NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. 35 



species produced melanic vars. in the wet season of 1888. — J. W. Tutt, 

 Westcombe Hill, S.E. 



Theristis mucronella (caudella, Sta.) var. striata. — Mr. W- 

 Daws of Mansfield, Notts, has sent me a beautiful specimen of this 

 variety. It has the anterior wings of the ordinary ground colour with a 

 longitudinal black streak extending from the base of the wing (parallel 

 to and at a short distance from the costa) to the apex, another black 

 longitudinal streak under the median nervure, joins the upper one just 

 beyond the centre, while a third transverse line parallel to this, extends 

 along the centre and base of the inner margin. Hind wings quite 

 normal. — J. W. Tutt, Westcombe Hill, S.E. 



Size Variation in Lycena alexis. — As this journal is partially 

 devoted to records of variation a few remarks on the variation in size of 

 L. alexis may not appear out of place. 



In Mr. South's paper on "the genus Lycana'' he gives the average 

 size of alexis as 1.20" in the male and i.io" in the female (English 

 specimens), and mentions as extremes in size, ? 's taken at Folkestone 

 .75" to .85", and (J's taken at Ventnor from 1.30" to 1.40". 



On looking through the series in my cabinet I found the following 

 specimens taken at different times and in various localities (as the 

 average in both $ and ? corresponds with Mr. South's insects I only 

 quote abnormal wing expansions). 



Sex. Locality. Size. Date. 



1. ? Hempsted, Gloucestershire... 1.75'' 



2. $ Painswick, „ 1.53" .. '87 



3. r? Upton St. Leonards, Glo'shire 0.95" 



4. $ St. Leonards, Hastings ... 0.625" 



5. $ St. Leonards, Hastings ... 0.875" 



6. $ St. Leonards, Hastings ... 0.812" 

 Thus it will be seen No. i is larger than Mr. South's (5"s 1.4 (Ventnor), 



and No. 4 smaller than his Folkestone $ 's. 



In fact No. i is the largest ? and No. 4 the smallest $ I have ever 

 seen. 



No. I was not captured by myself, but I was present when it was 

 taken, all the others are of my own taking. 



If any of the Record readers can beat above record it will prove very 

 interesting. No. 3 is the smallest I have seen in five years in this 

 locality. — M. Stanger Higgs, Upton St. Leonards, Gloucester. 



[There were several dwarfs in Mr. Howard Vaughan's collection lately 

 sold ; I have some very small ones, but have taken no measurements. 

 —Ed.] 



'87 

 '87 



'87 



jOTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



Spring Coleoptera. — "Spring's delights are all reviving. Haw- 

 thorn buds give joyful tidings " — at least, so the poet says — I do not 

 remember his name now, but that is of little conse(]uence, as he did 

 not write about beetles ; however, the news conveyed in the lines is 

 indeed welcome to the entomologist, who, with beating stick and 

 umbrella, again betakes himself to his favourite pastime of socking for 

 insects that are specially prevalent at this season. The pretty leaflets 



