, suggested that birds were deceived by the resemblance described.
Jodia croceago. — Mr. A. J. Willsdon exhibited two series : the one bred in Essex from Kent ova was of normal orange colour, while the other bred in Yorkshire from New Forest ova was of a pale
salmon pink colour. _ .
Paper. — Mr. L. B. Prout read a paper on Entephria caesiata, printed
in extenso in this volume.
Jan. 1st, 1907. — Pocket Box Exhibition.
Dwarfed Lepidoptera. — Rev. C. R. N. Burrows, a number of undersized lepidoptera, including Agrotis puta, A. saucia, Amathes c-ni(irun), Plusia chrysitis and ELeliopliila pallens, taken in September, 1906. Mr. Burrows suggested that the dwarfing was the result of the exceptionally hot and dry season.
Polia chi from Yorkshire. — Mr. S. J. Bell, a series from the moors near Whitby, where the species was commonly met with on the stone walls that abound in the district ; the specimens were of a uniform pale grey colour.
Acronycta menyanthidis. — Mr. H. M. Edelsten, fine melamc examples from Yorkshire.
Argynnis selene abs. — Mr. T. H. L. Grosvenor, a £ with con¬ fluent marginal spots, and a 2 much suffused with black, from
Ashdown Forest. _
Thyatira batis. — Mr. L. A. E. Sabine, a specimen vith pink coloration much accentuated, from Epping Forest, and another from New Forest, with this coloration entirely lacking as in the Lin mean type.
Jan. 15th, 1907. — Thera variata and Psodos trepidaria — Parallel variation. — Mr. E. A. Cockayne, specimens from Rannoch with central fascia on forewings interrupted.
Phragmatobia fuliginosa. — A 2 with yellow abdomen and hmd- wings, and an example of var. Borealis, both from Rannoch. Ibid.
5
Melanic lepidoptera. — Mr. H. M. Edelsten Synopsia abruptaria from Clapton, Nona pH a gemini puncta and Phigalia pedaria from En¬ field, N. cannae and N. typhae from Norfolk, Stauropus fagi from Epping, and Cymatophora gemmaria from Kent. Mr. A. Harrison Bombycia d u plans and Acronicta leporina from Cornwall and Lancs., Pkaretra runiicis from Barnsley, Kupithecia venosata from Folkestone and Shetland Isles, and Aplecta nebuloxa from Cornwall, Epping and Delamere. Mr. L. A. E. Sabine, Pliraymatobia fuliginoxa with black body and hindwings. Mr. H. B. YVbitehouse, Lymantria monacha from Hull.
Paper. — Mr. L. W. Newman read a paper detailing some of bis experiences in breeding melanic lepidoptera. The particulars given showed that as a rule such forms usually bred true — or almost so — after the second brood ; the strains, however, usually die out soon after this, presumably owing to weakness due to in-breeding. Mr. Newman claimed that melanism was obviously on the increase in the British Isles, and could not be attributed solely to an increasingly smoke- polluted atmosphere, as the areas affected are widely separated both as regards position and general characteristics, and by no means confined to manufacturing districts.
A vote of thanks to the essayist proposed by Mr. L. B. Prout, and seconded by Mr. S. J. Bell, was duly carried.
Feb. 5th, 1907. — Hartula hyerana — Temperature and variation. — Dr. T. A. Chapman exhibited specimens showing that out of 15 examples emerging in November, December and January, 13 were decidedly darker in colour than any of 400 specimens which emerged at the normal time, viz., from August to October. Dr. Chapman considered it probable that the low temperature experienced by the pupa? of the late imagines was the direct cause of the latter’s tendency to darker coloration, at the same time admitting that the prolonga¬ tion of the pupal stage (directly due to temperature) might be a contributory cause.
Acronicta leporina ab. — Mr. E. A. Cockayne, a specimen from North Sutherland, entirely white save for a large black spot in centre of forewings.
Camptogramma bilineata vars. — Specimens from same district spotted with black. — Ibid.
Acalla lorquiniana and Senta maritima. — Mr. H. M. Edlesten exhibited a series of the former from Norfolk, and drew attention to the fact that not only did the species resemble a miniature -S', maritima, but that it had parallel forms of variation.
Cidaria miata. — Mr. A. Harrison, a long series bred in August and September, 190G, from New Forest OATa.
Pachys betularia vars. — Mr. V. E. Shaw, striking examples of forms intermediate between the type and var. Duubledayaria ; the specimens were secured at Bexley by sembling with typical bred 2 s. In four nights, 14 typical ^ s, 15 var. duubledayaria, 3 light inter¬ mediates and 4 dark intermediates were attracted, mostly between 10.30 and 11.30 p.m.
Cymatophora repandata — ab. Conversaria.- — A second brood bred September and October, from Torquay ova. — Ibid.
Cosmias from Pinner. — Mr. P. H. Tautz, all four species from this
6
district, C. pyralina being taken freely at light in July, and C. a (finis bred from larvae beaten out of elm in May.
Paper. — Mr. E. A. Cockayne read some “Notes from North Sutherland,” which are published in full in this volume.
Feb. 19th, 1907.— Nonagria geminipuncta. — Mr. E. A. Cockayne, melanic specimens from Bournemouth.
Pupation of Meliana flammea. — Mr. L. W. Newman, pupae spun up in captivity in reed blades drawn by the larvae into perfectly cylindrical form ; the larva usually pupates in the stem.
Petasia nubf.culosa. — A pupa retaining the transparent greenish appearance of a freshly formed pupa but actually a year old. — Ibid.
Toxocampa pastinum. — Mr. V. E. Shaw, a series from Walmer, Kent, July, 1906.
Laphygma exigua.— Imagines bred in December, 1906. — Ibid.
Discussion. — Mr. H. M. Edlesten’s opening of a discussion on the “ Wainscots,” is included in this volume.
March 5th, 1907. — Donation to Library. — Mr. Mera presented the 1906 volume of the “ Entomologists Record.”
Nominations. — The following gentlemen were nominated for mem¬ bership. Mr. F. B. Cross, Park Villa, Bruce Grove, Tottenham, proposed by Mr. L. B. Prout and Mr. H. M. Edlesten. Mr. D. Langford, “ Brooklyn ” Dollis Road, Church End, Finchley, proposed by Messrs. P. H. Tautz and R. G. Todd. Mr. Edward Reid, “ Birdhurst,” Chorleywood, near Rickmansworth, Herts, proposed by Messrs. II. M. Edlesten and P. H. Tautz.
Leioptilus carphodactylus from Folkestone. — Dr. T. A. Chapman specimens received from Mr. Purdy— the first British record.
Hastula hyerana — pupal “ freak.” — A pupa with mandibles of larval pattern. — Ibid.
Nemoria viridata. — Dr. G. G. C. Hodgson, a series from Wither- slack, showing variation with regard to pale lines on torewings ; in one specimen there was only a single line, in another the lower end of the outer line was bent, outwards, and in a third the line was markedly crenulate.
Nemoria porrinata (Zeller). — Mr. L. B. Prout, specimens from S. Europe, apparently indistinguishable from N. viridata, but said to be differentiated by having brown costal dusting and brown frons and forelegs.
Harpyia bicuspis cocoons. — Mr. L. W. Newman, two cocoons con¬ taining living pupae found on birch trunks in Tilgate Forest.
Dipthera alpium (Orion). — Mr. P. H. Tautz, a bred series including a specimen with brown marbling much accentuated, and green ground colour darker and duller than usual.
Paper. — Rev. O. R. N. Burrows read a paper on Nemoria viridata ultimately destined to be published in “ The Entomologists’ Record.” After dealing with the synonomy, and accepting theLinmean specimen with only one pale line on the forewings as the type, Mr. Burrows dealt with the insects habitat ; this he described as very local, there being no records for Ireland, Scotland, Wales or Isle of Wight. He pointed out that this species differed from all the other “ emeralds ” so far dealt with by him, in that it hybernates as a pupa ; moreover, the
7
larva, while possessing the spicules and transparent plates noticed in other species, does not possess the highly specialized hairs and pro¬ cesses found on the latter. The variation of the imago, which is slight and limited, was also dealt with.
March 19th, 1907. — New Members. — Messrs. F. B. Cross, D. Langford and Edward Reid, were elected to membership.
Nomination. — Mr. A. H. Shepherd, of 81, Corinne Road, Tufnell Park, N., was nominated by Messrs. L. B. Prout and J. A. Clark.
Donation.— Mr. H. M. Edelsten presented a reprint of his paper on the British Xonagria neurica.
Protective resemblance in pup.e. — Mr. A. Harrison, exhibited stereoscopic photos, taken by Mr. H. C. Maine, of a large Tineid ( Binsitta ? sp.), from Upper Burmah, which bears a striking re¬ semblance to the head of a small snake (Ly codon aulicus, Linn.) common in Burmah ; of two pupae received, one resembled the type, and another a striking variety of the snake in question.
Nemoria viridata ab. — Dr. G. G. C. Hodgson, a specimen ex Mr. Sidney Webb s collection, with very dark green cilia and dark green costa.
Paper. In the unavoidable absence of Mr. C. P. Pickett, who was to have read some notes on recent collecting, Dr. G. G. C. Hodgson kindly contributed some interesting notes on Polyommatus thetis ( bellarym ) and its allies; these are printed at the end of the transactions.
April 2nd, 1907. — New Member. — Mr. A. H. Shepherd was elected a member of the Society.
Lithosia muscerda.— Mr. H. M. Edelsten, larvae and pup® reared in captivity.
Phigalia pedaria. var. — Mr. T. H. L. Grosvenor, a series from Reigate, including a melanic $ with a metallic green tinge on fore wings.
Sterrha ochrata. — -Mr. V. E. Shaw, larvae reared from ova laid by J taken at Deal, July, 1906.
Scarcity of larvae. — Mr. L. W. Newman reported that in localities where larvae of Cosmotriche potatoria and Arctia caia were usually abundant they were practically non-existent; a few larvae of the latter found in an abnormally advanced stage suggested that the larv® had passed the usual hibernating stadium in the previous autumn and the majority had died in consequence during the winter.
April 16th 1907. — Donation. — The curators announced the receipt from Mr. L. B. Prout of numerous lepidoptera, including Lycaena arion, Laplujyma exigua and Toxocampa craccac.
Ithysia lapponaria. — Mr. A. W. Mera 2 s and 1 $ recently bred.
Notolophus gonostigma — pabulum. — In the course of a discussion concerning N. gonostigma, Mr. H. M. Edelsten stated that he had observed that in the fens the lame hibernated on sallows, but left these in the spring and fed up on various low plants.
May 7ch, 1907. — Donations. — The curators announced the receipt
8
of about three dozen lepidoptera from Rev. G. H. Raynor, and several Cosmia pyralina from Mr. P. H. Tautz.
Epirritas. — Rev. C. R. N. Burrows bred specimens of hybrid Epirrita dilutata x Christyi ; also a cross between Enniskillen and Lancashire E. autumnata closely resembling E. filigrammaria.
May 21st, 1907. — Donation. — Mr. J. A. Clark contributed a pair of Anarta cordigera, from Rannoch, to the Society’s cabinet.
Nomination. — Mr. 0. E. Janson, 95, Claremont Road, Highgate, N., was nominated for membership by Mr. J. A. Clark and Dr. J. S. Sequeira.
Xanthorh(f. fluctuata, was the object of special exhibition and dis¬ cussion. Rev. C. R. N. Burrows exhibited ab. C'ostovata from Mucking ; Mr. J. A. Clark also exhibited this var., and the Linnsean type. A series shown by Mr. J. Riches, also included var. eostovata from Hornsey.
Egeria andren/Eformis. — Mr. H. M. Edelsten, stems of I iburnum showing larval borings with ichneumon cocoons, and an empty pupa case in situ.
Colias rhamni — oviPOsiTioN.-— Dr. G. G. C. Hodgson exhibited ova, and reported that he had noticed that these were always found in batches of three or more on a leaf ; such ova generally hatched simultaneously, pointing to their being all laid by the same $ .
Dryas paphia larv.e.- — Mr. L. W. Newman, larvae in penultimate stadium, bred ab ovo.
June 4th, 1907. — New Member.- — Mr. 0. E. Janson was elected a member of the Society.
Ennomos quercinaria — The evening was mainly devoted to the exhibition and discussion of this species.
Rev. C. R. N. Burrows exhibited ab. equestraria from Ipswich. Mr. A. W. Mera, very pale specimens from Ipswich, and forms approaching ab. equestraria from S. Kensington. Mr. L. B. Prout ab. infuscata from S. Kensington, and a pale form from Eynsford.
Eusarcae elinguaria. — Mr. J. A. Clark, specimens from Scotland of deep almost orange coloration, and without the usual central fascia on forewings.
June 18th, 1907. — Nomination. — Mr. A. J. Wightinan, “ Ailsa Craig,” Lewes, Suffolk, was nominated for membership by Messrs. T. H. L. Grosvenor and P. H. Tautz.
Calocampa vetusta. — Dr. T. A. Chapman, larva? from South Tyrol, which, instead of being green as is usually the case in English specimens, were black with yellow dorsal and lateral lines, and pale white subdorsal line.
Ithysia lapponia, ab. — Mr. E. A. Cockayne, a $ with pale yellow costa and dorsal stripe, Rannoch, 1907.
Chilo phragmitellus. — Mr. IJ. M. Edelsten, a very dark, almost black $ , from Norfolk Broads.
Nemoria viridata, abs.— Dr. G. G. C. Hodgson, two specimens from Surrey, one having reddish forewings flecked with irregular green patches and hindwings of usual green colour, except at the anal angle,
9
the other being of usual green colour, but dappled with irregular and asymmetrical reddish blotches.
Synopsia abruptarta — gynandromorph. — Mr. C. W. Simmons, a \eiy striking specimen from Holloway, Avith right Avings almost black $ , and left wings typical J .
Graphiphora opima. — Mr. A. J. Willsdon, a series from Epping ^oiest district, including a pale grey specimen Avith dark brown central fascia.
Erannis leucophearia. — Mr. J. A. Clark, very dark specimens Avith usual pale median band almost obsolete, from New Forest.
Mr. A. H. Shepherd, E, w an/inaria var. fuscata, from Huddersfield, and E. leucojjhearia ab. inannormaria from Richmond Park.
Lepidopterous ova on a bird’s aaunO. — Mr. T. H. L. Grosvenor leported having found o\ra of Macruthylacia rubi on the Aving of a dead jay in Ashdown Forest.
September 3rd, 1907. — New Member. — Mr. A. J. Wightman was elected a member of the Society.
Nominations. — Mr. C. W. Simmons, 48, Fairmead Road, Tufnell Park, N., AA’as nominated by Messrs. J. A. Clark and J. Riches, and Mr. F. Turner, Manor House, TAvickenham, by Dr. J. S. Sequeira and Mr. .J. A. Clark.
Anthrocera palustris. — Mr. S. J. Bell, a series from Bude, end of July* 1907, including many Avith spots more or less confluent, and one example in Avhich the five spots A\Tere merged into one blotch occupying more than half the wing area.
Mr. H. M. Edelsten, specimens from Norfolk Broads, end of July, 1907, mostly having the central spots confluent.
Hemithea yESTiA’ARiA larvae. — ReA-. C. R. N. Burrows, laivae feeding on wild thyme.
Dryas paphia — VAR. Valezina. — Mr. J. A. Clark, five examples, bred ex tAvelve pupae reared from ova laid by Valezina $ .
Spilodes palealis from Dover. — Dr. G. G. C. Hodgson, a long series taken between July 24th and August 3rd, 1907.
