110 THE entomologist's RECORD. 



character of the foodplant. Whether these have so far developed two 

 or even more distinct forms, differing essentially in habit I am not pre- 

 ]jared to say, although I have noticed and been struck by the very same 

 peculiarities noticed. Many hold that meliloti is not really distinct from 

 trifoUi but only differs in scaling, etc., such differences having been 

 brought about by environment. Of this, as much can be written for as 

 against, although at present I am inclined to consider it quite distinct 

 as we understand species. On the same principle, I am inclined to 

 think that we really have two distinct local races known as trifolii, but 

 proof is undoubtedly less available than in the case of meliloii. That 

 we have a distinct race of Z. filipendulce I have long been convinced. 

 This spins its cocoon on grass culms, is smaller than V^^^xcdXfilipendultz^ 

 occurs quite at the beginning of June, almost always shows traces of 

 the suppression of the lower of the two outside spots and inhabits 

 marshy fields. I have often supposed that this race has been brought 

 about by the crossing oi Z. filipendtilce. and Z. lojiicerce as both species 

 occur commonly in the same locality some four weeks later than the 

 others have made their appearance, and this idea has received a certain 

 amount of probable confirmation since Mr. Fletcher has crossed 

 Z. lonicei-ce and Z. filipeiiduhc {Ent. Record, i., p. 352 and ii., p. 11). 

 As will be seen from our " Current Notes," Mr. W. H. B. Fletcher has 

 this year succeeded in rearing hybrids between Z. loiikerce and Z. trifolii. 

 This makes the matter still more complicated, but there is no doubt that 

 experiments like Mr. Fletcher's and that of Dr. Chapman {ante, p. 83) 

 will soon widen out our present ideas of " What is a species ? " At the 

 same time it opens out a wide range of speculation as to the development 

 ot peculiar local races, in genera similar to Zygcena, where the superficial 

 characters of larvae and imagines are so close as to render certain 

 separation a matter of the utmost difficulty. — J. W. Tutt. /iiiy, 1891. 



Notes of the Season (Lepidoptera). — Reading. — On May loth 

 was my first evening out, and I got a female Dasycampa rubiginea which 

 gave me a nice batch of eggs. Mr. Holland and I shared them and the 

 larvre are getting on well. Then on the 19th, I found a female Stauropus 

 f'tgi, with which Mr. Holland tried assembling, but it was no good ; he 

 has, however, kept the imago and she is now laying eggs. Yesterday 

 I found a male S./agi; so, though the quantity I have got this year has 

 not bec^n great, the quality has not been bad, I also found a Lobophora 

 viretaia, and afterwards Mr. Holland took three more ; it has, 1 believe, 

 been taken in the neighbourhood before^ but never by Mr. Holland, 

 who is quite the oldest and most experienced entomologist in Reading. — 

 E. C. Bazett, Springfield, Reading. Ju7ie, 189 1 



Above thirty specimens of stauropus fagi have been taken here this 

 year, and I have had a fine specimen sent me from Somersetshire. — 

 Id. Jn/y, iSgr. 



Winciicster. — During May I took Nola cristulalis freely both here 

 and at L)'ndhurst, Boarmia consonaria fairly freely at Lyndhurst, and 

 larvag are now feeding up on beech, Epio7ie advenaria near here, a 

 fair number. I have sent away the ova. Larvae of Geometra 

 papilionaria at Lyndhurst and a nice lot of Cleoru glabraria larvae. 

 They have to be found with the eye on the long tails of fine lichen 

 dangling from the oaks and beeches, and feed up very slowly. There 



