200 [August, 



Oeometrce in general. It helps to explain, what otherwise is perplexing, why it is 

 thai several of our Eupithecicc are scarcely known by cajitured specimens, those to 

 be seen in collections — often extending to long series — being such as have been 

 reared from the easily collected larvae. This is the case even in the bright and 

 pretty E. linariata, which surely ought to be readily captured at dusk flying over 

 the beds of Linaria vulgaris, as is its close ally E. pulchellata over the foxglove ; or 

 might be expected to sit by day on posts or rails, or to allow itself to be disturbed 

 from undergrowth. So far as my knowledge goes, however, all our specimens are 

 obtained by the easy process of bringing iiome a bunch of the flowers of the yellow 

 toadflax. In the same manner our series of E. aJbipunctata, E. pimpinellata and 

 E. trisignaia consist almost wholly of specimens reared from larvae found on tiieir 

 favourite UmleUiferce ; of E. valerianata in the same manner from the flowers of 

 Valerian ; of E. campanulata from those of Campanula ; and of E. virgaureata 

 from those of various Composila. I am free to admit that it is sometimes difficult, 

 in the case of captured and worn specimens, to say to what species they may belong, 

 but I am strongly of opinion that these species are rarely seen in the perfect state 

 in any condition, good or bad, and that this arises from their avoidance of light, so 

 that they hide themselves among thick liei'bage during the day and till it is so late 

 at night that there is great difficulty in seeing or securing them. Apparently, 

 E.jasioneata is of similar habits. It is worthy of remark that these are not in any 

 case the species which come so often and so readily to artificial light. It is quite 

 possible that this peculiar habit may stand in the way of our acquiring full know- 

 ledge of some of the h.abits of these species. For instance, in the case of 

 jE. campanulata, I noticed last summer at Ewelme (in a chalk district), that Canon 

 Cruttwell has Campanula trachelium growing wild in the shubbery close to the 

 garden, and has happened to secure one or two specimens of the moth on the wing, 

 besides finding the larva. These caught specimens are nearly one line larger in 

 expanse of wings than reared specimens, and give the idea of a much larger 

 species — so much that their identity was for the moment doubtful— and a sugges- 

 tion is furnished that our reared specimens may as a rule be quite under the 

 natural size! — CnAS. G. Barrett, Tremont, Peckham Rye, S.E. : June, 1903. 



Melanism in Tephrosia consonaria, Jfiib. — I have just seen, in the collection of 

 my old friend Mr. S. J. Capper, at Iluyton Park, Liverpool, evidence of a further 

 advance than I liave yet known in the direction of that melanism in Geometridm 

 for which this country is — or ought to be — becoming so famous. This evidence 

 consists in two specimens of Tephrosia consonaria, of a beautiful bi'ight black 

 colour, with slightly paler subterminal lines, and a conspicuous white spot, round 

 aj; one end, pointed at the other, in the discal cell. This spot is remarkable, since 

 there is no indication of its existence in typical specimens, nor any apparent reason 

 why it also should not be black, yet it is most welcome, since it serves to distin- 

 guish these specimens, at a glance, from the blackish forms of T. biundtdaria. 



A singular circumstance is, that this new variation does not seem to originate 

 in the usual region of incipient melanism, the south-west Riding of Yorkshire, but 

 from Kent, where, as I am informed, several specimens have been taken and reared. 

 It is perhaps needless to remark that no more definite locality has been furnished. 

 —Id. : Julg 8th, 1903. 



