354 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST 



band is extremely wide and very dark and iieavy. Bclwccn the 

 basal band and the exlradiscal the wing is so dark that only a 

 Ijroad, dark, intermediate band can be discerned. The median 

 band is very deep reddish cholocate in colour. The outer border 

 appears to be almost as in normal dejensaria except that the lines 

 are heavier. The hind wings of both sexes seem to have a slightly 

 more yellowish shade than in the normal form, particulaily in 

 the female, which in normal defensaria, is quite dark ashen. Be- 

 neath there appears to be little difference except that the lines 

 are heavier in the variety. 



This form does not appear so commonK- in collections as one 

 might expect, possibly because collectors neglect to start their 

 work early enough in the season. 



One would hardK- imagine this form was defensaria unless 

 it were seen in series. 



Ilolfltype. — cT, Cowichan Bay, B. C, April 26, 1900, in my 

 collection, received through the kindness of Mr. V. H.\V.)llev Dod. 



Allotype. — 9, Victoria, B. C, May 10, 1914, collection of 

 Mr E. H. Blackmore. 



Paratypes. — 5 cf 's, April 21 to May 8, 1914 and 1915, 4 of 

 ihem in Mr. Blackmore's collection, the fifth (with a somewhat 

 intermediate, reddish, outer border; without date of capture) in 

 the Victoria Museum collection; 2 cf's, Duncans, B. C, April 

 22, 1914, Victoria, B. C, April 25, 1914, E. H. Blackmore, in 

 coll. Swett; 2 9 's, Victoria, B. C, April 25 and 80, 1914 and 1915, 

 E. H. Blackmore, in coll. Swett; 5 9 's. Victoria. B. C, April 22 

 to Mav 20, 1914 and 1915, in coll. Blackmore. 



Another very interssting variety of this spring form, which 

 I belie\e to be a case of melanism, is the following: — 

 Xanthorhoe defensaria (.n., var. suppuraria var. nov 



Expanse 25-27 mm. The male has light ashen fore wings with 

 xcvy faint, wavy lines on the outer border and a very wide, black 

 or reddish-black central band, nearly twice as broad as in var. 

 mephistaria Swett. The female is similar to the male, except that 

 the outer margin is of a pale. Hesh colour with only the twin, black 

 dots showing strongly. The hind wings are of rather a pale ashen 

 colour and thin in texture, though not so much so as in var. thana- 

 iaria Swett. 



