1913.] 79 



AnteniiEe testaceous, 1st aucl 2nd joints of equal length, 3rd distinctly shorter 

 than 2nd, 4th transverse in ? , as long as broad in S , 5th to 10th transverse, 

 gradually increasing in breadth, 11th aboiit as long as the two preceding 

 together. Thorax transverse, about a third broader than long, as broad in 

 front as behind, the sides slightly and evenly rounded, furnished with two or 

 three fine setae ; disc sonietiraes with a tine channel ; punctnration superficial 

 and scattered, distinctly shagreened, sparingly pubescent. Elytra transverse, 

 a little broader than the thorax, and of the same length, not sinuated at the 

 jjostero-external angles, puncturation superficial and scattered, distinctly 

 shagreened, slightly ptibescent. Abdomen black, shining, very sparingly and 

 finely punctured and pubescent. Middle and posterior tibiae without setae. 



(^ 6th ventral plate considerably produced, not narrowed, truncate at 

 extremity with angles rounded, and with about a dozen moderately long and 

 fine setae at the margin. ? 6th ventral plate scarcely pi'oduced, gently rounded 

 and distinctly emarginate in middle of posterior margin, and furnished with 

 rather short setae. 



I have taken this species at Alge9iras and (xibraltar under 

 stones with ants, and have seen others from Sardinia belonging to 

 M. Agostino Dodero. 



H. M. S. " Formidable," 

 Chatham : 



February 12th, 1913. 



THE WINGLESS GEOMETER. 

 BY GEO. T. PORRITT, F.L.S. 



I fear I cannot endorse the conclusion of Dr. J. H. Wood as to 

 the cause of the vpinglessness of some of the winter G-eometers. It seems 

 to me, indeed, that Dr. Wood has first formed his theory and then tried 

 to make his supposed facts support it, instead of first getting at facts 

 and then forming a theory from them. Dr. Wood commences his 

 paper by stating that " all the winter Geometers without exception 

 have wingless females." I consider that Himera pennaria in its 

 structure and habits, both as larva and imago, is as much a winter moth 

 as are any of the Hybernid^ ; almost equally so is Oporahia dilutata. 

 These have at least as much a winter flight as have Nyxsia zonaria and 

 N. lapponaria, which species indeed are contemporaneous as imagines 

 with several winged Geometers. A good deal is assumed in Dr. Wood's 

 next statement that among the Geometers there is not "a single British 

 species that hibernates in the perfect state." Surely Dr. Wood must 

 have forgotten (or more likely overlooked) that the three species 

 mentioned by Commander Walker in his editorial footnote habitually 



