NOTES ON LITA (GEI.ECHIA) JUXCTELLA. 7 



(3). That the district south of the central mountain chain, 

 which may be said to border the Mediterranean httoral, is 

 subject occasionally to heavy rainfalls, but has an atmosphere 

 remarkably clear. 



Here, then, we have two great areas, one north and the 

 other south of the great central chain, where the air is com- 

 paratively dry and clear, and in these areas we find little or no 

 traces of melanochroism, or darkening of colour ; but in the 

 more humid mountainous districts we get forms closely re- 

 sembling our own melanic (but not extreme) forms, as the 

 term " alpine," so frequently applied to mountain forms from 

 the Continent, and to the ordinary forms obtained in this 

 country, testifies. 



I would now call attention to the general facts mentioned 

 by Mr. Dobree {Entoni. xx., pp. 25-28), where, after citing 

 numerous examples, he states in his excellent paper : — " This 

 at once fixes the fact that melanism is of purely British occur- 

 rence, thereby upsetting the assumption of our theorists, that 

 darker colouring and smaller size is a feature of high latitudes," 

 etc. " If we once more return to our starting point— in 

 Central and Southern Germany — and turn our eyes south- 

 wards, it will be found that the prominent features of lighter 

 colour and fainter markings of high northern latitudes again 

 become apparent," etc. "The absence of melanism in Con- 

 tinental Europe is not, however, without its exceptions, for in 

 the high Alps of Switzerland, Styria, and Carniola it occasion- 

 ally appears," etc. "The inference can be drawn, that melanism 

 is primarily due to the peculiar geographical position of these 

 Islands." 



( To be continued.) 



NOTES ON LITA (GELECHIA) JUNCTELLA. 



By J. W. TUTT, F.E.S. 

 T^NOVVING how difficult it is after a few years' delay to trace 

 -^*- information relative to some of our local species, I think 

 it advisable to write a short note about Lita (Geleckia) jmictcl.a. 

 In Entovi. xx., p. 293, I gave a summary of six species of 

 this difficult group, which are now clearly distinguishable and 

 easily identified by our Micro-lepidopterists. But on the same 

 page is a note about L.jnnctella, which then was (and now is) 

 rather a thorn in our flesh. Here, too, I fell into error in 

 suggesting that Messrs. Thrclfall and Hodgkinson's species 



