196 THE ENTOMOLOGISTS RECORD. 



is precisely the same in a state of nature when certain species 

 are subjected to a rapid change of environment. They suddenly 

 develop new colours, or their typical colours become greatly 

 intensified. The closer the conditions of existence approximate 

 to the zone in which a species was evolved, the more strictly 

 typical will the colours develop. It is not so much a question 

 of the origin of a species, as the conditions under which its 

 colours were evolved, that interests us here. Yet I contend 

 that heredity plays an important part with many species in 

 developing peculiar forms of variation. For several seasons I 

 have been experimenting with CJirysopJianus holdcnaruui, with a 

 view to ascertaining how far the colours of the imagines could 

 be affected by varying degrees of dry and moist atmosphere. 

 The species has varied greatly of late years in our district 

 owing to the long continuance of dry seasons {Record, vol. i., 

 p. 122 ; ii., p. 32), and with a desire to cause a reversion of the 

 paler colours developed, I instituted some experiments by rear- 

 ing the larvse from the eggs under cool, moist conditions, and 

 so far with good results. In the autumn (September) of i88g, 

 we netted a good number of both sexes, and placed them in 

 suitable houses to pair. In a few days we obtained about a 

 dozen eggs which were deposited on the under sides of the 

 leaves of their foodplant {Lagenophora pctiolata). These, with 

 many others which we subsequently obtained, were put into 

 cool wet pots, and in due time emerged ; we kept them under 

 the cool shade of a thick pine tree, and kept their food and the 

 soil and atmosphere in the pots as moist and cool as possible. 

 On the zinc lids of the pots we placed small pieces of wood, 

 over this was put a thick covering of calico kept constantly wet. 

 By this method a cool atmosphere was generated in and over 

 the pots ; under the treatment a few larvae died at various 

 stages of growth, but more so during the first moult. The 

 remainder, which fed up and pupated perfectly, duly emerged 

 in the imago state in perfect condition. The contrast between 

 the bred examples of both sexes, and specimens captured this 

 season in a state of nature for comparison is very striking. The 

 intense deep black of the males with the almost total suppres- 

 sion of the discal series of orange spots in the bred examples, 

 and the pale ground colour with the abnormally marked series 

 of purple and orange spots of examples taken this season on 

 the sandy river flats, are cases which add considerably to our 

 knowledge of the causes of the origin and development of local 

 races and varieties. The bred specimens are the larger and 



