'^^ AND ^^^^ 



JOURNAL OF VARIATION. 



No. 4. Vol IV. April 15th, 1893. 



With Notes on Variation, Habits and Afkinitiks. 



By J. W. TUTT, F.E.S. 



{Concluded from page 71.) 



Xnnthia fdvayo, Linn. — This species lias always been one of those 

 in which I have interested myself, and cerago as we frequently call it, 

 is likely to attract attention, not only from its pretty tints and the 

 variability of their arrangement, but from the fact that it is a species 

 widely distributed in Britain and, if searched for, Hkely to be captured 

 by most collectors themselves. The ground colour varies from a pale 

 yellow, almost approaching white, through a clear citron yellow to a 

 decided orange (much the same tint as we find in flavago). Essentially 

 these may be classified under tAvo heads — the pale yellow and the 

 orange yellow. The transverse lines and markings are of a red colour 

 but occasionally they become strongly purple (in the Brit. Nod. and 

 their Vars., iii., p. 10, line 13, " yellow " is a misprint for " purple ") 

 whilst frequently they are altogether obsolete. Some localities, as may 

 be expected, are more prone to produce variation in certain directions 

 than are others, and we find that whilst certain localities give a very 

 large percentage of obsoletely marked specimens, others yield none, 

 although every district produces some specimens much less marked 

 than others. On the other hand, occasional specimens with very 

 strongly marked and clearly developed central bands are found, but 

 these are rare, much rarer than obsoletely marked specimens, although 

 this is strange, considering that four-fifths of the specimens one breeds 

 or takes, have well-characterised markings, and one would naturally 

 expect to find an increase of colour to be a more common form of 

 variation, considering the development of the markings of a large per- 

 centage of the normal form. There are alisolutely obsolete specimens 

 without any spot or markings whatever, but generally those which are 

 most devoid of markings have a characteristic dark central spot (the 

 lower half of the reniform). Strange to say, that at Keading, whence I 

 have received a long series from Mr. Holland, although faintly marked 

 specimens are not uncommon, specimens with only the central spot 

 are rarely to be met with. The varieties of this species may be 

 classified as : — 