Theretra porcellus, ab. — A specimen Avith right wings of normal southern coloration, and left wings of almost unicolorous yellow shade often seen in northern specimens. Ibid.
Caelimorpha dominula, ab. — Mr. C. P. Pickett, a specimen Avith red ground colour replaced by yelloAv, from Deal.
Spilote grossulariata, ab. — Mr. J. Riches, a series bred from north London larvae, including tAvo specimens with all the wings poAvdered with black scales.
September 17th, 1907. — Neaa' Members. — Messrs. C. W. Simmons and E. Turner Avere elected members of the Society.
Lycaena arion. — Mr. S. J. Bell, a series from N. Cornwall in good condition, although taken during the last week in July.
Agrotis obscura. — Rev. C. R. N. BurroAvs, two ? s and ova laid by same, twelve specimens having been taken by him at Mucking during late August and early September.
Cymatophora gemmaria. — Mr. J. A. Clark, dark specimens, similar to London form, from Pitlochrie, N.B.
PoLYOMMATUS THETIS (BELLARGUS) 2 S WITH $ COLORATION. - Dl’.
10
G. G. C. Hodgson, unusually blue specimens taken in Surrey, Sussex and Kent, between May 26th and July 28rd, 1907 ; the exhibitor suggested that the tendency to g coloration had some relation to the inclement season.
Spilote ulmata ab. — Mr. A. W. Mera, a series from Chalfont Road, including several specimens with black markings almost obsolete.
Maniola tithonus, abs. — Mr. C. P. Pickett, a long series from Dawlish, August lst-21st, many showing abnormally large ocelli on forewings, while a few lacked the white central spot in same ", seveial specimens were of a pale Painphilus- like colour.
Cosmotriche potatoria. — Mr. J. Riches, a series from Eastbourne, being as a whole somewhat darker than usual.
Stauropus fagi. — Mr. P. H. Tautz, seven specimens taken at Chorleywood about July 15th, 1907, including one or two rather dark g s.
October 1st, 1907.— Nonagria cann®— oviposition.— Mr. H. M. Edelsten, ova in situ on Typhae. The exhibitor explained that the $ was provided with special hooks enabling it to lift up the natuial folds in the cuticle of the leaf and deposit the ovum underneath.
Melit.ea artemis. — Dr. G. G. C. Hodgson, series showing parallel variation in widely separated districts, such as Central Ireland and South Wales, Devon, Surrey and S. Wales and Devon, Kent and S. Wales.
Spider preying on Lyc.enid.e. — Dr. Hodgson also exhibited a large red spider observed in abundance on RGgate Hill, where its irregular web, spun close to the ground, vas frequently found to con¬ tain numbers of Polyommatus tlietis g s.
Dianth(Ecia luteago var. ficklini. — Mr. L. B. Prout, a specimen bred July 3rd, 1907, from larva found at Bude, N. Cornwall, end of July, 1906, feeding on roots of Silene maritvna. The larva was reared on cut root in a tin box, and pupated about the middle of September.
Polia nigrocincta. — Mr. L. A. E. Sabine, a series bred from N. Cornwall larvae reared on apple and sallow.
Adopcea flava, resting habit. — Dr. G. G. C. Hodgson exhibited sketches of a specimen observed resting in the sun in the position assumed by Nisoniades tayes when at rest at night.
October 15th, 1907. — Lasiocampa callunje, ab. — Mr. J. A. Clark, a g from Dulnaith Bridge with usual pale fascia suffused with biov n ground colour.
Coenobia rufa. — Mr. H. M. Edelsten, a dark red-brown form from Dorset.
Polyommatus icarus.— Mr. T. H. L. Grosvenor, senes from Surrey and Aberdeen, those from the latter district being the larger and more intense in colour.
Dr. G. G. C. Hodgson, specimens taken during 1907, showing an unusually large proportion of blue $ s.
Colotois pennaria, ab. — Mr. A. W. Mera, a g , Brentwood, 190 1 , with lines on forewings very close together, and only faintly indicated.
Melanic Ennomos autumnaria. — Mr. L. W. Newman, a series bred
11
from pairing of melanic $ and typical 5 from Dover ; many of the specimens followed the $ parent.
Toxocampa ckacc/E. — Mr. L. B. Prout, specimens from N. Cornwall and N. Devon, 1907 ; all the specimens were of slatey grey colour, none showing the brownish tinge supposed to be characteristic of N. Devon examples some years ago.
Noxagria geminipuncta. — Mr. J. Riches, a series bred from Lewes pup*.
Meliana flammea. — Dr. J. S. Sequeira, specimens taken at light and sugar, Wicken, June, 1907.
Noxagria arundinis. — Mr. R. G. Todd, a long series, Wicken, June 10th-23rd, 1907.
Leucaxiids from Torquay. — Mr. A. J. Willsdon, Heliophila •putrescens, and Li. vitellina, September, 1907.
November 5th, 1907. - — Death of Member. — The President announced the receipt of advice of the death of Mr. A. H. Shepherd ; a motion requesting the secretary to send a letter of condolence and regret was adopted.
Cleogene peletieraria, second brood. — Dr. T. A. Chapman, a living $ bred from ova laid in August ; attention was drawn to the fact that the throwing of a second brood by an Alpine species, though unexpected, was paralleled by a similar record in connection with Erebia cassiope.
Bombycia ocularis from Finchley.— Mr. W. Bloomfield, various lepidoptera collected in Finchley district during 1907, including a single B. ocularis.
The usual custom of devoting the first evening in November to the exhibition and exchange of duplicates was maintained.
November 19th, 1907. — Donation to library. — The librarians announced the receipt from Mr. A. E. Tonge, of a brochure containing many photographs of lepidoptera and lepidopterous ova.
Camptogramma fluviata at sugar. — Rev. C. R. N. Burrows, a $ taken at sugar at Mucking, October 2nd, 1907.
Anthrocera purpuralis (Minos). — Mr. A. Harrison, specimens taken in Carnarvonshire in 1905 and 1907, those taken in the former year being larger and more thickly scaled than the 1907 examples. Mr. Harrison mentioned that in 1907 emergence took place about a month later than in 1905, and suggested that the inclemency of the current year might account for the difference in appearance between the two series.
Melanic anthrocera trifolii. — Dr. G. G. C. Hodgson, three extreme examples with all wings metallic blue-black, and only a trace of the red spots — also six spotted specimens — Surrey, 1907.
Melanic Epirrita dilutata. — Mr. L. W. Newman, a deep brown- black specimen, Bexley, October, 1907.
Crocallis elinguaria from north London, 1882 and 1907.— Mr. A. J. Willsdon exhibited examples taken at Manor Park in 1882 and 1907, the recent captures being heavily speckled with dark brown, while the 1882 specimens were pale in colour. Mr. Willsdon also exhibited a gynandromorph from the same district, and a specimen
12
from Torquay, September, 1907, with the central band on forewings very dark, and heavily outlined.
December 3rd, 1907. — Annual meeting.
Euvanessa antiopa. — Mr. J. A. Clark, a specimen taken at Walthamstow in 1872.
Urbicola comma, ab. — Dr. G. G. C. Hodgson, a long series from Surrey including a cream coloured $ , and another $ with underside as dark as in typical $ .
Harpyia bicuspis from Tilgate. — Mr. L. W. Newman, 3 cocoons containing living pupas, found on birch trunks.
Eupsilia satellitia, ab. — Mr. J. Riches, on behalf of Mr. Dewey of Eastbourne, two very dark specimens, and another of uniform brick- red colour.
Epirrita autumnata from Tilgate Forest. — Mr. L. A. E. Sabine, three E. autumnata taken in 1907, one having the upper wings of a unicolorous pale grey save for a somewhat darker broact central band.
Election of Council. — The result of the election of officers for the ensuing year was as follows : —
President. — Mr. A. W. Mera.
Vice-presidents. — Dr. T. A. Chapman, and Messrs. J. A. Clark, F. J. Hanbury and L. B. Prout.
Treasurer. — Mr. P. H. Tautz.
Librarians. — Messrs. G. H. Heath and V. E. Shaw.
Curators. — Dr. G. G. C. Hodgson and Mr. A. J. W lllsdon.
Secretaries. — Messrs. S. J. Bell and T. H. L. Grosvenor.
Non-official Members of Council. — Rev. C. R. N. Burrows, and Messrs. H. M. Edelsten, E. Harris, J. Riches and A. Sich.
Secretaries’ Report for the Year 1907.
It is some four years since the secretaries have been able to obey the strict letter of the rule that decrees that on the occasion of the annual meeting they shall put before members a report on the
progress of the Society. .
It is, therefore, with a refreshing and pleasurable sensation ot change that we announce that we are this year in a position to state that "during 1907 some progress has undoubtedly been made ; it is modest in degree, but, nevertheless, better to record than dormancy or retrogression.
In the first place the members’ roll has been increased, and we have now got well ahead of the limit of 75 members, which number was commented upon a year or so ago as an apparently impassable figure in connection with the number of the Society’s adherents.
During the year eight new members have been secured, while two have resigned and two (be it regretfully recorded) have joined the great majority — the one, an honorary member, Mr. J. E. Robson, and the other (only elected in April, 1907), Mr. A. H. Shepherd. Thus last year’s total of 75 has been increased to 79. A search through the
13
records of the Society’s doings during the past seventeen years has failed to reveal any record equal to this, and it is to be hoped that, having left the fatal number 75 well behind, we shall soon be requir¬ ing an enlarged prospectus to accommodate a steadily increasing membership.
The attendance at the meetings should be a reliable indicator to the Society’s activity, and here, also, an advance can be recorded. The average attendance per meeting in 1906 worked out at 16-55, while for 1907 it is 17-55. The highest average on record is, appar¬ ently, 18-0 in 1903; the increase in our numbers should enable us to beat the average next year. Next year, be it noted, is the Society’s jubilee year, and it would be satisfactory to commemorate same by a record membership and a record attendance.
The increasing attendance and the more numerous exhibits conse¬ quent thereon make it more than ever impossible for the reporting secretary to record all the exhibits from his own observations; and he frankly confesses once again that he has no intention of attempting the impossible. Members are, therefore, once more urged to furnish notes on all points worth recording in connection with their exhibits.
The attendance of visitors, unfortunately, goes from bad to worse. In 1905 we averaged 1 visitor per meeting; in 1906, mathe¬ matically speaking, only 0-85 of a visitor graced each gathering, while this year the figure has dwindled to 0-6. As about a third of those whose names have appeared on the visitor side of our attendance book during the past four or five years have ultimately become members, this falling off in the number of visitors is obviously a matter for regret.
The largest gathering of the year was on “ exchange night,” which has proved a popular fixture ever since its introduction in 1903. In connection with this meeting it is worth noting that this year there was more real exchanging going on, and considerably less of that display of faith in the old saw that “ the Lord helps those who help themselves,” which has tended to detract from the enjoyment of previous exchange evenings. This is a step in the right direction and should encourage the display of more really good insects, thereby rendering the occasion still more attractive. However generous an entomologist may be he cannot but feel somewhat discouraged if his invitation to “ help yourselves ” is obeyed so literally that his box is converted into a receptacle for a mere aching void.
In respect of our field meetings Providence — or the clerk of the weather — proved less kind. Arrangements were made for three, viz., to Worley, on June 15th; Chalfont Road, July 6th; and Reigate, July 27th. The first meeting was rendered impossible to all but one or two ultra-adventurous spirits by torrential rain ; the second was more fortunate as regards the weather of the moment, but insects were lacking owing to the generally inclement season. On the third occasion the weather was cold and dull, and lepidoptera were con¬ spicuous by their absence.
There is, unfortunately, not much to record in the matter of donations. Our worthy President has repeated his annual gift of a volume of the “ Record,” and this constitutes the only substantial
14
gratuitous addition to the library. The cabinet has fared rather better, and several of the rarer species of lepidoptera having been presented by Messrs. Clark, Hodgson, Front, Raynor, and Tautz.
The following programme has been carried out during the year : —
1906, Dec. 18. Larentia caesiata ... ... ... Mr. L. B. Prout.
1907, Jan. 1. Pocket Box Exhibition.
15. Notes on breeding Melanie lepi¬ doptera
Feb. 5. Notes from North Sutherland
,, 19. Exhibition and Discussion —
“ Wainscots ” ... opened by
Mar. 5. iSemoria viridata
,, 19. Polyommatus corydon and P. thetis...
Nov. 5. Exchange Night.
„ 19. Special Exhibit — Zygaenidae Dec. 3. Annual Meeting — Presidential Address ...
Mr. L. W. New¬ man.
Mr. E. A. Cock¬ ayne.
Mr. II. M. Edels- ten.
Rev. C. R. N.
Burrows.
Dr. G. G. C. Hodgson.
Mr. A. W. Mera.
A year or two ago the lack of new names on our programme was a source of anxiety ; in the last report we were able to point to one recruit, and during the past year we have secured the support of two members who have not hitherto figured in the annual syllabus — yet another instance of progress made.
It is with feelings of regret— that are shared by his co-secretary — that Mr. E. Harris announces his enforced retirement from active duty owing to ill health. We are confident, however, that his successor, Mr. T. H. L. Grosvenor, will both deserve and receive the same cordial support as has been accorded in the past to the retiring secretary.
S. J. Bell.} „ o
t-^ TT f LlOll . u€CS.
H. Harris. J
15
TREASURER’S ACCOUNT, December, 1906, to December, 1907.
GENERAL FUND.
Dr.
Cr.
To Balance from 1906 . . 11
,, 51 Subscriptions, 7/6, and 1 Half Subscrip¬ tion, 5/- . . . . 19
,, 2 Subscriptions, 5/- . . 0
,, 5 Entrance Fees, 2/6 . . 0
,, 8 Arrears, 7/6, and 2 Arrears, 5/- . . . . 3
,, 8 Subscriptions for 1908.
7/6 . .3
|
s. |
d. |
£ |
s. |
d. |
||
|
2 |
14 |
By Rent, July 31st, 1906, to |
||||
|
July 31st, 1907 |
12 |
12 |
0 |
|||
|
» > |
Insurance |
0 |
6 |
3 |
||
|
7 |
6 |
J J |
Attendance |
0 |
10 |
0 |
|
10 |
0 |
) > |
Printing and Stationery |
1 |
12 |
4 |
|
12 10 |
6 |
? J ) > |
Postage . . Subscription to Ento- |
1 |
18 |
1 |
|
0 |
mologist |
0 |
6 |
0 |
||
|
0 |
0 |
J J |
Subscription to Ento¬ mologist’s Monthly |
|||
|
Magazme |
1 |
10 |
0 |
|||
|
? 5 |
Books and Binding |
1 |
6 |
0 |
||
|
5 » |
Dr. Balance Publication |
|||||
|
Fund, 1905 .. |
3 |
16 |
5 |
|||
|
5 J |
Dr. Balance Publication |
|||||
|
Fund, 1906 . . |
2 |
13 |
6 |
|||
|
» > |
Balance in Hand |
11 |
11 |
6J |
||
|
J U |
£38 |
2 |
14 |
LIFE MEMBERSHIP FUND.
£ s. d. | £ s d
To 2 Subscriptions at £5 .. 10 0 0 j By Balance in hand (at
_ | Bank) .. . . 10 0 0
To Donations ,, Advts. in Transactions ,, Sale of Copies ..
,, Balance (transferred to General Fund)
PUBLICATION FUND
£ s. d,
6 11 6 16 3 0 12 0
2 13 6
£11 3 3
C. P. Pickett (Hon. Treasurer.)
£ s. d.
