88 THE entomologist's record. 



dozen or more cultures of .1. pJexippus were recorded for tliis countr}^ 

 ■only three Avere kncjwn to have been taken on the Continent of Euroi^e. 

 Mr. Mansln-idge exliibited specimens ilhistrating his jjajier, and read 

 the following paper entitled *' Notes on Melanism in Yorkshire Lepi- 

 doptera." He said: — " It lias Ijeen my good fortune to have spent the 

 last two years in the West Hiding of Yorkshire, and during that period, 

 I have especially given attention to the various melanic races of well- 

 known and common species of lepidojitera for which that district is so 

 famous. Although occasional A'isits were made to tlie l)est-known 

 collecting grounds in the county, most work was done in the neighbour- 

 hood of Leeds, my residence being at Horsforth, a inanufacturing 

 village some iive miles out. At the outset, I should mention that this 

 is not intended to lie a complete list of the melanic varieties to be met 

 with in the West Biding, but only such as have actually Iteen captured 

 •or seen alive by me. 1 am well aware that there are many strong local 

 races of lepidojitera wliich tlie local collectors get every year, but which, 

 ■owing to very limited opportunities did not fall to my share. The 

 •district between Leeds and Bradford, in which Horsfortli lies, is 

 crowded with ironworks, f<n-ges and mills, wliile an almost unbroken 

 string of townshijis connects these two great centres of industry. In 

 •consequence, there is an almost incredil)le amount of smoke turned into 

 tlie atmosphere, and especially in the neighbourliood of the forges, 

 where it is so dense as to give one the impression of black fog. Much 

 of this smoke is deposited directly on tlie trees in the form of soot, and 

 a great portion of the remainder is washed down by rain, thus giving 

 rough surfaces, as tree-boles and stone walls, a permanent 1)lack coat- 

 ing, and the foliage is so liesmirclied, tliat autumn tints in their full 

 beauty are unknown. In addition to the effect of smoke, surfaces are 

 iilso rendered dark by the rain, which in spring is almost constant. The 

 rainfall for the district is about 36 inclies. Rhopalocera. — In the 

 butterflies I did not meet Avith any striking tendency to melanism ; a few 

 species are slightly darker, as P. napi females. Some of the Saii/ridce, 

 Avliere rejoresented, are sliglitly duller tlian the same species in the South, 

 na EpinepheJe janira and E. injperanthus, but Erebia (eihiops is lirighter 

 than exam})les I have seen from Scotland. Heterocera. — Sphinges. 

 The Sphinges met Avith by me comprise only three species — Smerinthus 

 pjopuli, Ino statires and Zi/(jcena loniceroi ; these shoAved no inclination 

 to darker colouring. Bomhyces. Neither did the Bombyces shoAV any 

 A-ariati(jn in the species I captured, except Arctia Inhricipeda and A. 

 luenthastri ; specimens of these tAvo sjiecies being taken Avitli larger and 

 more numerous spots than is usual. Noctf^. — I Avas able to give more 

 time to nightAvoi-k, lience a much greater number of species fell to my 

 sliare, inchiding many interesting A'arieties. Acronycta (Viminia) 

 rumicis. — All my specimens, except those from Wharfedale, differ mark- 

 edly from the type. The darkest specimens Avere taken at Horsforth 

 in a Avood on the l)ank of the Aire, and I have others from York 

 and Doncaster, but none so dark as Airedale s])ccimens. It may be 

 instructive to ol)serA'e that there is no smoke in Wharfedale, otherwise 

 it does not differ from Airedale. The ])lack form is the var. sah'cis, 

 Ourt. A. (Cmpidia) Icporina, — All specimens from Yorkshire are 

 jieiipered Avith ])lack, and constitute the var. bradyporina, Tr. ; an 

 •example from Horsforth is slightly darker than the York specimens. 

 ('. iiiegacejthala. — A solitary example from Askham Bog is not darker 

 tlian the London form. Xylophasia rurea. — The many forms of this 

 species are too well-known to reipiire comment ; it is interesting to 



