THE BREEDING OF AMPHIDASIS BETULARIA. 



10& 



Aberration of Dryas paphia. {With plate). 



By ALFRED SICH, F.E.S. 

 This very handsome aberration of the male of Dri/as paphia was 

 taken by Mr. J. A. Carnegie-Cheales, near St. Aguan, in the Depart- 

 ment of the Yonne, in France, in July, 1907. It had apparently 

 recently emerged from the pupa and was found resting on the grass 

 beside the border of a wood. The figure is reproduced from a 

 beautifully coloured drawing from the brush of Miss Carnegie-Cheales. 

 The ground colour is normal, but the usual black markings are 

 developed to an extraordinary extent. In the type there are three 

 small sub-costal dashes in the forewing, in this specimen the central 

 dash has become a large conspicuous spot. The black scaling on the 

 veins of all the wings is very much increased, especially towards the 

 margin. The spots and lines beyond the centre of the wings have 

 coalesced and form irregular black bands. The antimarginal spots 

 beyond the bands have also coalesced but horizontally. Those on the 

 forewings appear as elongate ovals, while those on the hindwings 

 assume the dumb-bell shape. It is said, " variety is pleasing," and 

 this magnificent specimen forms no exception to the rule. 



An account of the Breeding of Amphidasis betularia and ab. 

 doubledayaria. 



By Miss E. MILLER. 

 In the early morning of June 15th, 1910, I captured a pair of A. 

 betularia from the side of our dining room window ; the female being 

 a lovely black ab. double'layaria of medium size, and the male of the 

 usual light type and rather small. The female laid several hundred 

 ova in about three days, and the larvae commenced to emerge on July 

 1st, when I sleeved them all out on plum, white willow, elm, birch and 

 oak. A considerable number of the larvae died in all stages, more 

 especially those fed on plum and white willow. I have noticed before, 

 and also in this case, that many A. betularia larvae when fed on plum 

 are green in colour and greatly resemble the young plum twigs. The 

 moths emerged as follows : — ■ 



Ab. doubledayaria. 



Type. 



May 



June 



rather dark. 



with darker 

 markings. 



