94 THE kntomologist's record. 



himself tells us) on the subsequent study of a large amount of 

 material. He sinks two of his species, qnadrifasciata and alfiniata, as 

 varieties of dilutata, and then adds the following note on autuiimata : 

 " I also caught, last autumn, several specimens of this fine Geo- 

 meter . . . Some resemble in colouring, and also in size, the 

 largest and lightest examples of dilutata, but the broader wings, 

 formed after altogether a dift'erent shape, distinguish it sufficiently as a 

 species from that Geometer, as the comparison of the two in nature 

 immediataly shows at first glance." This last statement, from one 

 who is often spoken of by his countrymen as a " sharp observer, " 

 and who had studied the group closely enough to unite the various 

 forms of dilutata, noticithstandini/ slight differences of shape (which he 

 earlier mentioned), is surely conclusive, when taken along with the 

 description I have already quoted ; the German representatives of our 

 "■ jilitirammana group," it must be borne in mind, are large and very 

 ample-winged. 



In Treitschke's time, the suspicion was still expressed from time 

 to time, that this silver- white insect was a good species ; but 

 Treitschke, by a careless oversight, tells us it is the var. quadrifasciata 

 of Borkhausen, and he sinks it as a mere variety, on the same dan- 

 gerous grounds on which he sinks spadicearia to ferriujata — that he 

 possessed examples which appeared to him to be transitions. 



Antumnata, Bkh. = qnadrifasciata , Tr. {iiec Bkh.), is therefore the 

 earliest indisputable name in ihefdi(irammaria group, and represents the 

 extreme white form, with ample wings. I believe, with Dr. F. B. White, 

 that Newman's lower figure {Ih-itish DLoths, p. 108), shows this insect, 

 though the basal patch is nearly always more angulated ; palles'-ens, Ckll. 

 [Kntom., xxii., p. 3) thus becomes a synonym. I have peen Kannoch 

 and Enniskillen examples agreeing with the continental type, and the 

 palest of the late J. B. Hodgkinson's Cumberland examples also differ 

 but little therefrom. On the whole, our Scotch examples are pro- 

 bably smaller, less white, and more glossy, and may provisionally 

 retain the name of var. addendaria, B. White; but it is most probable 

 that name will have to be abandoned when more material, British and 

 Continental, has been compared ; it will certainly not be available for 

 any particular aberration, as Dr. White applied it comprehensively. 



As Doubleday informed Guenee more than 40 years ago, and as Dr. 

 White repeated in 1878, that autuwnaria, Weav. = addendaria, B. 

 White, was common in Scotland, I suspected that the lack of 

 knowledge regarding it to-day was due to some difficulty in determina- 

 tion on the part of the present generation of entomologists ; and now 

 that several of my correspondents have kindly sent me their series of 

 supposed dilutata for inspection, I am able to say positively that such 

 is the case. From Aberdeen, 27 autunmata and 10 dilutata have 

 reached me, the former being mainly of the smaller and darker forms, 

 referable to appro.rimaria, Weav. From Eannoch, Mr. W. M. 

 Christy sent some grand varieties {oiaittuvtnata), quite as large as the 

 Continental average, and some agreeing well with certain Continental 

 examples. From Glasgow, Mr. A. Adie Dalglish sent a long series, 

 mainly dilntata, but comprising three autuvinata, nearer the Aberdeen 

 forms. Should these notes catch the eye of any Scotch entomologist 

 who may feel interested, I should deem it a great pleasure to be 

 allowed to look through his series. It is curious that autumnata should, 



