COLEOPTERA IN THE HIGHLANDS. 809 



A melanic aberration of Lithosia deplana, Esp. 



By E. A. COCKAYNE, M.A., F.E.S., F.L.S. 



In a considerable proportion of Surrey male specimens of Lithosia 

 deplana the grey of the forewings tends to be paler than in the type, 

 giving them a yellowed appearance. In a small percentage, however, 

 the grey is much darker than in the typical form, but in those which 

 I have seen the fringes remain yellowy and the basal area of the hind- 

 wings remains a lighter grey than the marginal portion, and in many 

 the apical part of the forewing is also yellow. In the series in the 

 British Museum the darkest specimen, a Russian one, closely resembles 

 our dark Surrey form. Mr. Porritt tells me he has not met with any 

 darker in the Yorkshire localities. In my specimen, taken in July, 

 1911, at Box Hill, the insect as a whole is much more melanic than 

 any of these. The forewings are uniformly deep brow^nish-grey, the 

 hmdwings are uniformly dark grey, with no tendency towards a lighter 

 basal area. The parts usually orange or yellow are coloured dark 

 brown, i.e., the head, thorax, patagia, legs, and the streak below the 

 costa. The abdomen is wholly dark grey, and the fringes are grey. 

 It would appear still darker were it not slightly W'Orn. 



Unless more are obtained I do not think it necessary to name the 

 aberration, but it will be interesting if another insect establishes a 

 melanic race in this locality as Ijoarinia abietaria. has succeeded in 

 doing. 



The figure shows a typical male with the melanic male below. 



> ■ 



Coleoptera in the Highlands in June, 1911. 



By H. St. J. K. DONISTHORPE, F.Z.S., F.E.S. 

 On .June 8th my friend. Dr. Nicholson, and I left London for 

 a few days collecting in Scotland. We arrived at Eannoch on the 

 9th, where we met Mr. T. G. Bishop and Professor Hudson Beare, 

 and we all made various excursions together. Professor Beare left on 

 June 11th, and Ave went on to Aviemore on June 15th, on our way 

 for Nethy Bridge. As we found such a large number of the Scotch 

 and Northern Coleoptera between us, I have given the list in the order 

 of the catalogue. My chief object in going to Rannoch was to find 

 certain ants, in which I was successful, but I shall deal with them 

 elsewhere. Cychnis rostratits, under stones ; Carahna ulabratiis, on the 

 path; JS'ebria gyllenhali, abundant at margin of the Loch; PterostichuH 

 oblonijo-piinctatus, under chips, etc. ; 7'. ritreufi, under stones on 

 mountains ; Calathus niibi/iena, C. micropteiaa. Anchoiiieniis ericeti, in 

 sphagnum ; Patrobus aasimilis, Cymindis rapurarioniin, under stones 

 on high ground ; Droiinun anf/ustatus, Brulle, one beaten o& fir tops, it 

 is a new record for this species, Mr. Bishop and Dr. Sharp have taken 

 it at Nethy Bridge, the only other locality being Woking, from which 

 place Mr. Champion introduced it as British ; Anabiis arcticiis, llybius 

 aenescens, and Phihjdrus melanocephalus, were fished out of a small 

 pool on the mountain ; Leptusa onalis, under bark; Tachinns flavipes, 

 T. pallipes, and T. laticolli)^, in stercore ; PJuryporus picipes, in moss ; 

 Quediiis lateralis, under chips ; Q. xanthopiis, under bark ; (J. ninviceps 

 and Q.fidvicolUs, under stones ; QuedionucliHs laevi(/atus, under bark ; 

 Stajdiyliuiis latebricola, in moss ; Xantholinus distans, Otldns melano- 

 December 15th, 1911. 



