ON SOME KACES OF LASIOCAMPA QUERCOs. 239 



of the hindwings either concolorous, or coloured like the band. The 

 former more usual in L. var. vibnrni the latter in L. var. iiicndioiialis. 

 Of the 22 (? L. var. rihiirni in batch A (all of the same brood) IG had 

 dark, and 6 light fringes. The fringe of hindwings is generally brown 

 on the inner margin, whatever its colour elsewhere. The tuft of the 

 abdomen is lighter, as is also the shaft of the antennae, especially 

 towards the tips. The following are, in brief, the usual but not 

 constant differences between /..var. n'biinii and L. var. meridio- 

 nalis $ . In L. var. ineridionalis g the anal angle of the wings 

 is fuller (squarer), covering the abdomen more when set in the same 

 way ; median spot generally larger ; band on forewings joining that 

 on hindwings (when set with the inner margins in a straight line), 

 whereas in L. var. i-ibund the band on the forewing is generally 

 outside the continuation on the hindwing. The bands on the 

 forewings converging in front in L. var. ribunii, parallel in L. 

 var. meridionalis, the most constant dift'erence. $ . Expands from 

 2iin. in small specimens to just over Sin. in the largest, generally, 

 however, between 2^in. and 2fin., averaging, therefore, rather 

 smaller than the northern races. The colour varies from ochreous 

 to fairly dark red-brown, the darker forms being more frequent 

 in L. var, nburni. In the ochreous specimens the hindwing is 

 always browner, especially inside the band. The colour is a warmer 

 yellow or brown than \n the northern races, in which there is a tinge 

 of greenish coloration as a rule. The white spot is smaller and less 

 conspicuous, not being such a pure white. The band, on the contrary, 

 is more distinct and more sharply bordered outside, and generally 

 lined inside fairly markedly Avith brown, especially on the inner 

 margin. The basal area is often darker than the borders. The whole 

 insect seems squarer and less elongated than the ]>ritish specimens. 

 The nervures are concolorous or in L. var. ribiirni generally lighter 

 than the ground colour. The fringe of the hindwing concolorous in 

 L. var. )iieridionali.s, lighter in L. var. ribiirni, in which the bands 

 are more differentiated from the ground colour, giving a brighter, more 

 contrasted effect. 



I should be sorry however to pin my reputation to any of these 

 distinctions or to have to pick out a mixed drawer full of $ s of the 

 two races. As will be seen the differences of the imagines are slight 

 and inconstant, on the other hand those of the larvae are quite clear. 

 I have two aberrant imagines of these races, in one of which one of 

 the plumes of the J antenna is bifurcate, another, a 9 , in which the 

 neuration of one hindwing is abnormal. 



Larvae. — The adult larvte of /.. var. uwridioiudis differ m the mam 

 from those of ICnglish (Dorset) /.. qaernls by the larger nuuiber of 

 long white hairs, and the purer white or ashy-grey of the dorsal coat, 

 which isyellowish in the English ones. The spiracular dashes are generally 

 less conspicuous. The French race looks smarter and sleeker than the 

 English, it grows quicker and does not become lethargic in the winter. 

 L. var. viburni. — The adult larvte have rusty-brown hairs on both back 

 and sides, with long white hairs sprinkled sparsely but evenly all over, 

 not more on the sides than on the back. The qtienus pattern on the 

 back lighter than the ground colour but also brown. Face rusty. 

 Stigmata very white, spiracular streaks not very prominent. I have 

 found the larvie on various plants, Vibanium t.iuut>, Cytisuti hirsutua, 



