108 



verse lines to forewing. The females are seldom yellow and more 

 often banded. The specimens exhibited show much variation. 



" Cosiiiotriche jjotatoria. — In this species, as in those above referred 

 to, the ground colour of both sexes varies from white ochreous to 

 brown. The typical male is reddish-brown with intermingled j'el- 

 lowish shades. The typical female is yellow. The literary type 

 would appear to be the yellow form in both sexes. In my experi- 

 ence the yellow form of the male and the brown form of the female 

 are distinctly uncommon. The yellow male appears to be a form 

 found only in the Fen districts, but the brown female may occur 

 anywhere. 



" The markings of the forewing consist of a curved line near the 

 base of the wing, which line is sometimes abbreviated and occasion- 

 ally absent'; a slanting line from near the tip of the forewing to the 

 centre of the inner margin, which is seldom absent, but varies in 

 position and straightness ; and a serrated second line outside the 

 last, which is sometimes absent, and varies in intensity. The last 

 two lines are often shaded, and perhaps may occasionally join up to 

 form a complete band, though no specimens in my collection do so. 

 I have purposely selected the more strongly marked females for 

 exhibition, the majority of my females are more ordinary, but there 

 are many districts where heavily marked females and unicolorous 

 dark brown males are very common. 



" Summary. — On reviewing the five species of Lachneides which I 

 have exhibited, it appears to me that they show great variation of 

 ground colour in every case. With the exception of L. quercus, 

 where yellow forms do not appear to occur in the males (the nearest 

 I have seen was exhibited by one of our members), both sexes would 

 appear to vary from pale yellow or buff to dark brown. I do not 

 not call to mind any other group of the Macro-lepidoptera where 

 a similar variation occurs. 



" Yellow forms of brown insects do not appear to be generally 

 common. There are many British Rhopalocera that are brown in 

 ground colour, but it is very unusual for the brown to be replaced 

 by yellow. It is occasionally found among the Ar<jynnidce, e.g., A. 

 ettphrosyne, the Vanessidce, e.g., FoUjgnnia c-albam, the Satyridce, e.g., 

 Epinephele tithonus, E, jurtina [janira), C'tenonyinplia paniphiltis, etc., 

 and in Ruraiis betula and Rumicia phlaas, etc. In the Heterocera, 

 the tendency is seen in Uochlidion {tleterogenea) avellana {liniacodes). 



" The more usual change is I think from red to yellow. Among 

 the Arctiida the hindwings of Arctia villica and Parasemia planta- 

 ginis are normally yellow though the latter at times inclines to red, 



