80 THE entomologist's record, 



at Chattenden. It must be a rare thing to find ail these species so 

 nearly on the same ground. To us A. trifolii has always been a most 

 elusive species on the continent, and we have no recollection of having 

 ever seen it elsewhere. 



The species that showed the most marked difference in the seasons 

 was Lycaena alcon. This insect was much more abundant than during the 

 preceding year, when it was practically over at the time of our visit. 

 This year the species, though more frequent, was localised almost be- 

 yond belief in a place where the foodplant was widely spread over 

 many acres. Nearly all our captures were made in two little corners 

 of the bog, although odd ones might be seen almost anywhere. The 

 (? s were in none too good condition, but the J s were much better and 

 presented two very distinct forms, one tinged with blue on the base of 

 all the wings, extending in some instances to the disc, the others uni- 

 form greyish-fuscous without blue. 



A few other insects were noted — Adkinia bipimctidactyla, Stenoptilia 

 pterodactyla, Marasmarcha phaeodactyla, Merrifieldia tetradactyla, Cram- 

 bus maryantellns, C. selasellus, Glyphipteryx cladiella, &c. Searching the 

 tree-trunks in the pinewood, soon showed that Hyloicns pijiastri was 

 there, wonderfully well-protected as it sits closely on a trunk during 

 the daytime with the wings well-drawn down to the resting surface. 



The poverty of the season was apparent rather in the almost absence 

 of a large number of species seen the preceding year and in the fact that 

 others did not appear at all, evidently not yet out, than in the actual 

 number of specimens seen. The abundance of Enodia hyperanthus, 

 Coeiionympha tipJion, Lycaena alcon and Anthrocera lonicerae suggested 

 that cold late seasons are not equally deleterious to all species. Of whites, 

 Gonepteryx rhamni, &c., not a hundredth part of the specimens were 

 on view compared with the preceding year, nor did there seem evidence 

 that they would later be as abundant as in 1908. We made three 

 journeys to the bogs and, on each occasion, although apparently work- 

 ing the same ground, made some observations that escaped us on the 

 other visits, and it was not until the morning of our last visit that we 

 discovered Anthrocera lonicerae at all. Entering the bog from another 

 direction we scarcely saw a specimen of A. trifolii, but found as described 

 A. lonicerae abundantly, whilst, on the two earlier occasions, we never 

 got a specimen of the latter species, and, though A. trifolii 3- s were not 

 uncommon, we got very few ? s. Still, although insects were not so 

 abundant as in the preceding year, there was none of that dearth we 

 had almost been led to expect. 



On the Variation of Hydroecia crinanensis, Burrows and Pierce. 



By (Kev.) C. E. N. burrows, F.E.S. 

 It appears to be advisable while the material remains in my hands, 

 to put on record the forms of this new species which have, so far, been 

 identified by Mr. Pierce and myself. This material, consisting of 

 only 47 specimens, is not sufficient, of course, for me to attempt so 

 complete an examination of the aberrations, as Mr. Tutt drew up in his 

 descriptions of the forms of H. yiictitans, H. paludis, and H. lucens in 

 his British Noctuae and their Varieties, vol. i., pp. 58-64, and later in 

 the Entomoloyist' s Record, vol. vii., pp. 78-79. On this account also it 

 seems premature to embark upon a discussion of parallel-variation 



