FURTHER NOTES ON ABRAXAS GROSSULARIATA. 271 



Well, such a potential pairing was effected by me between ab. liitea and 

 ab. lacticolor (of Abraxas (irossidariata), obtained from adjoining parts 

 of the same town in Lancashire, and it is from this pairing that I have 

 obtained recently nearly all my best forms of lacticolor. 



Then, of course, during the ten years I have been breeding this 

 variety, I have continually introduced fresh blood into the race, so 

 that [ may be said to have been breeding from several different strains, 

 and not entirely from tame strains, as is often the case with those who 

 rear domestic pigeons and barndoor fowls. A more apt comparison 

 might, I think, be made between the remarkable lacticolor, very 

 occasionally reared by myself, and the magnificent Narcissi evolved 

 by Messrs. Barr (among others), as the result of rearing many 

 thousand seedlings during a course of years. That their efforts are 

 fully appreciated by horticulturists is proved by the prices they are 

 able to obtain for their very choicest kinds. When I started growing 

 Narcissi, in 190B, the price asked for a bulb of "Peter Barr" was fifty 

 guineas, and nowadays, " Czarina " and " Jaspar " fetch £30 apiece. 

 Were there as many wealthy cognoscenti among entomologists as 

 among floriculturists, eight guineas and a half would certainly not be 

 the highest figure realised by an aberration of our old friend Abraxas 

 (jrossulariata. 



But, setting aside all pecuniary considerations, I will now proceed 

 to the subject indicated in the heading of my present article by 

 remarking that larvae of the " Currant Moth " were extremely abund- 

 ant both in 1908 and 1909. In the former of these years I obtained, 

 by exchange and purchase, a very large number of larvte, chiefly from 

 Lancashire, Yorkshire, and the west of England, but beyond a few 

 nice hazcleiiihensis, and approximating forms, I got nothing of any 

 considerable interest. So this year, 1909, I determined to confine my 

 efforts to my own neighbourhood, in which 1 collected some 

 three thousand larvae. These produced very few moths worth setting, 

 the best being a pale speckled form near lactea-sparsa, a grand nigro- 

 sparsata heavily dusted with bluish-black, and a single specimen 

 approaching albomariiinuta. I am able, however, to report much 

 greater success Avith my larvje reared from the egg, and think it worth 

 while to record here, and name, a few of the more prominent forms, 

 starting with — 



Variations of xb. Jiavofasciata ( = lacticolor). 



ab. iochalca, n. ab. — A foim with the ground colour entirely suffused with bionzte- 

 violet, varying somewhat in intensity. 



ab. chrysostrota, n. ab. — With ground colour entirely suffused with gold. This, 

 like the preceding form, first appeared in my breeding-boxes in the autumn of 

 1908. They both result from the crossing of lacticolor with lutea, and are 

 surpassingly beautiful. 



B.h. nigricostata, n. ab. — With a broad black stripe extending along about three- 

 quarters of the costa, more rarely reaching the apex. The other black mark- 

 ings being much reduced, the costal stripe shows up very conspicuously. One 

 of the rarest forms of lacticolor. 



ab. nigrovenata, n. ab. — Remarkable for the blackening of the chief veins in the 

 central area of the forewings. 



ab. gloriosa, n. ab. — A combination of the last two forms, i.e., nigricostata and 

 nigrovenata. A truly grand insect. 



ab. lactea-nigra, n. ab. — With the dark markings on the forewings, and the 

 marginal spots on the hindwings, black. 



The above are all of Lancashire origin. 



