186 THE entomologist's record. 



anticus. Pedes ant?Vt = anterior legs, Pedes anfeno>Ts = anterior legs, 

 an immediate source of endless confusion if Pedes anterions means 

 two pairs of legs. The English word "posterior" is in a precisely 

 similar position. — En.j 



VARIATION. 



HOPORINA CROCEAGO AB. LATERICOLOR, N.AB. At the Sale of Mr. 



Abbott's collection on March 26th last, I purchased lot 153, which, 

 according to the catalogue, contained " two brown vars. of H. croceai/n." 

 As a matter of fact, the lot contained three dark specimens, the 

 darkest of which is a very striking insect, the whole of the forewings 

 being suffused with a dull brick-red colour, the markings, however, 

 being as in typical H. croceaito, although the orbicular and reniform are 

 practically obsolete ; the hindwings are pale smoke-coloured. This 

 is evidently the aberration mentioned in these words towards the end of 

 Mr. Tutt's description of the species in his British Noctitae and their 

 Varieties, vol. iii., p. 9: "The following note from Mr. W. E. 

 Nicholson refers probably to this variety {i.e., var. fidvai/o, Hb.) : ' I 

 have a single specimen of this species from north Wales, which is of a 

 dull brick-red colour. It seems to be a constant form in north Wales 

 {in litt.).' I have heard of such dark aberrations, but have no specimen 

 in my collection." As my darkest specimen evidently corresponds 

 with Mr. Nicholson's, but does not tally with Hiibner's description of 

 var. fnlvai/u, I would propose for it the varietal name of latericohr. 

 The other two dark specimens I bought at Mr. Abbott's sale are inter- 

 mediate between ab. latericolor and the type, the ground colour of the 

 forewings in both being of a dull dead orange, slightly suffused with 

 fuscous— one much more so than the other. They are all three 

 labelled " Wyre Forest, September, 1899." To make sure of the 

 colour being original, T wrote to Mr. Abbott on the subject. He was 

 good enough to reply as follows : "I bred about six of that dull 

 copper-coloured form from a Wyre Forest brood. The insects were 

 killed in cyanide, as they came out in a straggling manner, and I only 

 kill in ammonia when I have large quantities. I was surprised at the 

 form myself, I fancy I gave the others to Mr. Hodges." In con- 

 clusion, may I express a hope that entomologists possessing aberrations 

 and varieties (of Noctuids) not included in Mr. Tutt's very interesting 

 work will from time to time publish descriptions of them in your 

 pages?" — (Rev.) Gilbert H. Raynor, M.A., Hazeleigh Rectory, 

 Maldon, Essex. April 13th, 1901. 



Jp>RACTICAL HINTS.* 



Field Work for June. 



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



1. — The larvfe of Pyrameis eardui are, in years when an immigra- 

 tion has taken place in ]\Iay or early June, most abundant in their 

 little globular homes of spun-together thistle leaves in late June and 

 early July. 



* Practical Hints for the Field Lepidopterist, recently published, contains 

 1,250 similar hints to these, distributed over every month in the year. Interleaved 

 (for collector's own notes). — Ed. 



