36 



Variation. 



Retardation in the Pupal Stage producing Variation. — I 

 think I can quote one case in which an insect has become darker in 

 the pupal stage. In 1887 I had a batch of ova of Dianihivcia cap- 

 sincola which hatched early in May, the larvae all grew up together 

 there being no appreciable difference in the length of their larval stage. 

 About half the batch emerged the following August, and were of the 

 usual bright orange yellow. The other half of the batch emerged in 

 May, 1888, and were all unusually dark in colour. I have them side 

 by side in my cabinet and the difference is striking. — A. W. Mera, 

 79, Capel Road, Forest (late. March 2yd, 1891. 



Variety of Gonepteryx rhamni. — I was to-day shown a specimen 

 of Gonepteryx r/iamni, having a large portion of the upper wings 

 suffused with a reddish-orange colour, shading off to white near the 

 tips, the lower wings having also a narrow band of the same tint around 

 the edge, apd with the markings not quite uniform. The specimen is 

 also rather under the usual size and minus the antennee. The insect 

 was captured in the lane leading to Darenth Wood two years ago by a 

 working man, who knocked it down with his hat, mistaking it for an 

 orange-tip as it was flying along. Is not this an unusual variety in this 

 country ? — Clement T. Youens^ Tower Cottage, iJartford, Kent. 

 April ()th, 1 89 1. 



Clostera curtula vars. — I have some (to me) most extraordinary 

 insects, supposed to be varieties of C. curtula. They are rather smaller 

 than C. curtula, and the whole wing is chocolate-brown instead of only 

 the tip, as in C. curtula. The lines are, however, almost identical with 

 C. curtula. They (six in all) were bought from a man named George 

 Rae, of Sittingbourne in Kent, in 1876. He advertised them as C. 

 curtula vars. They do not appear to be any European insect, and, as 

 they were bought for a few pence, there is probably nothing wrong about 

 them. My friend, Mr. Bird, to whom they belong, obtained a large 

 number of C. curtula in succeeding years from the same man, but could 

 not obtain any inore of these vars. On showing them last night at the 

 South London meeting, I obtained the valuable information from Mr. 

 Carrington that Mr. Farn possesses a specimen with one pair of wings 

 normal curtula, and the other representing this variety. It is further a 

 hermaphrodite, and must be a most extraordinary insect. It appears to 

 have been figured in the Entomologist some twelve years ago. — A. 

 Robinson. March nth, 1891. 



Varieties of the Larvae of Macaria not.\ta. — Type: Uniform 

 shining hazel-brown, with a series of pale green blotches in a line with 

 and surrounding the inconspicuous brownish spiracles. Head and legs 

 black, face whitish. A faintly paler ventral band. Ventral spots blackish. 

 Var. I. Bright green shaded with light yellowish brown on each 

 segment. Ill-detined hazel-brown or gray sub-dorsal lines, between 

 which and the spiracular line is a series of oblique brown blotches. 

 Head and legs black, face green ; belly greenish, clouded with pale 

 brown, and with a (aintly paler central band. Sides of 2nd and 3rd 

 segments purplish brown. Var. 2. Yellowish green with very faintly 

 indicated paler dorsal, sub-dorsal, spiracular and ventral bands. Head 



