ON THE VALUE OK LARVAL CHARACTERS. 87 



character of specialisation, which Professor Grote has wrongly 

 interpreted. 



Another character of specialisation may be found in the number of 

 anal nervures in the hind-wings. Thus Citheronia and Ilcmileuca 

 have two such nervures, AutomerU, Arjlia, Saturnia and Attacm, one. 

 By combining these characters with the specialisations of the fore- 

 wing, as deduced by Professor Grote, we get: Group 1 (generalised) — 

 containing Citheronia and Hemilcuca, with two anal nervures, and 

 Automcrisyyiih. but one, yet with nervure IV 2 of fore- wings stationary; 

 Group 2 (specialised) — containing A<ilia, Saturnia, and Attaais with 

 but one anal nervure, A(/lia the lowest, as nervure IV 2 is less inti- 

 mately related to IV j^ than in Saturnia. 



This exactly corresponds with my larval classification, which I 

 restate in tabular form below. Thus the neurational characters, 

 more broadly interpreted, confirm, instead of contradict, the larval 

 ones : — 



I. — A single dorsal tubercle on 9th abdominal segment, the primitive first 

 stage present. 



Anal plate tubercular ; tubercles unarmed ... ... Citheronia 



Anal plate smooth ; tubercles covered with modified 

 urticating setae. 



Tubercle i with long shaft ... ... ... Automeris 



Tubercle i with short shaft ... ... ... Hemileuca 



II. — No single dorsal tubercle on 9th segment ; anal plate 

 tubercular. 



Primitive first stage present, spines unequal ; mature 



tubercles atrophied ... ... ... ... Aglia 



No primitive first stage ; spines sub-equal. 



A dorsal tubercle on 8th segment ... ... Attacus 



No unpaired dorsal tubercles ... ... ... Saturnia 



<irOLEOPTERA. 



The Coleoptera of Wicken Fen and District. 



By HOHACE DONISTHOKPE, F.Z.S., F.E.S. 



Wicken Fen has always been a favourite resort of entomologists, 

 and justly so, as among its insects it comprises some of our finest 

 species ; many also are confined to it. This paper will treat it from a 

 coleopterist's point of view. I have visited it pretty regularly since 

 1888, and have now taken nearly all the local species. I have worked 

 the Fen from both ends, as also the surrounding neighbourhood, 

 having stayed both at Upware and Wicken. I found my stay, this 

 year, when there last August, the most productive I have ever had, 

 taking many species I have never seen there before. Others that have 

 only occurred sparingly, were to be seen in profusion. The fens are 

 too well known to require description, and all entomologists who have 

 not been there should go and see for themselves, they will find it quite 

 difierent from anything they have tried before. 1, personally, prefer 

 collecting at Wicken to any other place I know ; you can always find 

 something fresh, and something to work for, wet or fine, in the day- 

 time or at night. For convenience sake, I give the list of .species in 

 generic order, with notes as to how they were captured, etc. It is not 

 intended as a complete list of all the species to be taken there, but a 

 list of all the species I and my friends have taken : — Carabiis ijranii- 



