CURRENT NOTES. 97 



these attracted my attention, as appearing to have on the underside, 

 as well as the usual line of white markings, a faint white line along 

 the discocellulars on both wings. On examining this line more care- 

 fully, it was seen that there was no white line, but that the thickening 

 of the vein caused the scales on its basal side to be raised up, and this, 

 of course, in a continuous line across the wing for the length of the 

 discocellular veins. This different angle at which the scales are set 

 gave in some lights exactly the appearance of a white line. In de- 

 scribing C. rubi, Tutt {A Nat. Hist. Ih: Lep., vol. ix., p. 90) notes 

 some trace of a white median spot. I am not, however, desiring to 

 improve the description of ('. rubi, but to suggest a question as to how 

 far this structural condition, giving the appearance of a coloured line, 

 may account for, or be in some way the starting point in, the evolution 

 of the discal lines or spot that is so frequent a feature of butterfly and 

 other lepidopterous markings. Or, rather, more clearly since the 

 discocellular veins do in some way determine the existence of a discal 

 spot, have we here some indication as to how its evolution begins ? — 

 T. A. Chapman, M.D., F.E.S., Betula, Keigate. February 2Qth, 1910. 



URRENT NOTES. 



Dr. Sharp records {Eiit. Mn. Maf/.) the capture of Crepidodcra 

 iitipressa, Fab., in Hayling Island, in September, 1909. It is probable 

 that the species occurs along the western shores of France. The same 

 coleopterist gives the opinion that Galerucella pusilla, Weise, captured 

 at Mildenhall, Horning, and in the New Forest, is distinct from G. 

 calainariemis, this differing from Bedel, who considers them specifically 

 the same. 



Mr. J. R. Malloch adds two new species of Anthoini/iidae to the 

 British fauna, viz., Fannia ni;fra, captured at Bonhill and Cardross in 

 Dumbartonshire (founded on four ^ s taken between June and August), 

 and Fannia feniorata, founded on a single <? taken at Aberfoyle on 

 June 30th, 1904. 



Another welcome part of the Xoctuelles et Geomctris d' Furope by 

 J. Culot (Villa-les-Iris, Grand Pre, Geneve) has come to hand. This 

 livraison 3 deals with the genera Triphaena parts of Noctua and 

 Afp-otia. The figures are exceedingly beautiful and the book is one that 

 ought to be in the hands of all British lepidopterists. We are unable 

 to quite follow the numbering of the figures of Plate v., relating to 

 AijrotiH /ii/pcrborea in the references, and the author appears not always 

 to apply the right names to the forms figured, the original descriptions 

 of which are to be found in T/w Varieties of tlie British yoctuae,\o\. ii., 

 pp. 85-89. Humphrey and Westwood's var. alpina could not possibly 

 have come from Shetland, the specimens from which locality are 

 referable to our var. cacndcacens, and entirely different from the 

 Rannoch form which Guenee erroneously referred to camica, Hering. 

 We dealt with all these difficulties in 1892, and it would be well to 

 get the names of the local forms of this beautiful species rightly 

 applied. But this m no wise detracts from the altogether delightful 

 illustrations. 



A special effort was made to secure a good collection of exhibits of 

 applied photography at the Exhibition of the Birmingham Photo- 

 graphic Society, and as the result a fine collection of scientific prints 