By Cost of Printing Transac¬ tions for 1906 . . 11 3 3
£11 3 3
Examined and found correct. Thos. H. L. Grosvenor) ,
Alfred J. Willsdon f Auditors.
16
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.
By A. W. Mera.
After the Secretary’s report, which has just been read, it appears unnecessary for me to go into any details concerning our Society, beyond expressing satisfaction at the general progress we have made. Considering the unusually poor season that we have just passed through, I think we must agree that the amount of work done by the Society has been most satisfactory.
I have often heard it remarked that a season is considered good or had according to the amount of work each individual has done, and consequently, what one Entomologist may consider a bad season, another, who has worked harder, will consider very good ; hut be that as it may, I cannot help coming to the conclusion that the season of 1907 has not been a good one. There is no doubt that the summer has been abnormally cold, and to my knowledge there were night frosts well into June in the neighbourhood of Brentwood in Essex, where I then saw the young oak leaves blackened by frost ; and I should think probably that not a month during the whole summer passed without some night frosts.
It will he remembered that in the very early Spring there were a few unusually hot days, which gave promise of a fine and early summer, which, however, was quite delusive. During that early burst of heat, I saw several hybernatecl Vanessidae on the wing, and also a few Pieris rapae, which occurred as early as March the 29th and 31st. This is only the second time that I have ever seen rapae as early as March, although I know it frequently does occur by then ; but with my limited opportunities for observation (having to spend most of my time when the sun is shining in the region of Threadneedle Street), it was something like 40 years since I saw rapae in March, and, strangely enough, on both occasions it was on a Good Friday. After that short space of premature summer most of us know what an unsatisfactory turn the weather took.
On June loth, in most unpropitious weather, our first excursion, led by Mr. Edlesten, to Warley Common, was joined by a handful of members, the party being well protected with water- boots, leggings, and overcoats ; however, in spite of everything, we managed to have a most enjoyable outing. Although our captures were naturally few, some very interesting species were taken, including a black specimen of Stauropus fagi.
On July 6th, under rather better climatic conditions, our second excursion, to Chalfont Road, was led by Mr. Pickett. We were taken through some magnificent country for collecting, but the day was too dull for day flying insects, and the only one seen by me was a solitary specimen of Lycaena icarus. Nevertheless, the weather was not had enough to prevent moths from emerging, and a large number of Spilote ulmata were seen, this being the insect of the day. For some reason this species appeared to be more uniform in markings than it
17
was the year before, and I Avas led to understand that it was not so numerous as formerly. Moreover, as far as I saAV, none of the smoky leaden-coloured specimens were taken, as they were the year before ; this form hitherto was considered to be confined to a certain district in Yorkshire, where for several years it was taken in some abundance, but now I am told that both the var. and type have disappeared from this spot.
Our third excursion, which Avas conducted by Mr. GrosATenor, to the Reigate district, Avas also favoured Avith only very moderate weather, and although I was unable to join the party, I belie\'e only a very moderate number of species Avere taken.
Perhaps it would not be out of place for me to emphasize the desirability of members joining these outings, as I believe many of us often neglect them. I have generally found that, if the day’s outing has not added very considerably to the season’s total captures, it is usually a most pleasant social gathering, besides frequently opening up unfamiliar country, Avhich to a collector is always interesting and instructive.
As might be expected Avith such a remarkably cold summer, some insects delayed the time of their appearance to unusually late dates. Among those that haA’e come under my notice, or have been taken by myself, are Smerinthus tiliae on July 25th, at Forest Gate, another being taken as late as September 15th, by Mr. Riches, in the north of London. This, in an ordinary season, would have been put down for a second brood, but following my record of the end of July it seems moie than piobable that there has been only one brood. A ip grtnis paphia was seen by Mr. Willsdon on September 30th, in South Devon; some years ago I used to take this insect in some woods near Ipswich’ during the first half of July. Spilote grossulariata on September 18th, also from South Devon, is another very late date, being a good three months after our London garden specimens had made their appearance ; but, doubtless, most of us have noticed that in normal seasons the garden S. grossulariata are usually a month in advance of country-bred specimens. H. semele, in South Devon, Avas quite fresh on September 18th ; this is an insect Avhich runs Avell into the autumn, but it is seldom to be found in good condition during the latter part of September. Pyramidea Avas also fresh on September 19th, and B. mar ails and C. elingu- aria, both on September 18th, all from South Devon. • These two latter species are perhaps not quite so remarkable, for although late, they are both sometimes given to hold out for a very long time. " Agrotis cinerea was taken at Freslnvater on July 24th, Avhich is a good six weeks late, and Arctia villica on July 23rd, which is also long after the normal time ; in the Willesden district, where I used to take the latter freely some years ago, I always expected to find it fully out by June 8th, and frequently it Avas to be seen some time before that date. Eremobia ochroleuca, on September 21st, at Hazeleigh, Essex, is another belated appearance. This may be considered tAvo months late, and finally Ave come to Catocala nupta, which I saw on October 6th, at Leytonstone, AA'hile two others were taken in good condition at Woodford on October 11th, Avhich is certainly very late.
Another striking feature of the season has been that a large number of insects that have been kept for ova, have proved infertile, shoAving clearly that insects will not pair when the temperature is
18
abnormally cold. There has been some correspondence in some of the journals remarking on the fact that insects have been seen remaining in one position without moving for several nights in succession, and it seems that with a low temperature moths of both sexes have no inclination to move. I myself have noticed Spilosoma menthastri doing the same thing. I have also tethered up a female A. prodr omari a, which remained out a whole week without pairing, owing to a spell of cold weather, and on another occasion in almost the same locality under better climatic conditions, the looked-for result was brought about almost immediately.
The interest taken in the capture of our rarer species or occasional visitors is, perhaps, not so great as it used to be, but even allowing for this, the number of specimens recorded this season still seems very small. There is one notice of D. livornica being taken in the early part of the year, and my friend, Mr. Willsdon, took a couple of L. vitellinci in South Devon in September, but the other rareties which were in such evidence last year, particularly L. eccigua, have entirely failed to establish themselves, and H. peltigera, which last year was in great abundance in Devonshire, has only turned up very sparingly. It is seldom that a year goes by without some special insect being in extra abundance, but it would appear that this year, both rare and common insects have been adversely affected with but very few exceptions. Perhaps one of the exceptions has been that of Mania tnaura, which at any rate in some places has been unusually plentiful.
In the matter of rearing lame I have always been inclined to think that cool weather is rather beneficial than otherwise, more particularly when the larvae are kept indoors, as I have frequently noticed that a burst of heat has proved most disastrous to many species ; but I learn from some of the large breeders of insects in our society, that the result of the year’s work has been anything but satisfactory. My own experience has been very varied, commencing with an almost complete failure with broods of Oporabia autumnaria and 0. Christyi, with which genus I had hitherto been very successful, and the manner of treatment of which was the same as before. On the other hand, with that troublesome species T. opima , I was successful in getting about 100 to pupate. A little later on I was again unsuccessful with a number of D. fascelina and N. zonaria lame, which were sent me from Lancashire. These species are well-known to be difficult when sent away from their native air, but as the fascelina were nearly fullgrown when I received them, I reasonably hoped for better results. I once before had an example of what appeared to be the change of air up¬ setting lame. I had been collecting some numbers of Heliothis dipsaceus larvae on the Suffolk coast, and whilst staying there my larvae were doing perfectly well, and some were pupating ; but on my return home to London air the larvae began to sicken at once, and scarcely another larva pupated. I had a few eggs of N. lapponaria and I don’t think I lost a single larva, yet in some other years they have been almost complete failures. With other commoner species, T. consonaria so far has been a complete success, and D. falcula did fairly well also ; but these two species are generally easy to manage.
As might be expected this has not been a year for any generally single-brooded species to develop a second brood, but rather for double- brooded species to lay over until the spring. This has been pointed
19
out to me as particularly noticeable in Pier is napi, which some of our members have been breeding largely. Doubtless the weather again has been responsible for the absence of our occasional visitors, or perhaps has prevented the possibility of a solitary migrant perpetuating the species for a time. In support of that, I may say that a friend of mine had put out some foreign larvae of V. antiopa in Norfolk during the early summer, and as far as I know none of the imagines have been seen. It may have been an interesting experiment in some ways, but from a collector’s point of view the advisability of the experiment is somewhat doubtful.
The result of endeavouring to establish insects in new localities is by no means uniformly successful, even in cases where environment and climate seem all that can be desired. I have been told that many attempts have been made to colonize K. vespertarici in positions in Yorkshire similar to the original habitat, but in all cases the attempts have proved useless. Personally, I never remember having the satisfaction of seeing a new colony established by my own planting. I once put out a large number of Z. filipendulae on what seemed to me a likely spot, but I have never seen the sign of another since the day I put them out. And I have also put out Liparis dispar, and these also never occurred again. Perhaps one of the most successful results at colonization that I have ever heard of was that of Limenitis sibylla having been taken from St. Osyth, in Essex, to the woods a few miles to the west of Ipswich, by one of the old Ipswich collectors named Seaman. I never knew Seaman personally, for his collecting was about finished when mine began, but it was a tradition handed down that he brought sibylla to these woods, and certainly the insect was steadily increasing for many years when I used to work the district. I first took it there in the Sixties, when, if we saw half-a-dozen specimens during the day, we thought them fairly numerous. By 1 885 the insect simply swarmed, and in 1894, when I was last there, it was still to be found in large numbers, and now, I am told, it has extended its range considerably beyond where I used to take it. Strangely enough, this seems to be the only insect which, to my knowledge, has increased in numbers within the last forty years in that locality. My old companion, the late G. Garrett, of Ipswich, who was nearly forty years my senior, often used to sigh over the lost species of his early days, which occurred in this favoured spot, some of them being sinapis, atlialia, promissa , sponsa, quadra, and versicolor, while I have seen disappear, or almost so, iris, paphia, and adippe. It may be that when an insect is newly introduced into a locality which is favourable to its well-being, that the rate of increase is augmented by the absence of its parasite, which might explain the increase of sibylla, while so many other species disappeared from the same district. It seems as if Callimorpha hera was a parallel example, although I have no very reliable data to go on. It is believed by many entomologists that hera was artificially introduced into Devonshire, and I think that there can be no doubt that it has considerably increased in numbers of late years, and also that it has extended its range very considerably. I believe our friend Mr. Burrows has, to some extent, succeeded in introducing both C. hera and A. sulphuralis to his own district, as certainly one wild hera has been seen, and last year two sulphuralis were taken at light a short distance from where the lame were put out two years before. This
20
seems to me to be a very remarkable case of colonization, as the difference of soil and surroundings to the usual habitat of sulphuralis is very great. It would seem feasible that a species newly arriving in a strange locality might well escape its natural exterminators for a good many years, and increase and multiply at a far greater rate for some considerable time, until its enemies, in the form of parasites, had found them out, and the balance of Nature was once more adjusted.
Touching on the increase of parasites in certain districts, I may mention that forty years ago the larvae of Spilote grossulariata, which I collected in the London district, were entirely free from any parasite whatever, but some years later they began to be attacked. Last year I gathered some 150 larvae and I should say certainly two-thirds of them were stung by one or other of four different species of parasites.
It has often struck me, that many London insects are much more given to be stung by parasites than the same species are in less inhabited districts. The only reason that has ever suggested itself to my mind, that might possibly produce that effect, is that there are so few' purely insectivorous birds frequenting our London gardens, which would probably tend to keep down the ichneumons to some extent. In country districts, one or two species that appear to be most fre¬ quently stung, in and around London, are Acronycta psi and Acronycta aceris. With these species it is quite a rare thing to find a larva that is not stung, and yet in the country districts it is quite the reverse, perhaps more particularly with psi. Smerinthus ocellatus is another instance, and formerly Saturnia carpini was a most striking case ; but that insect is no longer able to live in its old habitat as the place is now covered with houses.
Before concluding, I should like to express my sincere thanks to the officers of the society for the interest they have taken in carrying out the work of the society. Many of the duties entail considerable work and ability, and I think I am expressing not only my own feelings, but those of all the members, when I tender our most sincere thanks.
And lastly, I have again to thank you, gentlemen, for the confidence you have reposed in me, in once more electing me as your President. I trust that the coming year will show no backward movement in our society, and that the many interesting phases of entomology will be pursued as keenly as ever.
21
PAPERS READ BEFORE THE SOCIETY.
THE VARIATION OF ENTEPHRIA CAESIATA.*
(Read December 18th, 1906, by LOUIS B. PROUT, F.E.S,)
In a paper published in the Entomologist two or three years ago, on “ Some Recurrent Phases of Variation in the Larentiida, ,” ( Entom ., xxxvii., pp. 151-156), I briefly referred — amongst many other illustra¬ tions to two of the named forms of Entephria ( Larentia ) caesiata ; the first, on page 152, as ab. < ylaciata , Germ., and the other on page 156, as ab. yelata, Guen. (misprinted “Germ.”). I was not at that time working at the variation of this species in particular, but I took it in hand very shortly afterwards, and soon discovered that Staudiuger had been “playing fast and loose” with the varietal nomenclature, in this as in some other cases. I shall show presently that the name ab. gelata is not possibly tenable for the form to which —following Staudinger— I applied it. ‘ Perhaps I shall be blamed for not having verified it from original sources before having made myself responsible for its use ; but while I hold, as strongly7 as any7- one, that no revision of nomenclature should be undertaken without first-hand consultation of the entire literature involved, I would point out that general papers such as the one in question would hardly7 ever get written at all, if it were not considered allowable to use the standard lists or reference works pending further revisions. However, as soon as I found that there were errors to be corrected, I determined to revise this interesting species as thoroughly as possible, and this evening’s contribution is a partial result. My interest in the subject, on other and more important aspects than that of nomenclature, has been continuously enhanced by the accessions of new material in my collection ; and although a certain amount of this has been acquired by purchase or exchange, y7et it is on occasions such as the present, when I am surveying an extensive series of some variable species, that I feel most keenly the magnitude of my indebtedness to such kind friends as Dr. Chapman, Messrs. A. H. Jones, H. Rowland- Brown, A. Bacot, and others, who so liberally make my collection a receptacle for Geometrides collected on their travels.
* Entephria, Hb., Verz., p. 331 (1825?), Warr, Nov. Zool., xii., p. 332 (1905), type flavicinctata, Hb. ; = Glaucopteryx, Hb., 1. c., p. 332 (1825?), Pack., Monogr., p. 66 (1876), type caesiata, Hb. ; = Larentia , [Tr. Schmett. Eur. v., 2, p. 440 (1825), non sect. typ. ] Guen., Ur. et Phal. x., p. 266 (1858), type caesiata, Hb. ; — Aplocera, Stph., Cat. Brit. Ins., ii., p. 141 (1829), type caesiata, Hb. The true type of Larentia, Tr., is clavaria, Haw. (cervinata, Schiff.) as declared by Stephens in 1831 (III. Haust., iii., p. 210). Duponchel had in 1829 (Hist. Nat., vii . , 2, p. 112) chosen dubitata, L., but this was invalid, not being in Treitschke’s original genus ; and before he had published his next volume (1830), containing a further revision of the genus, Stephens (Cat. Brit. Ins., ii., p. 129, 1829) had restricted it to four species, only three of them Treitschkian, namely clavaria, chenopodiata ( =limitata ) and bipunctaria.
