VARIATION OF NONAGRIA CANNJ:. 287 



appears to be unique. The o-round colour, liowevcr, varies very gi'catly. 

 I .should deserilic it iu the type as reddisli-ochreous iu the $ and pale 

 ochreous-ycllow iu the $ . The hind-wiuf^-s in both sexes are j;Tey, 

 with the friuge of the same colour as tlic tbre-wings. The $ s generally 

 show the darker i)ost-niedian line, followed by a lighter one, but they are 

 only just visible iu the lighter coloured $ s. 



I have, besides this type form, distinguished three distinct aberra- 



tions, viz. : — 



a. ab. fusca, n. ab. s .—Anterior wings very dark fuscous-brown, with the 

 markings scarcely visible. ?. Fuscous brown, the markings distinct. 



/3. ab. rosea, n. ab. — Anterior wings and fringe of hind-wings of a warm red in 

 the <? s, and suffused with a rosy shade in the ? s. This is much brighter in fresh 

 specimens, and after drying fades away slightly. 



7. lib. ohsolet<i,n. ah.— Oi this I have only seen the ? specimen mentioned 

 above. Anterior wings pale yellow, wainscot markings wanting, except the two 

 lowest black dots. 



By far the gTcatcr number of the larva3 I found were in Tj/jy/ia 

 aiKjnsti folia ; but in its earlier stages it must feed a gi-eat deal iu the 

 stems o'f Scirpns lacustris, and I obtained a few pupio in extra large 

 Scirpns stems, and one out of Sjyarganinm ramosum leaves. ^ The 

 percentage-of sooty specimens is very small. I got alM)ut one in fifteen 

 this year, but consider that wonderfully good luck. 



Observations on the genus Catocala. 



By E. M. DADD. 



C, nupta. — Ova about -04 — -045 in. in diameter, round, conical 

 above, flattened beneath. Colour, in general, Iwown with two irregular 

 ])ur})le rings, one round the micropyle and one al)out the e(iuat()r. The 

 micropyle'is smaller and more i)ointed than in ( '. clocata. The vertical 

 ribs number about 40, only about half of which reach the micropyle. 



The young larvte emerge during April and May, and measure 

 about -25 iu. The head is yellow, the thorax and first two abdominal 

 segments dull gi-een, the remainder brown. In other respects, it 

 resembles others of the genus at this stage ; the lateral tubercles are 

 somewhat smaller than the dorsal. In the second instar it measures 

 about -5 in., the head and legs are brown, the Ijody light yellowish-brown, 

 the sides being much darkw-. The dorsal tubercles are very small, the 

 laterals in this instar being larger. The hairs on the latter are also 

 longer and finer than those on the former. The hump is not yet 

 developed, but the 5th abdominal is somewhat darker than the 

 remaining segments. In the third instar, the larva measures al)Out one 

 inch, and has become very pretty. The head and ])ody are now orange- 

 brown, the sides reddish-ln-own with a pale yellow dorsal stripe. On 

 the 5th abdominal the hump is developed, orange-red in colour, aud 

 immediately behind it is a black transverse liaud, which fills the whole 

 area l)etween the i)rolegs of the 5th and fith abdominals. This band 

 is, however, interrupted by the dorsal strii)e, which retains its normal 

 colour. Both the legs and the prolegs are orange-yellow ; the latter 

 are now fullv develojjed on tlie 3rd and 4th abdominals, but are smaller 

 tiian those on the 5th and Gth. The tubercles are small and incon- 

 si)icuous, exce]»t the i)osterior tra])ezoidals, which cm the Sth and J»th 

 al)dominals are enlarged and pointed backwards, forming a kiud of 

 ridge. In the foui'th instar the larva measures about 1-5 in. The gi-ouud 



