258 THE entomologist's record. 



3^ . — The male expands about two inches. The wings are a rich, dark 

 chocolate colour, less red than most of the other qiiercus races, from 

 which it has a very different aspect owing to the broad ochre-yellow 

 margin of the hindwings. The spot is conspicuous, being composed 

 of a slightly raised tuft of white scales, margined with darker. It is 

 never very large, often quite small, round, or approximately square, 

 not lunate. The ochreous band on the forewings is narrow, clearly- 

 defined within, where it is margined with a slightly darker colour than 

 the ground of the wing. It is only very shghtly, or not at all, diffused 

 outwards, and is practically defined on both sides. It is very straight 

 in the middle portion, the upper third or fourth being slightly, but 

 distinctly, elbowed inwards. On the inner margin the band bends 

 outwards and then iuAvards, forming a small curve with its concave 

 side to the base. The hind margin of the forewings is somewhat 

 lighter than the general ground colour, and dusted with a fcAV lighter 

 scales ; the fringes are concolorous. On the hindwings the band is 

 clearly cut inside in an almost regular curve, sti'aightening towards 

 the anal angle. The band is continued over the whole outer third of 

 the wing to the margin, sometimes an even orange-yellow all over, but 

 frequently powdered along the margin with brown, though not suffi- 

 ciently so as to give the effect of a narrower band. My own specimens 

 spent the summer and autumn in England, and the winter and spring 

 in the south of France, emerging generally here after spending most 

 of the pupal stage down south. They all have the broad yellow 

 border clear and bright. On the other hand, in those which Mr. 

 Bacot reared in London, this border is contaminated Avith brown 

 (chiefly along the margin) so strongly as to quite change the appear- 

 ance of the insect from a smart, brightly-coloured moth to a rather 

 dingy-looking one, albeit quite distinct from any of the other races. 

 From these considerations there is a strong prima facie case that this 

 moth would be interesting and amenable material for temperature 

 experiments. [There are a few specimens of this race in the British 

 Museum collection which agree with my own. They share with L. 

 ijiiilleiiiotii, Trimoulet, the distinction of a separate label, while the 

 specimens of L. ijnerciis, L. var. callanae, and L. var. nhurni of the 

 most diverse forms, colours and nationalities are all jumbled higgledy- 

 piggledy* under L. ijiicm'ts.] 



The larva of sicula has a more complicated dorsal pattern than the 

 others, which, however, only develops fully when the larva is 

 11.11 inches long. It consists of darker subdorsal markings on a 

 lighter ground. When the larva is about an inch long this consists of 

 two dark squares on each segment, one on either side of the medio- 

 dorsal area. The squares later become hollow with two slight projec- 

 tions in front and open towards the middle. The newly-hatched larvfe 

 have a conspicuous white mediodorsal line. The lon(/ ivhite subcostal 

 hairs, looking as if arranged in whorls around the legs, are very clear 



* We are obliged to express our satisfaction that other workers are beginning 

 to complain of the state in which the arrangement of most of the moths is allowed to 

 stand. What with the nomenclature being largely different from that elsewhere 

 obtaining, the arrangement in most groups following no recognised list, and the 

 absence of any attempt to differentiate geographical forms and local races, it 

 frequently happens no good use can be made of the collection to do really scientific 

 work on modern lines. — Ed. 