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It will, no doubt, be rightly assumed that it is the variation of the imago of which I intend principally to speak ; but it may be of some interest — and the title of my paper certainly does not preclude it — to remark that “ The Variation of Entephria caesiata ” is by no means confined to its final stage. The larva also is very variable, and most of its forms are very gay. It seems to have been first made known by Freyer, is briefly described by Guenee, and has more recently been figured and described by Milliere (Sat. Sicil ., vi., p. 8, pi. i.» fig. 16, 1886) and by Buckler ( Larvae , vii., p. 166, pi. cxxvii., fig. 3, 1897). The description in Buckler was supplied him by Hellins (Ent. Mo. Ma<i., xii., p. 6), and gives two principal forms of the larva, the first “ deep red-chocolate,” the second “ a deep bright green,” both having the distinct dorsal ornamentation which makes it such a handsome creature. Buckler figures two of the former main variety, one (fig. 36) being green at the segment incisions. The food-plants, as recorded by Hellins, by Staudinger, Frey, Hoffmann (Stett. Ent. Zeit., xlix., p. 174), and others, are chiefly the species of V actinium and Calluna, though Frey (Lep. Schweiz, p. 231) also gives willow and, with a query, young firs, while Milliere (Nat. Sicil., vi., p. 9) says that in confinement it eats Primus, Crataegus, Cistus, and Geranium, but prefers Convolvulus arvensis — i.e., is partially polyphagous. My own acquaintance with the larva is based solely on some which Dr. Chapman kindly sent me, fullfed, in July, 1900, from Pontresina, where he found them feeding on rhododendron — an otherwise unrecorded food- plant, I believe, though related to its favourite pabula. They seemed to be mostly of the purplish-brown form, changing to green when about to pupate, but it struck me that they had been definitely variable, and some probably green throughout, at least, the final instar.
So far as is at present known, Entephria caesiata was first detected as a species by Denis and Schiff’ermiiller, who published it in 1775 (Schmett. Wien., p. Ill), under the name of Geometra caesiata, placing it in “ Family L ” (subsequently named Larentia by Treitschke, Stinnett. Eur., v., 2, p. 440, 1825), with the “family” (generic) characters as follow : Geometrae, Mediofasciatae — upper wings almost as in the preceding” (i.e., “marked transversely on the upperside with parallel, clustered, wavy lines”), marked with curved or waved trans¬ verse lines, yet with those in the central area of the wing more massed together and darkened, so as to form a transverse band of almost equal
breadth throughout. The species (No. 6, p. 112) comes in section . ,
“forewings grey,” and is diagnosed as the “blue-grey, dark-striped geometer,” the locality given being Styria. These particulars, taken in conjunction with the testimony of Schiffermiiller’s contemporaries, are amply sufficient for the recognition of the species, and Staudinger should not have cited Lang, Verz. (1789) as the earliest authority for the name.
Leaving out of consideration the varietal names, there are really remarkably few synonyms for this species. It is, indeed, hard to believe that Schrank, in his studies of the fauna of Bavaria, can have remained unacquainted with it, especially as he clearly did not neglect mountain collecting,* but a careful examination of the diagnoses of
* See, for instance, his Fauna Boica, ii., 2, pp. 51-52, alpinata (---quadrifaria, Sulz.) and aarbonata ( = alpinata , Scop.).
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his undetermined species has failed to discover any description at all applicable to it. I can only record, at present, the following synonyms : —
miata, Schwarz, Beytr., ii., p. 154, pi. xx. A., fig. 9 (1794), nec Linn. [Schwarz also cites o-miata, Mull., in the synonymy, but, although that species has never been determined, Muller’s description shows it cannot belong here.]
infrequentata, Haw., Lep. Brit., p. 330 (1809). [Haworth’s caesiata, taken commonly at Peckham in February, cannot have been the “ Simon pure” unless the data supplied him were entirely erroneous; his infrequentata, without exact locality, certainly represents caesiata, and apparently a rather pale form, with the band fairly distinct, though bifid at the costa, as in the type.]
pyrenaria (? auct.) ined., is stated by Lalanne (Man. Ent., p. 227, 1822) to be the name under which he has seen caesiata “ in one collection.” I take this opportunity to express my dissent from the view of Rothschild and Jordan (Revision of the Sphingidae) that no useful purpose can possibly be served by recording “ museum ” or other manuscript names in synonymy. On the contrary, I hold it a duty to record them when they are known. It is not inconceivable that cases might arise where important service would be done to biological science by such a course ; it is well known that many able writers are careless bibliographers, and may easily publish valuable biological notes in connection with some “museum” name which has never been published, their work, therefore, in the future becoming almost useless. To some extent, I can instance actual cases. For example, in 1816, a French entomologist, Lelorgne de Savigny, published an important work under the title of Memories mr les Amman. v sans Yertebres, in which he embodies some original studies in the mouth parts of insects ; in the course of these there are anatomical details given of four “inedited” species — Minyas polygoni, Strigina goae, Ismene pelusia, and Lyndia cannarum. So far as I have been able to learn, no other reference to these is to be found in literature ; but I, for one, should be very grateful to any of his contemporaries whom I might discover to have published a note to the effect that such-and-such known species existed in the Paris Museum, or in Savigny ’s private collection, under these names, even though the publisher of the note might not have been aware that any other elucidation depended upon it. One or two other, though less striking cases, have come under my notice in my own studies of the literature of the Geometridae — e.g., some observations of Scharfen berg’s in Scriba’s Journal, in 1790, included certain “ nomina nuda ” which, however, have become intelligible through their author’s own determinations of them published fifteen years later (in Bechstein and Scharfenberg’s Schddliche Furstinsekten, vol. iii.).
But I must not spend further time in this digression, as “ the variation of Entepliria caesiata ” is awaiting more detailed consideration. The type of the species is the ordinary German and Austrian form, with bluish-grey tint and conspicuous dark band, and is fixed with quite unusual clearness and unanimity. Not only does Schiffermiiller’s meagre diagnosis point defininitely to this form, but the fuller descriptions of Lang, Borkhausen, and Treitschke, and the figure by Hubner (a little too blue, but recognisable) also represent the same.
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In Central Europe, E. caesiata is not nearly so variable as in the far North, or in many parts of Britain ; Frey, for instance (Lep. der Schweiz, p. 231), says definitely that “compared with high-northern examples (Norway and Iceland) the Swiss caesiata varies little.” Some of the earliest references to supposed varieties were due to confusion of the allied species with it. Thus several of the older entomologists, even including Staudinger in his earlier days (cfr. Stett. Ent. Zeit., xxii., p. 396), Speyer (Stett. Ent. Zeit., xx., p. 32), and Guenee at first (Ur. et. Phal., ii., p. 273)* confused either E. flavi- cinctata, lib., as a whole (Staudinger, Speyer), or in its darkened Scotch form (Guenee), with the present species, calling it caesiata var. flavicinctata; while one (Freyer, Beytr., v., p. 14, pi. 390, fig. 4) figures as a var. of caesiata an example which is certainly in reality injidaria, Lah. Even one quite modern writer, Giunppenberg (Nova Acta Acad. German., liv., p. 390), has attempted to extend the limits of the variation of E. caesiata by merging into it a form which has by others been regarded as a distinct species ; this is the Asiatic ravaria, Lah. (Verh. Zool.-bot. Ver. Wien, iii., p. 381, pi. vi., fig. 4), which I shall have to mention later on, but which I may say at once is quite evidently a good species.
The first genuine varieties or aberrations of Entephria caesiata to attract attention were apparently those which were brought from Iceland towards the middle of the last century, and those studied by Zetterstedt in Lapland about the same period ; and these differed so much fiom the typical form that it was not unnatural that — considering the small amount of the material then available for comparison — they were considered to be new species and named as such.
First, in chronological order, came Germar’s ylaciata (Faun. Ins. Ear., xv., fol. 18, pi. 18, 1832), described and figured from Iceland, and later recorded from Lapland by Zetterstedt (Ins. Lap., p. 959, 1838), who notes its similarity to caesiata and to his annosata. But Staudinger was the first to point out (Stett. Ent. Zeit., xviii., p. 257) that it, “with certainty belongs here” (i.e., to caesiata ) “as dark variety.” He, however, there diagnoses it as “ var. a. Alis anticis nigricantibus, $ 2 ,” which suggests the more extreme form (“ caesiata var. A ” of Guenee), and remarks that it is led up to by a series of aberrations differing in the degree of the darkening. Germar’s own diagnosis of his form, was as “ fuscous grey,” showing the inter¬ mediate paler fascite as “ hoary,” or “ more whitish ” ; that is, it was an average darkened form, and not the very extreme thing which is sometimes met with, e.y., in Britain, and which is the “ caesiata var. A ” of Guenee (Ur. et Phal., ii., p. 272).
Next Zetterstedt (Ins. Lapp., p. 962, 1839) introduced us to annosata, likewise assumed to be a new species, although compared with caesiata, to which he had evidently noticed its resemblance. Probably, like ylaciata, it was described from a single specimen only ; he says : “ Hah. in Lapponia rarissime” and that it was discovered in the mountains of Dalecarlia by Boheman, and kindly sent him for describing. He distinguishes it from caesiata by its rather smaller
* It will be remembered that later in the same volume (p. 544) Guenee having received further material from Doubleday, re-described this Scotch flavicinctata as rujicmctata, n.sp., which name (as varietal) has priority over var. obscurata, Stgr. (C (it., p. 299, 1901).
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size, the wings not glaucescent, the medial band entire, not bifid at its extremity, etc. Typical caesiata, as he rightly points out, has the dark medial band “bipartite on the costa” {loc. cit., p. 962). The ground colour of annosata is said to be hoary, the forewings irrorated with cinereous, the hindwings hoary whitish. Except at the first, when Staudinger {IStett. Ent Zeit., xxii., p. 396) erroneously gave it for an extreme phase of ab. glaciata, the name has always been rightly applied to the aberrations with the central area more strongly and uniformly darkened, but (like glaciata in another direction) it grades off into the typical forms through intermediates.
Several years later, Guenee {hr. et Phal., ii., p. 271, 1858) published another “ species,” under the name of gelata. It was obtained from Iceland, and, as I shall show, was practically identical with glaciata, Germ., to which of course it must sink. But as Guenee examined a larger material than his predecessor, it is not surprising that the series should have included an interesting aberration, which, according to his wont, he describes as “ var. A,” but does not name ; nor is it surprising, considering the beauty of this form, that he should have selected it for figuring (pi. 11, fig. 6). What is surprising — or would be so, but that the caprice and vagaries of nomenclators are only too familiar— is that Staudinger {Cat., ed. ii., p. 187, 1871) should have chosen to employ the name of “ ab. gelata, Guen,” for the aberration A instead of for the form for which it was invented. That Guenee’s gelata is, for all practical purposes, a synonym of glaciata, Germ., is shown by his description of it as dull, fuliginous brown- black, with the fascite which border the central area “ hardly lighter grey” than the ground colour. Germar, as his figure and description show, happened upon a specimen with rather whiter hindwings than usual; Guenee’s form had them “silky pale grey.” On the whole, then, as will be seen by comparing the two summaries which I have given, gelata is simply a rather extreme phase of the darkened Iceland aberration glaciata, Germ.
The beautiful extreme form, “ gelata var. A ” of Guenee, with the ground colour nearly white, and with practically no markings excepting the dark central fascia, has never yet been named. Staudinger first called attention to it in his “ Reise nach Island ” {Stett. Ent. Zeit., xviii., p. 257), indicating it as “ var. b. al. ant. niveis, area basali mediaque grisea nigris $ ? but not naming it. It is certainly
recurrent in Iceland, though probably not frequent even there ; Staudinger obtained two of the extremes {$ and J) in his visit to that country, and says {loc. cit., p. 258) that the}rwere “ from the north of Siglufjordr, as in general this inclination to whitening is shown almost exclusively in examples from the north. In the lightest specimen from the south, the dusting is especially yellowish, particu¬ larly on the nervures.” Guenee seems only to have regarded two of the Iceland specimens -which he had seen as gelata, for he gives Iceland among the localities for caesiata also, and says of his new species : “ Island Coll. Mus. une $ provenant du voyage de la Recherche” and of var. A: “Mernes provenance et collection.” He describes the latter as “grey almost white, and without lines or atoms, with the basal and medial areas of a fuliginous black as in the type. Inferiors with a single line.” His figure agrees, showing precisely the same form as one Iceland example in the British Museum collection, and a
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specimen sent to me by Staudinger and Bang-Haas as “ ab. (jelata." The locality given me for this, by the way, was “Greenland,” but this was probably by a mere oversight ; at any rate, I should not feel sufficient faith in a dealer’s locality to make use of it for a faunistic record. E. caesiata is not supposed to occur in Green¬ land at all; see, for instance, Aurivillius’ “ Gronlands Insektsfauna I.” (Bih. Svensk. Yet. Ah. Handl., xv., Afd. iv., No. 1, 1890), which gives of Geoinetridae, only Dasyuris polata, Hb., a doubtful Eupithecia (? nanata, Hb., var.), Operophtera brumata, L., and Psychophora sabini, Kirb. One fine specimen of the form in question (“ ab. yelata ”) is recorded by Schneider from Tromso ( Troms . Mus. Aarsh., xv., p. 82).
As this form {yelata var. A of Guenee) is still without a name, I propose to name it ab. prospicuata,* since it is certainly the most outstanding form of the species ; in a sense it may be said to continue the line of variation suggested in ab. annosata, Zett., but it is incom¬ parably more extreme.
The next form named was inventaraia, Grote {Bull. U. S. Geol. and Geayr. Sure., vi., p. 591, 1882), which may really be, as Grote believed, a distinct species. I can say verv little about it at present, having failed to trace, in our museum, the specimens which will serve as its types. The history of the name is as follows. In 1881, Dr. A. G. Butler received for the British Museum, some examples of North American Geometrides from Mr. H. Edwards, and on these he published some notes in the American periodical “ Papilio,” vol. i.. pp. 220-228 (December, 1881). Amongst the notes we read (p. 222): “ ‘ Glau- cnpteryx caesiata, Hiibner.’ Two specimens, Havilah, California. This is not the European G. caesiata, the latter has the outer edge of the broad belt across the primaries regular and dentated, whereas this species is more like G. kollariaria with a regular sinuated band. I doubt the occurrence of G. caesiata in America, although Packard’s figure looks rather like the species; it is probable that the insect before me is undescribed.” Next year, Grote came to the same conclusion ; he writes {loc. cit.) : “ After comparing European specimens with our own, I have made the two following changes in our lists,” and the first of these changes is : “ Glaucopteryx inventaraia, Gr., for Gl. caesiata\ Butler, Papilio, i., 222” [the j indicates the invalidity of the name, i.e., “ caesiata, Butler, nec Lang,” as the “ Zoological Kecord ” enters it] . Grote probably meant to write inventaria, and has his printer to thank for the ungainly name, as well as for several other misprints ; but of course the published form must be followed. As I have not found Butler’s Havilah specimens in the nmiseum series of caesiata, I suspect they turned out to be some entirely different species and have been removed to a more appropriate position, though Mr. Warren tells me he has no recollection of them ; I shall hope to light upon them some day. Although it is by no means certain, perhaps hardly even probable — that Grote’s American examples which he “ compared with European ” were really the same thing as Butler’s, yet as he has given no trace of description, and has expressly erected the “ n. nora.” on a reference to Butler, it is quite clear that its application will necessarily be to the specimens partially described in
* Since reading this paper I have published it under this name, Ent. Rcc., xix., p. 22.
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“ Papilio.” Of the other American forms or representative species I shall speak later on, as they have as yet (with one possible exception) received no names.
