136 THE entomologist's RECORD. 



Erebia ckristi was very local and getting over, but by working over a 

 certain steep slope it was possible to obtain a fair series, including one 

 female. Amongst our other captures were Powellia {Pi/riftts) sao, 

 Cupido iiiinimm var. also'ides, Paranfe hicra, and a very curious speci- 

 men of Coenonymiiha arcaiiia var. clanriniana, in vi^hich the white 

 band on the underside hindwing had completely disappeared. The 

 males of Erebia ceto in this locality were, as a rule, much darker than 

 those on the Ganter road, and approached the form var. obscKra. 



In conclusion, we should like strongly to recommend to entomolo- 

 gists and others the Hotel Fletschhorn, at Simplon Dorf. 



Coccinella IO=punctata, L, ab. confluens, Haworth, at Darenth. 



By HORACE DONISTHORPE, F.Z.S., F.E.S. 



On May IGth, 1908, I beat, at Darenth Wood, a very distinct 

 looking " lady-bird," which I have sent to Herr Weise for his opinion. 

 He returned it to me as C. con/lnens, Haworth. It was described by 

 Haworth, in " An Account of the Genus Coccinellidac " {Tram. Ent. 

 Soc. Lond., 1807, p. 278), as follows : — 



"13. 13-maculata, Haworth. 



^. conftueuK, thoracis maculis septem confluentibus, maculisque tribus centra- 

 lioribus elytrorum, valde confluentibus in maculam magnam lobatam puncta rubro 

 relicto, earum medio ; caetera ut in priore. Varietas rarissima et persingularis. 

 Communieavit amicus Rev. T. Shrimshire, Entomologus assiduus." 



It is a very beautiful insect and evidently a very uncommon form, 

 as Mr. Waterhouse states that he has never seen one like it before. 



W^ ARI AT 10 N . 



Description of an aberration of Pyralis costalis. — This very 

 pretty little Pyrale is in some seasons excessively abundant in this 

 neighbourhood, and I think there must be two or three broods during 

 the summer, for it begins to appear in warm seasons, as early as the 

 beginning of June, and can be found from thence to early October. 

 It is very partial to old ricks, especially to those of clover hay, 

 whence, in response to the beating-stick, it flies out in hundreds, but 

 most of them do not go far, but seek a hiding-place in some other part 

 of the rick. It is often accompanied by goodly numbers of Pi/ralis 

 (jlaucinalis. It is also very fond of sugar, and I have seen as many as 

 40 or 50 on a single patch on an old pollard willow-tree. One autumn, 

 some years ago — a Colias edusa and Pyranieis cardni year — I found a 

 P. cardni sitting by the patch of sugar surrounded by a score or more 

 of Pyralis contalis. P. custali:i, as most collectors know, is very 

 constant in its colour and markings, though it varies a good deal in 

 size. Of the hundreds or thousands I have seen during the last twenty 

 years, I have only met with one aberration, and of this only two 

 specimens. It is a very distinct aberration, and I will describe it as 

 ab. rufescens. The ground colour, instead of being rosy-grey, is 

 replaced by deep red-brown, or madder-brown, faintly dusted with 

 grey ; the first line and costal blotch is almost obsolete, and, of the 

 second or outer line, only the costal blotch is faintly visible, and in the 

 centre of this is a minute white dot ; the hiudwings have no trace of 

 either of the lines, and the fringes, instead of being of a bright clear 

 yellow, are a dull orange-pink. It is altogether a very dark-looking 

 insect compared with the type. — Gervase F. Matthew, R.N., F.L.S., 

 F.E.S. , Lee House, Dovercourt. April 'dOt/i, 1909. 



