1901.] 117 



The first specimens were taken at sugar near INIailiet Drayton, in 

 August, 1891, by Mr. Bowyer, who was my companion at the time, and 

 myself. The species was very abundant that year, and came freely 

 to sugar, it being i)ossible to take from fifty to sixty specimens in an 

 evening. Altogether in that year nine of the yellow form were taken 

 at sugar, and I also bred one among a number of the ordinary forms. 

 Next year, though numerous, the species was not much attracted by 

 sugar, and not many were taken, bu,t among them was a yellow 

 one. In 1895 and 189G the species was again abundant, and came 

 fairly to sugar, but all the specimens taken were of the ordinary 

 forms. 1900 was again a good year, though only for a limited time, 

 and on August 14th, 15th, I7th, and 18th, I took a single specimen 

 of the yellow form each night. 



Thus altogether fifteen specimens of this form have been taken, 

 comprising, I think, about 3 °/q of the total number of specimens of 

 M. castanea seen or taken. I think the re-occurrcncc of this variety 

 in three separate years shows that the form is constant, and not 

 merely a chance aberration, as was my idea on first taking the insect ; 

 and I therefore propose to name it var. xanthe. 



I sent one of the 1891 s|)ecimens of this var. to Mr. Barrett, who 

 has figured it in his " Lepido|)tera of the British Islands," vol. iv, pi. 

 cxlviii, fig. Ih. The first notice of the occurrence of this form of N. 

 castanea was sent to the " Entomologist," vol. xxv, |). 70, by my 

 friend the Rev. T. Daltry. 



Notes on the re-occurrence of the insect in 1900 appeared in 

 the " Entomologists' Record," vol. xii, p. 297. 



I hope this short paper will establish its claim to a distinct varie- 

 tal name, and that the name I propose will be considered sufficiently 

 descri])tive and satisfactory. 



Market Drayton : 



March 2Qth, 1901. 



ON SOME TERATOLOaiCAL SPECIMENS OF LE L'IDOPTERA. 



BY SIR GEORGE F. HAMPSON, BART., F.Z.S., &c. 

 {Continued from 2nd Series, Vol. xi, jo. 19S^. 



The specimens now described have been added to the collections 

 of the British Museum of Natural History since 1 published the 

 notes on the same subject, Ent. Mo. Mag., September, 1900, p. 197 ; 

 most of them have been kindly presented by Mr. South, who had 

 been accumulating them for some years. 