The next name in chronological order was var. impallescens, Christ., described from Kurusch, Caucasus, as follows: “Minor. Alis angusti- oribus, anticis albidis, dense fusco-conspersis, lineis transversis undulatis minus expressis” (“ Lepidoptera Nova Faunae Palaearcticae,” Iris., vi., p. 95, 1893). It will be observed that Christoph rightly erected this as a var. of caesiata, not as a new species. Staudinger (Cat., ed. 3, p. 299) indicates that it occurs also in Labrador as a var., but considers it an unimportant one — “ vix nominanda.” His diagnosis does not give precisely the same impression as Christoph’s ; it runs : “ alis minus dense squamatis, semidiaphanis.” I have not seen specimens from either locality, so will not hazard further coment. Of the Labrador form, Moschler writes : “ I possess four examples of this species from different localities in Labrador. They vary very little inter se, are of the ordinary size, and the colour is rather dull and uniform, but much more like that of the German caesiata than that which is exhibited by my Finmark examples, to which, however, they come near in respect of the slight darkening of their markings ” ( Stett . Ent. Zeit., xliv., p. 122). In the Vienna “ Verhanulungen ” (xxxiv., p. 301) he gives nearly the same description, making them agree with the German form in the “ greenish ” coloration of the forewings.
The most recent addition to the varietal nomenclature is var. norregica, Strand (Nyt. May. Eat., xl., p. 165, 1902), erected for the Norwegian forms in a paper on the Lepidoptera of (chiefly) Arctic Norway, and which might be diagnosed as : minor (24-31 min.), alis anticis magis unicoloribus, griseis. Strand’s actual description of it gives more detailed measurements, taken from 33 specimens, and some comparison Avith other forms, but the whole gist of it is contained in the diagnosis I have suggested here; he says “they are of smaller size ” (than those of central Europe), “ and of a much more uniform grey colour. Ab. norvegica is not confined to the arctic regions, individuals from southern Nonvay must also be referred thereto.” Its author mentions this form again two years later (Nyt. Mag. Nat., xlii., p. 140, 1904) and records some localities from southern Norway — where it seems far scarcer than in the north — but adds nothing else to our knowledge of it.
The only other forms which it appears to me convenient to designate by special names, are two rather extreme aberrations, namely, the most extreme dark form ( caesiata var. A of G uenee), which, after Staudinger, has been passing as ab. glaciata, Germ. ; and the form which occasionally turns up in this species, as in so many of its allies, Avith the central band extremely narroAV, and incomplete, or broken. The former I aauII call
ab. nigricans, mihi, n. ab. — caesiata Arar. A, Gn., Ur. et Phal., ii. p. 272 = caesiata var. a, Stgr., Stett. Ent. Zeit., xviii.,p. 257 (“ alis anticis nigricantibus ”) =caesiata ab. glaciata, Stgr., Cat. (pro parte) = caesiata var., Barr., Lep. Brit., viii., pi. cccxlviii., fig. 1 g. This aberration has the wings blackish and more or less glossy, Avhereas ab. glaciata, Germ ,—gelata, Gn. is much less extreme, being rather of a fuscous grey, or at the darkest, of a “ dead ” (“ mate ”) fuliginous colour. That I am justfied in separating the tAvo is shoAvn not only by my own
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material as exhibited this evening, but also by Guenee’s work ; for, as the above synonymy shows, he did not even recognize them as co- specific, much less as varietally equivalent.
The other new form may be known as ab. constricta, mihi, n. ab. — caesiata var., Barr., Lep. Brit., viii., p. 153, pi. cccxlviii., fig. lc, Id. Central fascia extremely narrowed, and more or less broken on the inner marginal half of the wing. This is, of course, the phase of “ recurrent variation in the Lcirentiidae ” discussed by me on pp. 153-5 of my paper in the “ Entomologist ” (vol. xxxvii.), and I have followed Strand’s lead, as there alluded to (p. 155), by employing the name of constricta for it.
It will be worth while, in view of the additions and corrections proposed above, to tabulate the named varieties and aberrations of Entephria caesiata, before concluding with some remarks on its geo¬ graphical variation in general and on the question of its American representatives.
Entephria caesiata, Schiff.
1. caesiata, Schiff., Lang, Hb. Blueish-grey, with well-defined dark central band enclosing a pale area on costa.
2. ab. infrequentata, Haw. Inclining to cinereous, with the fuscous band as in the type. This may be used, after Guenee, for the some¬ what paler forms which are fairly frequent in Britain, though it is really almost synonymous with the type form.
3. ab. annosata, Zett. Central band entire, i.e., not enclosing a pale area on the costa.
4. ab. (var. ?) glaciata (Keferstein M.S.) Germ, —gelata Gn. Darker (brown or more fuscous) than the type, generally weakly marked, and not brightly glossy. In spite of the variability of the species in Iceland, I believe this description applies to a very great majority of the specimens from that country, and that it ought to be regarded as “ var.” rather than “ab.”
5. ab. prospicuata, mihi =gelata var. A, Gn.— gelata, Stgr. Ground colour whitish, central band dark.
6. ab. nigricans, mihi = caesiata var. A, Gn. = glaciata, Stgr. More or less uniform blackish or deep fuscous, darker and more glossy than ab. (var. ?) glaciata Germ.
7. ab. constricta, mihi. Central fascia much narrowed and more or less broken ( vide supra).
8. var. impallescens, Christ. (Caucasus). Smaller and narrower than the type, wings whitish, densely sprinkled with fuscous, wavy transverse lines indistinct.
9. var. norvegica, Strand (Norway). Smaller than the type, wings much more uniform in their tone, the prevailing colour grey.
?10. var. (?) inventaraia, Grote (California). Said to differ in the contour of the central fascia ; perhaps a distinct species (vide supra).
In the British Islands, Entephria caesiata is subject to a good deal of variation, though all the examples known to me would have to be catalogued under Nos. 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7 of the above-enumerated forms, unless, perhaps, some of the Shetland specimens are true glaciata. Most of the forms could probably be obtained in almost any locality where the species occurs at all full}7, provided sufficient material were collected. Certainly my friend Mr. Arthur Horne, of Aberdeen, got
29
together a very fine variable lot, by taking it in large numbers at the Hill of Scolty. The pretty, light-grey forms with distinct markings ( infrequentata , Haw.), which generally turn up amongst a British series must, I think, be rarer on tbe Continent, though I have one or two from Simplon and Arolla running towards them. I have said that I do not consider this a thoroughly well-differentiated “ab.,” nor do I feel certain that Haworth’s “ subcinereis ” quite represents it, though his citation to his infrequentata of “? cyanata, Hb.” favours Guenee’s idea that he must have been dealing with a pale form, and as Guenee’s interpretation seems to have priority, it is best to follow it. Stephens (Cat. Brit, Ins., ii., p. 141 ; List Brit. Anim., v., p. 194) also cites infrequentata as a “ var.” of caesiata, but gives no diagnosis. On the whole, British examples average somewhat smaller than those from central Europe, the normal measurements, as taken from my series, being respectively 30-33mm. and 32-35mm. I have seen the very dark forms ( nigricans , mihi), from several localities, such as Shetland, Paisley, North Wales (Leech coll.), Yorkshire, etc. Possibly a better percentage are obtainable from the Shetlands than elsewhere, though Hoffmann (Stett. Ent. Zeit., xlv., p. 369), assumes that Shetland specimens do not differ from the rest of the Scotch, since Jenner Weir does not particularly mention the species ; and he (Hoffmann) adds a foot note that he has seen caesiata from Arran with deep black-grey forewings, only shot with white on the nervures ( i.e ., ab. nigricans), thus forming a sharp contrast to the washed-out grey forms which he has seen from Iceland (? glaciata) and the north of Norway (norvegica). A few Shetland specimens which I have seen show the brownish colour of ab. (var. ?) glaciata, but it is difficult to judge of tbe exact status of this form without access to fresh bred specimens, as both wear and fading are apt to make them appear more brownish. Barrett mentions, in addition to various aberrations, what may possibly be a local race, but as I have not been able to study it, I can say nothing on the subject at first hand. His words are : “ Lastly, specimens from North Wales seem to show a faint tinge of green, and are otherwise dull and shaded off.” For the most part, as he says, the colour variations in this species “do not appear to be local” to an)' material extent.
The general run of European forms (excluding the Arctic) may be treated together. They belong mainly to the type form and ab. annosata, with an occasional ab. nigricans. The British Museum collection has fairly definite examples of the latter from the Mutzell collection (one, ? locality), and the Zeller collection (one from Freyer, ? locality, and another from Stelzing), but these are pretty uniformly dark, without such distinct white dots as are inclined to appear on our British ab. nigricans. There is also a curious dark specimen from the Frey collection (Engadine) which looks almost as if it might be a a melanic example of some other species of Entephria, perhaps on account of the distinct double row of white dots, the depth of the arches in the subterminal, and the darkened hind-wings, recalling those of caeruleata, Guen. (? flavicinctata, var.), but which I have decided is veritable caesiata ; this is presumably the specimen recorded by Frey ( Lep . Schweiz, p. 231) as taken in 1853. To the ill-defined ab. annosata may be referred two from the Zeller collection (one “ Schlucken-Alp,” from Freyer, the other Baibl), one from the Leech collection (Denmark)
30
and possibly others. I possess two which have been sent me under this name, but which are only moderately representative of the form, one from Finland, and one from Hochschwab. Most of the continental local lists record it as more or less general, but this does not necessarily imply extreme phases, of it. My only specimen from Alsace is large and rather light, with more of a yellowish tinge than the rest of my series. Among those which I bred from Pontresina are one or two of the form of which Barrett speaks admiringly, and which might almost be worth naming, in which the pale area ( i.e ., of the ground colour) in the middle of the central fascia is continued right across the wing, leaving only quite narrow bars, or boundary¬ lines darkened. Of the Esthonian form Petersen writes ( Lep . Estl., p. 130) : “In general our examples are darker than those of central Europe ” ; but the two which he kindly sent me hardly bear out this impression.
Arctic or high northern specimens are generally smaller*, and less sharply marked than those of central Europe, and this applies in a general way to those of both northern Scandinavia (var. norvegica) and of Iceland (ab. or var. glaciata, etc.) ; yet there are definite differences observable between the two races. The Icelandic seem, on the whole, to be about the size of the British, the Norwegian, on the -whole, smaller still (see Strand’s description of var. norvegica, supra). The former, though very inconstant, and abounding in interesting aberrations, favour a brownish tone ; the latter, with really extreme aberrations comparatively rare, tend much more to greys. The former are very generally darker than the type, the latter often hardly darkened at all though Schneider ( Troms . Mus. Aarsli., xv., p. 82) calls his race “ melanotic,” and Wocke (S tett. Ent. Zeit., xxv., p. 188) says that examples from Dovrefjeld are mostly very dark grey, entirely without yello-w dusting. Iceland, as already mentioned, is the home of the beautiful ab. prospicuata, and my series from that country also con¬ tains two of the most decided ab. annosata I possess (both from Thingvellir), one of them with the ground colour becoming pale, i.e., making some approach to ab. prospicuata. Sometimes, on the contrary, the darkening of the whole wing is so extreme as to produce practically ab. nigricans, differing chiefly from the British in its browner hue.
As regards the North American forms or representatives, there is still much work to be done. I can add nothing to what I have said on the Labrador form ; but Moschler was such a good entomo¬ logist, that I am satisfied to accept his dictum as to its specific identity with ours. Nevertheless, it by no means follows from this that the forms recorded from Alberta, Colorado, California, etc., or even from New Hampshire and Massachusetts are the same; Labrador is well- known to have a fauna which is essentially Arctic, and, we might say, essentially European. Packard, to be sure, introduces, E. caesiata as American on an apparently abundant material ; for he describes ( Monogr ., p. 67) from “ 40 $ and 40 $ .” But the majority of those seem to have been from Labrador (see p. 68), and the examples sent him from Iceland and the Austrian Alps (p. 69) may also have been pressed into the service for describing, as his “ American specimens
* Large specimens occur occasionally as an “ ab.” at Bossekop ; two given me by Mr. H. Rowland-Brown measure 36 and 34mm.
31
are rubbed.” Still, he bad from other localities what seemed to him to agree entirely with those from Labrador, for he records also the White Mountains and Mount Washington in New Hampshire, some localities in Colorado, and Massachusetts. His description would seem to fit Entephria caesiata, or, perhaps, Barrett suggests, E. jiavi- cinctata — for he rather emphasizes the “ golden scales.” His figure (pi. viii., fig. 16) could quite possibly represent the form of caesiata with the entire centre of the medial band pale, though it has rather an unfamiliar look; it does not show a discal spot on the hindwings, but this is mentioned in the description as “ distinct.” I cannot find that he says from which locality the figured specimen came. Of the variation in America he only says that the specimens from near Georgetown, Colo. (8000-9000ft. elevation), have, “ perhaps, more golden scales” than others, and that the Labrador examples are a little stunted, agree with those from Iceland as to general appearance and size, but are not quite so dark, and have more golden yellow specks. He has seen no specimens from the United States or Labrador with such clear markings as those received from the Austrian Alps.
Butler and Grote follow with their notes on E. inventaraia (? n. sp.) already quoted; Grote, it will be observed, does not make any direct reference to Packard’s figure or description, though he seems to assume that the whole of the American forms are of one species, and that a different one from the European caesiata. After this, I find no American reference till 1896, when Iiulst (Tr. Amer. Ent. Soc. xxiii., p. 281) transfers caesiata to the genus Mesoleuca (type albicillata, L.), but throws no further light on its determination. In Dyar’s “ List” (p. 280, 1902) it still appears as “caesiata, Denis and Schiff.” ( i.e ., as — the European species); “ aurata, Pack.” (which I cannot trace) is added as a synonym, and “ inventaria, Grote ” ( inven¬ taraia ) stands as a variety. Finally, my good friend Mr. F. H. Wolley Dod, in his valuable Alberta List, records ( Canad . Ent., xxxviii., p. 93, 1906) two forms which have been referred by Mr. Taylor to this species; (1) the “ Laggan form” with a “faint though obvious ochreous tinge,” and (2) two specimens taken near Calgary in 1904 and 1905, having the ground colour paler, “ with distinct smoky central and terminal bands.” Mr. Dod has very kindly sent me two of the Laggan specimens, and I feel sure that they represent a distinct species ; the different tone, silky texture, absence of distinct discal dot on hindwing, shiny, unmarked undersurface, etc., all point to this. Indeed they are much closer to ravaria, Led., from the Altai and Ala Tau districts, and might almost be co-specific with this, or at least with two rather doubtful specimens in the British Museum collection, which are treated as ravaria, and which were collected by McArthur at “ Kokser ” and “ Rala.” Concerning his forms Mr. Dod wrote me (in lift., June 9th, 1906): “ caesiata certainly seems to me to contain more than one North American species. I believe I treat of two in my list ( q.v .), and strongly suspect that that of the Ivaslo list* is a third. Mr. Taylor, by the way, admits that
* “ The lepidoptera of the Kootenai District of British Columbia,” by Dr. H. G. Dyar ( Proc . U.S. Nat. Mus., xxvii., pp. 779-938, 1904). Here we simply find recorded (p. 896) 28 specimens, dates in June and August to September, which “ indicate two broods,” and that “ this is a high altitude species.” — L.B.P.
