2 8 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



variable insect. Through (he kindness of a number of entomo- 

 h)<j;ical fricMuls we received either living females or freshly 

 de[)(>sited ova from a number of different localities in England, 

 Scotland and Irt^land, and also from different parts of Switzer- 

 land, and from Lapland. From Lapland the female parents were 

 all of the dark var. hn/onicr, and we had females of this var. and 

 of the type from different localities in Switzerland. 



"In some cases the broods were carried on for two or three 

 years, those from each locality being kept distinct. 'We always 

 found that each family, though usually exhibiting the wider 

 variability of the species, retained the original general character 

 of the first parents : e. g., the broods from Lapland had a close 

 resemblance to each other, and were very distinct fi'om all the 

 broods from the var. hryonicv females from Switzerland. 



'•The Lapland specimens resulted from ova despatched by 

 Mr. AV. G. Sheldon as soon as they were deposited. The ova 

 generally hatched before arriving in England. 



" At (xlariis, Switzerland, Dr. T. A. Chapman captured at the 

 same altitude females of var, hri/onke and of the type, which he 

 sent alive. Ova were obtained from several of each, and the 

 progeny of the two forms entirelj'^ resembled the parents. All 

 the females resulting from the var. hryonio' ova were of this form, 

 \\ bile no hryonice were produced from ova laid by typical females. 

 The males of both forms I am unable to distinguish from one 

 auotlier. The progeny of the typical females were double- 

 brooded, but only in one family of bri/onice did we obtain any of 

 the summer brood, three females being produced. All the rest 

 of the hri/oniiv pupa) lay over the winter. 



" It is difficult to describe the differences between the various 

 local forms from the British localities, and it would be impossible 

 to separate them accurately if the specimens were all mixed up, 

 but in long series it is seen that thero is a strong tendency 

 towards certain extremes which occur in the different places. 

 These strong tendencies are e(]ually evident in the specimens bred 

 from ova deposited in Woodford by females sent from various 

 localities in England, Scotland and Ireland." 



The bred and captured specimens kindly lent by Mr. Main, 

 Mr. H. J. Turner and Mr. W. G. Sheldon in illustration of this 

 address entirely bear out the above statements. I especially wish 

 to direct attention to the difference between the Lapland bn/onio', 

 both captured and London bred, and the Swiss bri/onice, both 

 captured and London bred. The two Lapland families and the 

 captured female are smaller and greyer than the commonest Swiss 

 form, — their yellow tint paler and duller, their fore-wing spots 

 smaller and less dark. The close resemblance between 40 bryonice 

 bred in the London district and their female parent captured in 

 Switzerland is also very striking. Still stronger evidence is 

 afforded by the females of local races from the British Islands, 

 particularly by the specimens bred in Loudon from Irish (Eiinis- 

 killen) parents. These exhibit the strong black markings and 



