#^ ^ND ^""-^^^ 



JOURNAL OF VARIATION. 



No. 10. Vol. I. January 15th, 1891. 



THE GENUS ACRONYCTA AND ITS ALLIES. 



By Dr. T. A. CHAPMAN. 



{Continued from page 228.) 

 LATE V. shows the larvae of the sub-genus Vuninia in 

 their first skins, as well as the larva of Bisnlcia and 

 that of aceris also, so placed for convenience in 

 filling the Plate. 

 All these larvae show the characteristic feature of Acronycta 

 at this stage, viz., the pale and "weak" nth segment, so 

 curious, and, so far as I know, so exclusive a character, that it 

 renders this stage one of much importance, in the considera- 

 tion of the classification of the genus, both of the species 

 among themselves, and in their relations to other families. It 

 proves abundantly, if the form and sculpturing of the e.^'g and 

 other characters did not do so, that the genus is a natural 

 group of closely related species, and that the remarkable 

 variety in the appearance of the full-grown larvae, though it 

 may illustrate the tendency of varieties of a species to imitate 

 the other species of a genus, and of the species of a genus to 

 imitate allied families, affords no ground for breaking up the 

 genus and distributing it among those families, as was pro- 

 posed by Mr. Butler in his paper, already alluded to. A short 

 study of either the ova, the newly hatched larvcc or of the 

 pup(E oi Acronycla, shows the conclusions at which Mr. Butler 

 arrives, to be so chimerical, that a further discussion of them 

 would hardly be profitable, though, as illustrating the super- 

 ficial nature of the resemblances that form the inspiration of 

 his paper, I may be excused for quoting a characteristic para- 

 graph : — "^. aini appears to be referable to the Noctuites, the 

 caterpillar much resembling, both in colour and in its clavate 