32
the Laggan form may be distinct, and I have seen what looks to me like the Calgary species (two specimens only taken) at the coast as caesiata.” I do not think I have yet sent European cciesiata to my valued correspondent the Rev. G. W. Taylor, nor can I find that I have had any correspondence with him on the species. I sent it to the other chief student of Geometridae across the Atlantic, Mr. R. F. Pearsall of Brooklyn, and he wrote me : “ Your caesiata I have not critically compared as yet, but it looks just like specimens I take in the Catskill Mountains. I have seen another series taken in White Mountains near Hampshire, with the yellow markings of caesiata a bright golden, and heavier. Does this correspond to your species flavicinctata ! ” {in litt., December 26th, 1905). Later (January 14th, 1906), he added : “ I think I wrote you that your caesiata and ours are the same.” The matter has not yet proceeded further.
The British Museum only possesses one American example, and this is in very bad condition. It was sent by Mr. Cockerell from Colorado, as “ caesiata, f. minor,” and looks, as far as can be made out, a true caesiata, though — like the Laggan species, and Packard’s figure — it seems to have the discal dot of the hindwing obsolescent.
A photograph of Hulst’s type of Philereme multivagata ( Bull . Brookl. Ent. Soc., iv., p. 26, 1881), very kindly sent me by Mr. Taylor, also looks extremely like a large specimen' of Entephria caesiata, only with a dark margin to the hindwing.; ,>yet it is difficult to see how Dr. Hulst could, in this case, have placed it in the genus Pldlereme ( Scotosia ).*
On the whole, it seems best to conclude that the true caesiata, or something extremely near it, does occur in several parts of North America, but that another species is mixed up with it — perhaps more than one — and awaiting further study and differentiation. The present would not be a suitable place for naming the ravaria- like Laggan species, which, on my assumption of its distinctness, has really no place in a paper on the variation of Entephria caesiata. My task for this evening is therefore accomplished, although you will see that there is still need for further sorting-out of the numerous cognate forms in this interesting group.
* Since writing this paper I have received a fine specimen of multivagata, and find it is a true Entephria, closely related to caesiata, but distinct.
Some North Sutherland Lepidoptera.
1 C. bilineata 3 ab. m M ? ab.
3. C. pectinitaria ab.
4. A. leporina ab.
1. F. piniaria ? ab. 2
» J 1 J 1 J
3 ■ ii ii ii
4
^•ii ii ii
1. C. corylata
var. albrocrenata. 2 C. corylata ab.
^•ii ii ii
4
ii ii n
5
•-'•ii ii ii
[To /ace p. 33.
83
NOTES FROM NORTH SUTHERLAND.*
(Read January 15th, 1907, by E. A. COCKAYNE.)
The north-west corner of Sutherland, lying midway between the Orkneys and Shetlands to the east and the Hebrides to the west, ought to be interesting from the entomological point of view. The position of the country, and the fact that little has been written about its larger insects, are my excuses for reading these notes, made during a visit of only fourteen days, and therefore necessarily very incomplete. Un¬ fortunately I have not had time to look up recent records in the magazines, and where I mention that an insect has not been taken in Sutherland before, I mean that such record is not to be found in Meyrick’s handbook or Barrett’s British Lepidoptera. Notes in brackets on the northern limit of range previously recorded are those given by Barrett, whose nomenclature is also used.
I will begin with a brief description of the district. Tongue, my headquarters, is a small village forty miles from the nearest railway station, from which one has to travel through a bleak and cheerless country of grassy hills, which rise gently on the western side and fall abruptly on the east. One travels for miles without seeing a single tree.
The Kyle of Tongue, on which the village is situated, is a shallow inlet of the sea, into which the Kinloch river, the Allt Rhian and other streams pour their Avaters. It is protected at the mouth by the picturesque Rabbit Islands, and half Avay up is almost bridged by a long strip of sand which runs out from the Tongue woods. The western side is Ioav, bare and rocky ; the eastern rises steeply from the Avater to a height of 400 to 500 feet, and is in places clothed AA'ith stunted lichen-coArered birch trees and, here and there, a rowan or aspen. Past the mouth of the Rhian the land is flat and cultRated as far as the Tongue woods.
These are fairly extensive, and the trees are large. The lower part is leArel and grassy, and consists chiefly of beech, Avych elm and lime. Further back it runs up a steep slope, on AArkich many pines and mountain-ashes grow, and culminates at about 900 feet in a growth of small pines and open heathery moor. The Rhian is bordered by Ioav alders, rowans and salloAvs, and in places runs through woods of small birches. On the side farthest from the village are meadows with bracken and coarse grasses, and between these and the sea is a wood, An-garbh-chnoc, Avith pine, spruce, larch, roAvan, birch, beech and alder, on a hill about 400 feet high. Owing to our limited time we almost confined our search to the district described, which includes the most fertile, and some of the Avilder parts of the neighbourhood.
On our first day, June 30th, Ave found numbers of lanrgeof Cleoceris vivdnalis on salloAvs near the Rhian, and took some of the largest, from Avhich Ave bred 27 imagines on July 29th, and the tA\ro folloAving days. Compared Avith my Rannoch specimens the number of dark forms
With plate presented by the author.
34
(6 out of 27) is somewhat less than from that district (19 out of 59), and they emerged just 20 days later than these. One is a nice dark grey specimen with orbicular and reniform encircled with white. We then climbed a hill overlooking the Kyle, and had a good view of the birch woods below. The trees were thinly covered with leaves and in places were almost as brown and bare as in winter. While we were looking, a party of about twenty black-headed gulls ( Larus ridibundus ) dew over and made their way to the barest part of the wood. Here they dropped to a level with the topmost twigs, and then each in turn kept checking its flight, hovering for a moment and appearing as if about to settle, then Hying on to another tree, where it would repeat the same manoeuvre.
It Avas quite evident they were obtaining food, and our curiosity Avas aroused. When we had climbed down to the Avood, Ave Avere in no doubt as to the nature of the attraction. Every birch was coArered with thousands and thousands of fullgroAAm larvae of Hybernia pro- gemmaria of every shade from pale to darkest broAvn. Threads of matted silk hung from tree to tree, and tangled groups of hanging larvae clung to our clothes as Ave AAralked under the branches. Amongst the host of larvae Avere a few of H. defoliaria, Cheirnatobia boreata and C. brumata. Curiously enough, I find no record for the county of any of the first three of these. Barrett states that II. progeinmaria is scarce in Aberdeenshire, for II. defoliaria he gives Argyle and Perth, and for C. boreata, Boss and Moray as the Northern limit.
For the next feAv days Ave saw parties of gulls feeding in this Avay, sometimes only tAvo together, usually four or five, but on July 3rd we saw quite fifty or sixty together, steadily AArorking from end to end of the wood.
A day or two later there Avas scarcely one, and, on looking at the trees, I found that almost all the Arast multitude of larvne had vanished. The trees, many without a single leaf, and only the leaf stalks to shoAV where they had been, alone bore testimony to their recent presence. These Avoods appear to have few moths in them : Cymatophora duplaris, Platypteryx lacertinaria (neAv, very locally Clydesdale, Argyle and Ross) and Coremia pectinataria were captured. In the afternoon we met with more success in the Avood, An-garbh-chnoc. Here we saAV Ephyra pendidaria (neAV to county, Ross and Moray), Coremia montanata , Fidonia piniaria, Venusia cambrica (new : Argyle), Melanippe tristata (the usual broAvn and Avhite Scottish form), M. subtristata (a clear black and Avhite form), Thera variata (neAv : Moray in east to Hebrides in Avest), Eupithecia lariciata (? neAv), E. satyrata, and several Cidaria corylata (neAv : Moray and W. Ross).
The last species Avas past its best. The variety albocrenata was far commoner than at Rannoch, and I should think about 30% Avere of this form instead of about 5%. The majority of the corylata were of the broken-barred form, but a good many exhibit a complete central band. In one specimen, a fine female, the costal half only is present, and very clearly defined. I have not seen any description of a similar specimen. The series of var. albo¬ crenata — I include under this term, those specimens in which the central hand is more or less frosted with white scales, and not limited by black outer and inner lines — show a complete parallelism Avith the ordinary forms. In most the central band is interrupted, but in a
85
good many it is complete, and in one or two even broad ; in a few nothing of it remains but the black discoidal spot, in others only the costal half is seen. One is rather a rich cream colour.
In contrast with this, I have only met Avith broken-barred forms both in ordinary corylata, and in var. albocrenata in the Rannoch district. The lines, too, in the submarginal region are much blacker in Rannoch albocrenata, and the transverse line between the basal area and the central band is darker. The Tongue specimens are more uniformly pale.
Near this wood we found larva? of Corernia didymata, from which a normal female imago was bred, of Cidaria te.stata and Poecilocampa populi (new : Moray and Argyle).
At night I sugared some birch trees, but the only visitor was another ■populi larva, which was enjoying a comfortable supper of rum and treacle. From these and others I bred a pale male and a dark female imago. With the lantern I found a Corernia propuqnata and Cabera pusaria, of which Barrett says “ to Moray if not beyond.” It proved to be very common, and I took one slightly damaged specimen in which the first and central lines are approximated, as in the var. rotund aria (a form only recorded once from Scotland), but more so on the right than on the left.
Next day July 1st, was dull and cold, and we found little except one worn Cidaria suffumata (new : Moray and Hebrides), Phytometra renea (new : Moray and Argyle), Melanthia ocellata, Hepialus velleda, and one Emmelesia blandiata, the last named on the underside of a beech branch. Doubtless the insect was common near the river, where its foodplant was plentiful, but in my experience it is very hard to find in the daytime. In the Rannoch district, though flying abundantly at dusk, I have only found one at rest on a rock, and two or three on tree-trunks.
On a strip of damp ground near the river E. albulata (typical) was abundant, and Tanagra chaerophyllata occurred, the latter new (Aberdeen and Moray). I found it in many other places later.
Here we found a dozen nearly fullfed larvas of Trichiura crataeyi (new : Aberdeen, Argyle, and Inverness). They were feeding exclu¬ sively on small mountain ash trees growing amongst birch bushes.
After dinner I strolled out and saw in a rough field, on the other side of the river, four or five black-headed gulls. Standing apart, first one and then another kept making a sudden dash, flying quickly along the ground, and then settling again. I crossed the river and found a sparse growth of bracken where they had been, and I saw a good many U. velleda flying swiftly amongst it. Almost every night afterwards I saw some of these gulls take up their positions" as the flight-time of velleda arrived, and depart as soon as it ended. Out of two dozen velleda, varying much in size and colour, there were only two of the variety i/allicns.
Nearer the river I took a series of Hydrilla arcuosa (new: Aberdeen and Perth).
The night was wonderfully light — at this time of year there is no real darkness in these latitudes — and on the way home, about eleven o’clock, I was leaning over a gate, standing quite still, and watching a C. montanata flitting up and down over the grass about three yards away. Suddenly a gull flew' up behind, checked itself abruptly, opened its mouth, and the moth wras gone. The bird never saw me and flew
away leisurely across the field, catching another on its way. A quarter of an hour later there were still two gulls moth-catching, and, to judge by their movements, they enjoyed a good meal. These black-headed gulls appear to be most ardent and successful entomologists. Their methods of capturing H. hamuli, which I watched at Rannoch last year, and its ally H. velleda, were most cleverly adapted to the different flights of the males of these two insects. For the swift and erratic velleda they stood still, and only made a sudden flying dash as one went past ; while for the hovering ghost moth they few steadily back¬ wards and forwards, catching them as they went. In both cases they seemed to know exactly what time the insects were beginning their evening flight.
Two of the next three days we spent in Tongue Woods, and took a fine series of Fidonia piniaria, which was very abundant. Amongst the males I looked out carefully for cream-coloured forms, but only succeeded in catching four, all smaller, of a paler, dingier colour, and with more black on the wings, than those from the south of England.
The females vary in ground colour from white or cream colour, through various shades of yellowish-brown to drab: some of the last are almost unicolorous. In one of the pale ones, the usually dark costal and apical areas are pale yellowish-brown, giving it a faded appearance. In the forewings, some have the basal stripe along the nervures well marked, some the transverse bar, while in others both are almost obsolete. In several there is a very distinct approach to male colouration.
Above the wood we took two Coenonympha davus, which was unexpectedly scarce, a male Chelonia plantaginis, Ay rot is porphyrea, and Fidonia atomaria.
In the wood itself we came across E. lariciata, V. cambrica, Macaria liturata (new: Inverness and Ross), Rumia crataeyata (a pale specimen with red markings almost obsolete), Coremia ferrugata (the last two new : Moray) and E. nanata.
On July 3rd, I took several very bright males of Polyommatus alexis and two females, neither so blue as some Rannoch ones, and a large battered female of Vanessa cardui. I also found a female Arctia fuliginosa var. borealis with a complete black abdominal stripe, a marking I have previously only seen in males.
During the next few days V. camhrica was at its best — I saw thirteen on two trees on the 4th — and contrary to expectation I found it very unwilling to fly. They are all paler than my Yorkshire ones.
The next day was bright and sunny, and we saw Xylophasia rurea flying at saxifrage, and Apamea basilinea at raspberry blossom. Near the village there were several colonies of Vanessa urticae larvre.
In the evening I went to some marshy ground where 1 had seen great numbers of flower spikes of the butterfly orchis, with a few Habenaria albida, marsh and spotted orchids, hoping they would be visited by one of the Plusias.
Very few moths visited them, and I only took five faded Plusia gamma, only one of which had pollinia of this orchid attached to its eye. Plusia bractea undoubtedly visits this flower, as I have one with a disc firmly attached to each eye, but I suppose it was too early for this insect. Two of the gamma had pollinia of one of the other orchids on their tongues, and I noticed some on a Hadena dentina found on a
tree trunk, and on Habrostola tripartita, Apamea basilinea, and X. rurea, all taken at other flowers.
There were great numbers of Noctuse at honeydew, chiefly rurea and basilinea, with a good many C. pectinataria. I also caught one Noctua plecta. On the way home I took a Boarmia repandata and Cidaria truncata, and saw three II. humuli.
On Friday I found a beautiful white specimen of Aeronycta leporina, immaculate but for the black discoidal spot, high up on a rowan, and in the evening took a C. munitata. Examining my captures in the house I found I had taken a remarkable aberration of C. pectinataria. In this, the wing area along the costa from base to apex is normal, though faded to the usual pinkish colour. The rest of the wing looks silvery-grey with pale grey marks representing the usual black areas. Microscopically it is perfectly fresh, but the scales are unpigmented and thinly scattered, so that the membrane shows between. The grey marks are due to black scales, natural in character and position, but much reduced in number. Amongst others of this species is one with unusually black markings.
In the hotel garden H. tripartita was abundant every evening, visiting all the flowers, but on a cold night appeared twenty minutes later than on the warmer ones. I also took seven pidchrina at pink campion on different evenings. It is curious that neither of these species visited the orchids only 200 yards away. Amongst other insects obtained at dusk on July 7th, 8th, and 9th, were" H. dentina, C. fluctuata (dark forms), one Cidaria prunata ('? new), one Caradrina cubicularis, Apamea yemina, Emmclesia alchemillata (new : Moray and Hebrides), Kupithecia pulchellata, E. asrimilata (new: Perth and Ross), E. fraxinata (new: S. Scotland only, Edinburgh, Clydesdale and Solway), E. subfulvata var. coynata (new), and a worn specimen of what may be E. constrictata. (new). Fraxinata was only taken at the end of my visit, and I had no oppor¬ tunity to follow up the capture, but there are big ash trees not far away.
July 8th was showery and windy, and I noted that cambrica was shyer and inclined to fly off the trees. On the 8th, I took L abera exanthemaria (new: Ross), one with first and central lines coalescing, and Eupithecia castiyata (new: Moray) near the Kinloch river. On the 9th I took Ellopia fasciaria in Tongue Wood, and another later in . An-garbh-chnoc (new: Moray).
