106 TRK fvtomolooist'b REOOM). 



shows that the sculpture also ditt'ers considerably, the egg of A. litura 

 having weak longitudinal ribbing with but little cross ribbing in 

 evidence at equator, while that of A. pistacina has the cross ribbing 

 much stronger in the same situation. The longitudinal tendency fades 

 out at base and top, but is much better developed than in A. litura. 



Hadena protea (laid October 10th, 1902; examined by lamp-light 

 December ISfch, 1902). — A few are laid on the back of very small oak- 

 leaves on a young shoot, one or two on the twigs, but the greater num- 

 ber are laid on the bottom and sides of a chip-box, either scattered 

 singly or in small groups of from two to five, the smaller number 

 being the more usual. Colour (under 1" objective) dull pink, the edges 

 of the larger and highly-raised ribs or flanges being dull yellow ; 

 under a hand-lens the eft'ect is deep dove-colour, with pale yellowish 

 ribs ; to the naked eye dark grey. The number of ribs is about four- 

 teen to sixteen, half of which usually are continued over the shoulder of 

 the egg and run in towards the micropyle. They become much accentuated 

 after crossing the shoulder, forming high flanges, joining a raised central 

 plateau, in the centre of which is a small raised knob or mound, having 

 a small, but not always exactly central, depression. Diameter about 

 •7mm., height about the same ; doiue-shaped, with a flat base. The 

 extra height of the ribs on upper portion of egg is caused by the 

 normal rib bearing what appears, under a low power, to be a row of 

 upright spines with curved, bent-over, or flattened tops, and it is neces- 

 sary to get a lateral view and transmitted light to observe them. A 

 higher power (^") shows that these apparently detached spines are set in 

 an irregular thin flange, or wall, of transparent cement. I can only 

 get one egg into position to view this structure, so that it may not be 

 invariable. 



All the above ova were obtained for me by the Kev. C. R. N. 

 Burrows, to whom my best thanks are due. — A. W. Bacot, F.E.S., 

 154, Lower Clapton Road, N.E. December 'dlst, 1902. 



Variation in the Position of Tubercles iv and v in the Newly- 

 hatched Larva of Hyles euphorbia .^ — Mr. Bacot has called my at- 

 tention to a curious variation in the flrst stage larva of Hyles euphor- 

 hiae. I sent him half a dozen of these larv* from Spain last summer. 

 Of these four present the variation in question ; two of them and two 

 I kept are without it. In this group of Sphinges, tubercles iv and v 

 are separate, and v moved well forwards and upwards on all the abdo- 

 minal segments but the first. On this, v is moved a little forwards but 

 not upwards. The vai-iation in the specimens noted are that these 

 two tubercles, instead of being separated, are conjoined on this first 

 abdominal segment. Curiously, this afiects both sides in only one 

 specimen; in two, it afiects the left side only, and in one the right only. 

 This variation is clearly a reversion to an earlier and lower stage of 

 development, and the normal arrangement of these tubercles in Hyles 

 (all EumorphidsV) on this 1st abdominal segment, and especially this 

 liability to reversion, shows that it has not advanced so far as the 

 other abdominal segments have — a fact rather adverse to Weismann's 

 theory of the development of the eyespots on the mature larva if it 

 occurs in all the Kuuiorphids, but strongly supporting it if it is con- 

 fined to the Phryxida (Deilephilids).— T. A. Chapman, M.D., F.E.S., 

 Betula. Reigate. March, 1903. 



