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JOURNAL OF VARIATION. 



No. 9. Vol. II. October 1st, 1891. 



HEREDITY IN LEPIDOPTERA. 



By W. W. SMITH. 



[he February number of the Record contains the 

 report (p. 313) of a Meeting of the City of London 

 Entomological and Natural History Society, held 

 on February 5th. The paper read at the meet- 

 ing by Mr. J. W. Tutt on " The Geometrid Genera, 

 Melanthia, Melanippe and their Allies," would be of much 

 interest to at least one section of entomologists, and 

 judging from the meagre report, I can form only a vague 

 opinion of the importance attached to the reading of the 

 paper and the discussion of the subject. Mr. Tutt appears to 

 have dealt with the evolution of colours on the wings, more 

 especially with reference to the bands and wavy lines more or 

 less complete in certain species of the group. The persistent 

 tendency of some species in many different groups to vary, and 

 in some cases to develop special colours, is well known to 

 entomologists. But so few have investigated the natural 

 causes or aspect of the subject that its perfect elucidation will 

 remain for some time a great desideratum. Since Mr. South 

 wrote some years ago on " The effects of certain meteorological 

 conditions on the habits and economy of Lepidoptera," the 

 subject has received the attention of many able observers. 

 Some have studied its effects on the evolution of colours, and 

 each year adds new facts towards a solution of the interesting 

 problem. Owing to a long absence from England, I now know 

 very little of the species of the group chosen by Mr. Tutt for 

 their special bearing on the subject of his paper. But the 

 advantage of having a good series from different parts of the 

 British Islands, collected in different years, and accompanied 