One night, seeing a good many Pieris brassicae at rest, I took notes at the time, and give them practically verbatim. All were sitting fully exposed, one on a white flower of tradescantia, a large plant with only five flowers ; one on the flower of a crucifer, a plant with few leaves but many loosely arranged masses of white flowers ; two on upper side of leaves of other plants of the same species near flower heads j one three-cjuarters of the way up the stem of an oxeje daisy, a big plant, covered with flowers and buds of different heights ; one "on a leaf of lily plant, which has no flowers. Next night, July 8th, I saw four more all near white flowers. There were many other flowering plants, and those they were on were not near one another. Amongst others were tiger lily, forget-me-not, yellow daisies, larkspurs, blue polemoniums, and pink campion, all of which were examined without result.
38
If these butterflies do choose a resting place to match their own colour, definite evidence of it is most likely to be obtained in these latitudes, where the much longer period of light, while the insect is still at rest, makes their selection of a suitable sleeping-place so much more important.
With regard to the other “ whites,” P. napi was to be seen in the grassy hollows near the river. This is a new record : South in his recent book states that it has not been recorded from further north than Ross and Moray. P. rapae was abundant later in the village, evidently just emerging.
During the remainder of the time we took Larentia caesiata commonly, even at sea-level, on the tree trunks and rocks, and two Acidalia fumata (new: W. Ross). We also took a few B. repandata , rather darker and more uniformly grey than Rannoch ones, on rocks in the woods, and with them three Dasydia obfnscata (new : Ross). On the moors larvae of Lasiocanipa qnercus and Saturnia carpini were noticed. On the last day of our visit, numbers of Argynnis aglaia suddenly appeared.
We devoted a good deal of time to looking for Camptogramma bilineata in the -woods near the Kyle, and most of those taken were found on the rocks, often under a ledge. A total of 98 males and 18 females were examined ; of the males 22 were quite normal, 55 showed five dark spots on the forewings to a fairly marked degree, of the remainder, some showed general darkening of the ground colour or unusally distinct strife. In some of the spotted examples the spots are very conspicuous, and in one they meet across the central band. Of the 18 females, only three were without black spots or darkened strife, and one has the striae much blackened, and a strong black band running along the inner side of the second line, which gives it a very striking appearance. Another point brought out by my specimens is a certain degree of sexual dimorphism. In every female the ground colour of the fore-wings is of a soft brown, contrasting -with the orange colour of the hindwings. In the males, the upper wings are yellow, and even in the darker specimens, the colour is always different from the brown of the females. In Aberdeenshire I have taken similar brown forms -with the commoner yellow ones. In England, this species usually sits amongst the leaves of bushes, whereas here they were frequently exposed on the face of the rocks, and nearly always on the rocks, even though they were often under a ledge. This difference of habit may account for the darker, and less con¬ spicuous colour of the Sutherland form and especially for the browner females.
As a whole the species which showr a tendency to melanism are not numerous, and some are actually paler than more southern races.
To sum up, we took a total of 85 species, nearly all in the imago stage, 28 are probably new to the county list, and 3 doubtful. Of these 31, two are noctuae and 25 geometridae.
List. — Pieris brassicae, P. rapae, P. napi, Polyomwatus a lexis,
1 . icrticae (larvae), 1'. cardiii, Argynnis aglaia, Coentmymplia darns, Poecilocampa populi (larvae), Trichiura crataegi (larvae), Lasiocanipa querciis (larvae), Saturnia carpini (larvae), Platypterycc lacertinaria * Hepialus velleda, H. huinuli, Nenieophila plantaginis, Phraginatobia fuliginosa, Demas corxyli, Cymatophora duplaris, Acronycta leporina ,
39
Ayrotis porphyrea, Noctua plecta, N. c-nigrum, Hadena pisi, II. dentina, Cleocerisviminalis (larva), Xylophasia rurea, Apcunea gemina, A. basilinea, Taeniocampa gothica (larva), T. instabilis (larva), Hydrilla arcuosa* Caradrina cubicularis, Plusia pulchrina, P. gamma, Habrostola tripartita, Phytometra aenea.* Raima crataegata ,* Cabera pusaria,* C. exanthe- maria ,* Macaria liturata ,* Fidonia atom aria, F. piniaria, Ellopia fasciaria Dasydia obfuscata ,* Boarmia repandata, Hybernia progem- maria,* H. defoliaria* Ephyra pendularia ,* Acidalia fnmata ,* Melanippe tristata, M.subtristata,Melanthiaocellata, Coremia fiuctuata, C. montanata, C. didymata, C. pectinataria, C. munitata, C. propugnata, C. ferrugata ,* Larentia caesiata, Venusia cambrica ,* Emmelesia albulata, E. alche- millata* E. blandiata, Cidaria corylata ,* G\ truncata, C. prunata (/ *), C. sulfumata,* C. testata (larva), Camptogramma bilineata, Thera variata, Hypaipetes impluviata, Cheimatobia boreata* C. brumata, Eupithecia nanata, E. lariciata {? *), A’, castigata ,* A. subfulvata var. cognata ,* E. pulchellata, F. pumilata, E. assimilata ,* A. s at grata, A. fraxinata* A. / constrictata ,* Tanagra chaerophyllata .*
* New.
NOTES ON THE “WAINSCOTS.”
(Bead February 19th, 1907, by H. M. EDELSTEN.)
The subject of our exhibition and discussion this evening, “ The Wainscots,” is a family which has always appealed to me very strongly. I am afraid I cannot tell you very much about this subject, as each year I find I know less and less about them, and my attention has been chiefly devoted to one or two species. Perhaps of all the genera of British lepidoptera the family Leucania contains more rare and casual visitors than any other, as the blanks in our cabinet- drawers show. Taking the “ Wainscots ” as a whole, they may be divided up as follows : — The more or less dry-land species, comprising, pallens, itnpura, comma, turca, lithargyria and conigera. The water- loving species : — obsoleta, straminea pudorina, brevilinea, M. flammea, S. maritima, C. phragmitidis and lutosa, and the Nonagrias — typhae, cannae, xparganii, dissoluta, geminipuncta, and T. fulva, concolor and helmanni ; the coast species comprising elyrni, littoralis, favicolor, putrescens, T. bondii, and our rare visitors S. musculosa, L. extranea, loryi, l-album, vitellina and albipuncta. I include the two latter among the visitors, as 1 feel sure they are not true British species; but there is an importation every few years which just keeps them going, and anyone who has worked the coast, will, I think, agree with me, that a cycle of warm summers generally produces some of our rarities.
Now, as regards the life-history of the “ Wainscots ” : —
40
The egg-laying is practically the same all through. The ovipositor is pointed and flat so that it can be thrust within the sheathing leaves of reed and grass stems and grass blooms. The eggs them¬ selves in their natural position are generally flattened spheres, those of the nunagrias being more flattened than those of the Leucanids. The eggs of the internal feeders and those external feeders which require the growing stems to feed in and on, do not hatch till the spring, and are covered with a glutinous substance which protects them from the water, as they are often submerged during the winter ; those of the rest hatch in the summer, and the larvfe mostly hibernate small, though some are full-fed before the winter but do not pupate till the spring. The only species I know which pupates in the autumn is M. fiammea.
I do not propose to deal with all the larvae separatel}', the larval habits of most of the “ Wainscots ” are well-known to yon all, I expect. Perhaps a few notes on one or two may be interesting. Obsolela and straminea larvae always strike me as being different from the rest of the Leucanids, though this may only be from force of circumstances. Their long flattened bodies are so different from the usual cylindrical Leucania larvae ; but when one comes to think the matter out, it is necessary they should be so, as they hide within dead reed stems in the day time, as they are inhabitants of the old reed beds growing in the wetter portions of the fens; and they have nowhere else to go, or the birds would soon find them out. * Brevilinea has a most curious larval existence ; when small, it is an internal feeder ; as it grows larger, it comes out to feed on the leaves ; when it has finished its supper, it bites a hole in the reed-stem, just below the terminal leaf, and enters the stem to hide during the day ; the reeds grow so fast at this season, that by the next morning the sheathing leaf has grown over the hole and the larva is quite hidden, hence it is very rarely ichneumoned. In its last stages it is purely an external feeder, and it pupates on the surface of the fen. Cannae, again, is another curious example ; it starts feeding in scirpus, and sometimes iris and sparganium, as also sparganii does ; then, as it grows, it enters typlia stems, both latifolia and angustifolia, and pupates in the interior of the stem, head upwards, as against typhae, which always pupates head downwards. I have sometimes found pupae of cannae in stems of scirpus, sparganium , flower stems of Iris pseudacorus, and once in the hollow stem of Cicuta virosa, though this only occurs, I think, when the stem in which they fed was unsuitable for pupation. The moor-hens are great enemies of cannae and sparganii, as the pupae are always below the emergence hole, and they peck downwards and eat them ; but typhae escapes, as it is above the hole. The larvae of many of our rare species, when we get a hot autumn as we had last year, feed up rapidly, and spin a puparium, and, I think, are thus enabled to stand our climate, whereas they would be killed as small larvae.
The pupae of the Nonagrias are interesting in possessing a pointed headpiece or beak, with which they break through °the outer cuticle of the stem to enable the moth to hatch.
Now, to go on to another subject, Senta maritima, in which genus should this species be placed ? I believe it is a macro, though the larva is very like a tortrix, and does not resemble any of the wainscots in
41
any shape ov form. Then, as you probably know, it is of a most degraded type, for in captivity it is not particular what it eats, decaying vegetable matter, raw beef, tomato, geranium flowers, its own brethren, spiders, aphides, etc. It chooses as its home the empty reed stems, always finding one that exactly fits it. What is its natural food? I have found them crawling about at night in the old reed beds drinking the dew, and I think its real food must be the confervid growths at the base of the reed stems.
The general colour of the “Wainscots’' is rather striking, but it is no doubt due to protective coloration ; their habitat is among the reeds and sedges, and the way they choose their resting-places during the day is truly wonderful. I once or twice have found viaritnna in the day time sitting under an old reed stem with its wings wrapped round it, and I had to look several times before I was quite certain about it. Then again, why do Wainscots produce black forms, especial 1} the Nonag rias ? It cannot be for protection, because they would be so conspicuous on a green or brown stem. I believe Dr. Chapman said he thought it was a reversion to the original type. There is no doubt the reed -colour of the “ Wainscots ” is assumed to harmonise with its surroundings, and it is an unnatural colour amongst the 'Soctuae : I think it is a point of the deepest interest, as it is such a consistent habit.
As regards the difficulty of collecting a good series of Wainscots, it is no easy matter, as each species has practically a different habitat, and one must go for each species separately. Light is a most attrac¬ tive medium, and sugar sometimes, but one must study each species , for instance, it is no good going to try and catch brevilinea or jianrmea in thick reed beds, or ulvae and dissolute i on the open fen, though they may all be within a hundred yards of one another. Some of the species are exceedingly local, and I cannot account for this, as many of them are strong fliers, and the food-plants occur all o\ei the country. Cannae, for instance, is confined to one little corner of the Broads, but never seems to spread, and geminipuncta occurs all through the country, but not in the broads. Then again, many species occur one year and not again for several seasons. Why? Chiefly, I think, owing to the regular cutting of the reeds and rushes, which, being done in the winter, destroys the eggs, but as the demand foi thatch or chaff does not increase now, I hope all the indiscriminate cutting am burning will cease, and allow the “Wainscots to re-establish them¬ selves, and enable us to find out something more about this delightful
family.
42
SOME NOTES ON A. BELLARGUS, WITH REFERENCES TO
ALLIED SPECIES.
(Read March 19th, 1907, by Dr. G. G. C. HODGSON.)
ith a view to filling up the gap in the absence of advertised paper, these few notes are hurriedly put together — in re mainly A. bellargus, and the closely approximating ? of A. corydon and P. argus (i aegon ), and in less degree the species most closely allied to these as occurring in England.
Beginning with Adonis (with which solely these notes first set out to deal), the dates in general for this species occur to me, and in this connection, in passing, one cannot refrain from commenting on a phase which must have puzzled us all, viz., the dates one finds given by authorities for various events extraordinarily at variance with experience of present time, e.g., the blooming of plants : — Bee orchis gi\en as flowering in “May” (not exclusively one is only left to infer); Bellargus, time of appearance “May and August,” Newman, though the first specimens do not invariably emerge till June and September, and if in May quite one of the latter days is the first date. And only by quite artificial means have I ever been able to obtain Bee orchis blossom in May.
Only in three years have I noticed Bellargus in May. In two consecutive years, 1905 and 1906, Bellargus S s seen in May, on 27th and 29th respectively, giving five days and three days of flight for this species.
In one other year (earliest record noted — in diary without year date) May 24th is only other record made earlier than June.
These remarks would be only less emphatic as regards second-brood that it is mainly a September phenomenon in most years. To what is due this discrepancy in statements of competent observers might he a ruitful source of discussion. It is noteworthy that in connection with these we cannot be indebted for unusual records to the artifice of other human beings, with their cuckoo clocks and other devices.
These remarks by no means touch the limits where perhaps lie such records as (? at Selbome) of M. cinxia in August. (White Natural History of Selbome .)
A piopos of A. bellargus the following dates collected are perhaps ot interest: Two years, 1877 and 1879, gives us dates November oth and November 6th; 1889 gives end of October, possibly also November (for these I am indebted to Mr. Sidney Webb) ; one" year 1903, Surrey North Downs daily in October till 10th.
In connection with this falls the consideration of the extent of e duiation of imaginal state in both broods. I believe it used to be considered that as a rule five weeks would fairly cover the combined periods of both broods in imaginal condition.
Thus in 1888, collecting at Bevingdean (Sussex), first (tf) bellargus was seen on September 13th, and the first day on which none
43
were seen was 25th of same month. Not one was seen subsequently in this year. Between these dates it was fairly abundant, and this was a year for a species to linger rather than be hurried in its courses. From two to three weeks usually averaged each brood’s days. And only by collecting in a series of localities (seven) could one calculate on working bellargus in second brood for five weeks round Brighton. In the earliest locality it would be over (or more than over) before its appearance in the last. This refers to years prior to 1899, and to S. Downs. But in 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, a new experience has been one’s lot.
The dates for these four consecutive years (to which 1907 is added since reading of paper) are —
First-Brood. Second-Brood.
*1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
36 days 29 ,,
63 „
40 „
49 „
47 days
37
47
47
51
? > > 1 5 » > »
The days on which bellargus was on the wing in these years covered over 22 per cent., 18 per cent., 30 per cent., 24 per cent., 27 per cent, of these years respectively.
Leaving the periods of emergence, etc., and diverging to variation in special years — and taking in corydon as well — the observation of 1887 and 1888, when I visited regularly two localities, I was firmly convinced that these two years showed as regards themselves as follows : —
1887: very hot, sunny, dry summer; exaggeration of sexual dimorphism, $ s brilliant, ? s no blue.
1888 : Late, wet, mostly wretched summer ; most of 5 s with blue taken this summer, and all the darkest $ s taken previously to 1904 were of this year’s capture. The comparison of long series of these two years especially of corydon , taken in an endeavour to get all possible variation, was most striking in the manner above indicated.
Possibly a further remark or two on other variation in imago of corydon will not be quite useless, especially considering that, as regards the differentiation of 5 of bellargus from corydon, there is, I believe, no written description which precludes the possibility of error in identification, however easily familiarity may enable one to readily distinguish every individual.
