SCIENTIFIC NOTES. 95 



that in any new synonymic list which may be compiled, the British 

 authors ought to he more carefully studied. — J. W. Tutt. June, 1890. 



Aneurism in Amphidasys betularia. — On June 8th I bred a 

 specimen of Aiiip/iidasys betularia $ , with similar saccular distension of 

 blood vessels to that mentioned by me in the Record for June as 

 occurring in Biston hirtaria ; whilst on June 27th I took a recently 

 emerged Zeuzera pyrina ?, with similarly distended vessels. — F. J. 

 BuCKELL. Jmie 28///, 1890. 



Aneurism in Aplecta tincta. — 'Referring to Dr. Buckell's note 

 (ante, p. 57), on the saccular distension of the blood vessels towards the 

 hind margins of the wings of Biston hirtaria, I may state that I have 

 noticed it in this species, but it occurs to a much greater extent in 

 Aplecta tincta. This species appears to emerge about 5 p.m., and if left 

 until the following morning, the specimens have no scales on the thorax, 

 besides being a great deal the worse for wear, owing to their flying 

 about and injuring themselves. Consequently I always kill them tl.e 

 same evening (perhaps they have not had time to get rid of the super- 

 fluous moisture), and when I set them the following morning, the hind 

 margins (especially of the fore wings) are always distended like miniature 

 bladders ; my plan after setting in position, is to prick them with a very 

 fine needle, and soak up the moisture by pressing a piece of blotting 

 paper over the wing, which afterwards shows no perceptible trace of tlie 

 operation, in fact every tincta in my series has undergone the operation, 

 and it is entirely unnoticeable. — Hope Alderson. Jum i2>th, 1890. 



I believe this saccular distension is more common than might be 

 supposed, but, as is usual with so many facts of scientific interest, 

 wants attention directed to it. I have noticed it in Notodonta dodonea, 

 Leucania obsoleta, as well as Biston hirtaria. I am rather of opinion, 

 too, that I have noticed it occasionally in Abraxas grossiilariata. — J. W. 

 Tutt. June iqth, 1S90. 



Copulation of Smerinthus ocellatus and S. populi. — On 

 Saturday, May 31st, on looking into the boxes in which my pupa^ are 

 kept, I found a fine, strongly-marked female of Smerinthus populi in 

 copulation with a male S. ocellatus. I have since obtained a very large 

 number of ova, the rearing of which should prove interesting (should 

 they be fertile). I have never before heard of hybrids between these 

 species, and should be pleased to hear if any have been reared in con- 

 finement. — P. Kirk, 28, Dura Street, Dundee. June loth, 1890. 



[Numbers of hybrids between these two species were bred some 

 years ago by more than one collector. Two were sold at the sale of 

 Mr. Howard Vaughan's collection, on April 22nd. My friend, Mr. 

 Hope Alderson, got a similar pairing two years ago, but the ova, if I 

 remember rightly, proved infertile. — Ed.] 



Probable Parthenogenesis in Dicranura vinula and Noto- 

 donta dict/EOIdes. — Some two years ago I had a ? X>. vinula out in 

 my breeding cage, and, so far as J could discover, she was never /// 

 copula with a male, yet some of the ova proved fertile. At the time I 

 searched carefully, and could not detect a male secreted anywhere in 

 the cage. When the ova hatched it struck me as being very wonderful, 

 but I did not take notes as to what proportion of the ova were fertile. 