In my former collection I had a corydon taken in last week of July, 1888. This verbally (so to say) was indistinguishable from bellargus as to colour, shape, fringes, markings of upper- and under sides, with all the admirable neatness and cleanly marked detail of the latter, except for one character not, to my knowledge, anywhere described as a mark of identification, a propos of which character a series is shown. Not that it never fails, does one suggest ; but so often markedly present in corydon, it is, I think, final when well-marked.
On the margins of the wings, on the undersides, where the dark line cuts off the fringes from the wing, and where the nervures end
In this table one and the same single locality all through.
44
on this line, there is an increase of the thickness of this line and each nervure at the junction in all the following Lycaenids : — art) us ( aeyon ) astrarc/ie, Icarus, bellargus, cirion.
In coij/don usually- — this results in the wing rays terminating in a longish triangle with the apex well up on the wing rays, a triangle of the same colour as the ground colour of the wing, therefore, in the female, brown of some tint. Present in all wings, usually much less marked in the $ than in the 2 , tending also less in $ to any ex- aggeiation, and, if unequally marked (except very rarely) on hindwings more marked than on forewings ; in corydon on the average this presents a great contrast to bellaryus.
In bellaryus, the sexual difference is merely less marked; but otherwise similar statement to that in re corydon holds good in much less degree. Usually the increase from the little junction triangle is ■very slight, and of colour of marginal line. Occasionally in bellaryus there is marked running of ground colour down wing rays between the “peacock spots.”
As regards the other four species mentioned, except merely givin" statistics in table shown, I let them entirely stand over.
In comparing corydon and bellaryus (by means of very limited statistics) — (in 2 ) —
The forewing being used for comparison : —
fhe triangular marking on the disc of this wing being noted and distinguished from mere circumferential thickening at the ed"e ■ _
We get
In corydon, As well marked in ... ... ... no
In bellaryus, „ „ ... ... . . q
In corydon, As rather more than slight . lo
In bellaryus, ■„ „ „ . 15
In corydon, As slight or very slight . 0
In bellaryus, „ „ „ ... ." 131
opecimen of corydon compared ... ... ... 125 in toto
and specimens of bellaryus compared ... ... 146 in toto
In corydon, the chief range of differences occurs in those classed as well marked, 110 out of 125.
In bellaryus, the chief range of differences similarly is in the 131, not paralleled by corydon ; but much less difference of degree occurs here than in the well marked corydon, which proportionately should be differentiated into many classes.
Compared with the difficulty of a verbal description discriminating these species, in the female sex, and habitual (? invariable) easy coin fidence of the correct expert, and unanimous agreement if required of experts, and compared with the facile and early acquisition of this skill as regards these two insects whose resemblance (much exploited in a comparatively popular sense) is such a difficulty to the beginner, a ridiculous contrast is afforded by the little mentioned resemblance of 2 s of icarus and bellaryus in the case of really puzzling specimens ; and here with these species — this test of the “ nervure-triangles ” (if I may so designate them), strangely enough, may I think be expected to fail.
At this point one is reminded of one’s intention to claim for
45
bellargus the position of one of the most variable, probably the most variable, of our “blues,” the $ so much more variable than icarus, the ? s so much more than corydon.
One asserts this, prompted by a feeling that it is not too prevalent an opinion, and mentions it in passing to a few details yet to be mentioned with regard to bellargus, as to variation, etc., first as regards habits, which should be kept’ to the front, as otherwise I confess perhaps too liable to be relegated to a back ground.
In contrast with what one has usually considered characteristic of the species, one notes that as often as not (probably), the only specimen of bellargus seen on the first day of its season (first or second brood indiscriminately) has been a 2 — on one occasion (I olkestone) — tAvo days before a $ has been seen.
And again, as regards a second example of a solitary 2 1905, on
Surrey Hills, more than a mile from any hippocrepis or from any bellargus specimen otherwise, a typical 2 bellargus was taken (and
released) in September. .
Then as regards markings : during the last four years m Ivent, m Sussex, in Surrey, during constant collection of bellargus in both broods, Ave haA7e observed in all broods a tendency in ab. striatus, to blue band in 2 s on secondaries, and a definite tendency to obsoleti ; Avhile in Sussex and Surrey, previous to 1898, nothing of this kind ever fell to ones lot. (From 1898 to 1904, being abroad, no English
collecting Avas done.) . ...
And— still as regards 2 s— in 1903 was especially noticeable m Surrey the tendency to alteration of colours during the progress of the autumn. Towards the end of the brood the later 2 s were more often plain, and dull, brown, drab-black, AAritk reduced orange crescents (particularly hindwings), reduced striation of fringes, and increase of tendency of gray apices to forewings. This probably is habitual Avith prolonged, late autumn broods, or those where termina¬ tion has been affected by cold, some approaching closely the only two 2 s affected (as was known to be the case) by frost which I have seen. These would be parallel to the grayish-coloured S s, also approaching
those taken after frost. . .
In the variations of the $ , the blue of particular mdiwcluals seems much more variable than in corydon. The blue band Avithin the margin of hindwings seems peculiar to bellargus among 2 s of u Blues.”
Turning to the variation of $ , it often seems as if the frequency and kind of variation of the less aberrant individuals is liable to be
under-estimated. • ,, , , ,r o i.- >
Of course the deep iron-gray, as well knoAvn in the late Mr. Sabine s collection, the pale silvery steel, the absolutely altered by bleaching AA'ith pinkv tinges, and the extreme of commoner shades, as green and violet, are too well-known to be mentioned, except as not immediately under consideration.
But the remaining numbers, including an enormous percentage after excluding the aboA7e, still include many exceptions, such as the very pale, the pure blue of a deeper colour than any average specimen, the^ grayish and A7ery deep-coloured individuals, anti still yet some exceptionally brilliant, before the rest can be put down as a fairly homogeneous residue, even yet slightly green or slightly violet. Some
46
of these exceptions seem to be somewhat, at least, local in Kent or Sussex as at all common, viz., the pale blue, very pale, and very dark blue.
And still left to be mentioned are the variations of borders of primaries, the white edge within the fringe, the black spots to hind- wings, with and without white edges, and the rare, though slight, markings similarly to uppenvings. These and the amount of black on nervures, on margin, in fringes, transversely, longitudinally, and the dusky to grey and almost black fringes. The latter matters, relating it to hylas, are all deserving, and needing, too, still a great amount of work.
And, finally, on the undersides probably no other English “Blue” is more variable on underside, or more interesting as to amount of sexual variation, and resemblance by variation in colour, than bellaryus.
Finally, to bring to a close these disjointed and rambling remarks, an apology is needed for their superficiality, which would have been somewhat mended but for their hurried concoction, owing to this being no specially prepared, no foreseen paper, which facts, I hope, will partially justify the offering of remarks, based, as you will understand, on such ignorance as leads one to consider such blues as corydon and aeyon to be allied much more closely than most of our “ blues.”
This arises, of course, from aforesaid superficiality, which judges from the imagines with undersides showing (1) sometimes or often “blue studs” in marginal spots of secondaries; (2) tendency to white nervures on discs; (3) tendency for the groundcolour to run down nervures broadly to margin, spreading there in a triangle— and with uppersides in 3 with variation from a plain marginal line to wings, through a row of spots of varying sizes with and without varying amount of white to a broad homogeneous black band— the wing rays varying from blue ground colour through varying amount of black pigment to marked black wedges on upper wings ; "the black discoidal spot so often present in both, even on hindwings*.
It must be allowed, however, that these points of resemblance are fairly closely confined to these species. Nevertheless, parallel argu¬ ments probably exaggerate also the nearness of icarus and bellarijus in relationship, through the close parallelism of the 3 s (colour only, and not too unreservedly excepted), and, indeed, also, only less so of $ s, and including the underside marking, where the “ nervure- triangle ” seldom is well marked, and increased chiefly (though, even here, rarely) in 3 s by ground colour spreading between “ peacock- spots.”
Based entirely on points like these, one fully recognises the superficiality of the argument; but this feeling "is, nevertheless, strong enough, in contrast with any appreciation of a close relation¬ ship between cot yd.oti and adonts, to lead to one's arrangements placing argus and corydon alongside, and adonis and icarus alongside, even though this should necessitate separating corydon and adonis from juxta-position.
To these notes (and accidentally omitted from them when read)
* [Also, as well-known now, both hybernate in ova ; a much less “superficial” resemblance, perhaps. October 2nd, 1907.]
47
may be added to variations common to corydon and acyon, and not to icarus and bellary us, an occasional aberration in aegnn and corydon, showing a few black spots additional to the discoidal spot on upper wings, and, perhaps, in both on hindwings, in much same position as in avion. This is quite distinct, probably from the variation in scaling allowing some reproduction of markings of undersides on uppersides, probably most commonly in icarus.
A. Bellargus on Wing.
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
First-brood, June 2 to July 8 . . . . 36 days 1
Second-brood, August 24 to October 9 . . . . 47 days f
(With interval 47 days) Total, Ilf weeks.
First-brood, June 6 to July 4. . .. .. 29 days )
Second-brood, August 20 to September 25 37 days J
(With interval 46 days) Total 9f weeks.
First-brood, May 27 to July 29 .. .. 64 days |
Second-brood, August 12 to September 27 . . 47 days )
(With interval 14 days) Total 15f weeks.
First-brood, May 29 to July 7 .. .. 40 days )
Second-brood, August 8 to September 13 48 days j
(With interval 31 days) Total 12f weeks.
First-brood, May 26 to July 23 .. .. 59 days )
Second-brood, August 24 to October 13 . . 51 days j
added after. (With interval 31 days) Total 15f weeks.
22% of year. 18%.
30%.
24%.
30%.
Nervure-Triangle op $ in Six Species of Blues.
|
None |
Slight |
Very Small |
Marked |
Good |
Excessive |
||
|
Argus |
(125) |
1 |
15 |
51 |
45 |
13 |
— |
|
Corydon |
(125) |
. . — • |
— |
4 |
11 |
39 |
71 |
|
Bellargus |
(146) |
.. 52 |
79 |
12 |
3 |
— |
— |
|
Icarus |
(155) |
.. 64 |
51 |
35 |
5 |
— |
— |
|
Astrarche |
( 84) |
.. 30 |
33 |
20 |
1 |
— |
— |
|
A rion |
( 13) |
.. 12 |
1 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
d s as well as ? s.
48
DESIDERATA FOR THE SOCIETY’S CABINET.
LEPIDOPTERA.
1. In Micron. — Many species are not represented by a single specimen, and in
only a few species is the series complete.
2. In Macros. — In the case of nearly all rarities only a type or no example. Of
less rare species many species will bear improvement.
Rhopalocera. — All good specimens, with data, acceptable. New series specially required of L. avion, II. actaeon, and H. sylvanus.
Heterocera. — (South list, 1884.) *
C. Porcellus T. Apiformis
T. Crabroniformis S. Scoliiformis S. Sphegiformis S. Asiliformis S. Myopiformis S. Formiciformis S. Ichneumoniformis
S. Chrysidiformis N. Strigula
N. Albulalis N. Centonalis N. Senex N. Mundana
L. Muscerda L. Lutarella L. Deplana E. Cribrum H. Asella
D. Fascelina
T. Cratoegi P. Populi
E. Lanestris
B. Quercus D. Furcula D. Bifida N. Trepida N. Trimacula
C. Duplaris C. Fluctuosa
A. Ridens A. Tridens A. Leporina A. Aceris
A. Strigosa A. Ligustri A. Auricoma A. Menyanthidis L. Obsoleta
L. Favieolor
M. Flammea
S. Maritima
T. Extrema
N. Neurica N. Arundinis C. Lutosa H. Micacea L. Exigua N. Reticulata
P. Leucophea M. Albicolon
M. Furva A. Connexa
A. Ophiogramma C. Haworth ii C. Ambigua A. Corticea A. Cinerea A. Rip®
A. Aquilina A. Obelisca A. Prcecox A. Obscura A. Ashworthii
N. Depuncta N. Ditrapezium
M. Dahlii
N. Sobrina
N. Castanea T. Orbona A. Pyramidea P. Leucographa P. Hyperborea T. Populeti
T. Pulverulenta
O. Suspeeta
O. Croeeago X. Fulvago T. Retusa
C. Pyralina
D. Irregularis
D. Templi
E. Liclienea A. Nigra
H. Adusta PI. Glauca H. Dissimilis H. Contigua H. Rectilinea X. Areola X. Socia C. Verbasei C. Lychnitis C. Asteris C. Absinthii C. CliamomillfE H. Triplasia
P. Interrogationis A. Melanopa
A. Cordigera H. Peltigera E. Fasciana T. Craec®
B. Notha
B. Cinetaria
D. Obfuscaria
G. Papilionaria P. Pustulata T. Lactearia Z. Porata
Z. Annulata Z. Orbicularia A. Luteata A. Candidata A. Sylvata
E. Obliterata
N. Cambrica A. Ochrata A. Bisetata
A. Contiguaria A. Dilutaria A. Holosericata A. Circellata A. Marginepunctata A. Straminata A. Immutata A. F'umata A. Strigilaria A. Degeneraria
C. Rotundaria M. Alternata M. Liturata
F. Carbonaria
O. Filigrammaria E. Aflinitata
E. Alchemillata E. Taeniata E. Minorata E. Consignata E. Pulchellata E. Pygmreata E. Subfulvata E. Plumbeolata E. Scabiosata E. Helveticaria
H. Satyrata E. Castigata E. Pusillata E. Irriguata
49
E. Constrictata E. Albipuncfcata E. ExpalLidata E. Absinthiata E. Minutata E. Lariciata E. Dodoneata E. Exiguata E. Sobrinata E. Togata E. Coronata E. Debiliata C. Sparsata
L. Sexalisata L. Halterata L. Viretata i L. Carpinata
L. Polycommata T. Simulata
T. Firmata H. Ruberata H. Trifaseiata H. Sordidata
M. Oeellata M. Albicillata M. Galiata
A. Nigrofasciaria A. Berberata C. Fluviata P. Lapidata P. Vittata S. Vetulata C. Miata C. Sagittata C. Silaceata C. Prunata C. Dotata C. Paludata L. Griseata
GERALD HODGSON.
A. J. WILLSDON.
Hon. Curators.
PRESENTED 30 JUL 1908
«
Citg of I'ouDon Entomological # Bataral
istorn
THIS SOCIETY has for its object the diffusion of the science of Natural History, by means of papers, discussions, exhibitions, and the formation of collections for reference. Since its commencement in 1858, a valuable and useful Library has been formed, which comprises, amongst other works, sets of the “Zoologist” (1843 — 1897), “Entomologist” (Vols. 1 — 40), “Ento¬ mologist’s Monthly Magazine” (Vols. 1 — 42), and the “Ento¬ mologist’s Record and Journal of Variation” (Vols. 1—18). There is also a collection of British Lepidoptera, and collections of other orders are now in course of formation.
The meetings take place on the first and third Tuesdays in each month, except July and August, from 7.30 to 9.30 p.m., at the London Institution, Finsbury Circus, E.C., which is easily accessible from all parts. Exhibits are made at every meeting, and papers read on various Natural History Subjects, a special feature being the systematic discussion and exhibition of interesting groups of insects, etc.
The Entrance Fee is Two Shillings and Sixpence, and the Annual Subscription Seven Shillings and Sixpence, payable in advance, being fixed at as moderate a sum as is possible, consistent with the proper maintenance of the Society and its work, in order that all may avail themselves of the benefits offered. The Society therefore looks with confidence for the support of all who are interested in the study of Natural History.
The year commences on the first Tuesday in December, but intending members may join at any time, the ballot being taken at the next ordinary meeting after that on which they are proposed.
Further information may be obtained from the corresponding Secretary.