VARIATION. 109 



Sfnuroims fag>, legs, abdomen, fore and liind wings, ground colour very 

 like that of A. betularia var. doiihledayaria, with scarcely any markings, 

 sometimes at intervals dashed with a tine white ; taken occasionally in 

 Epping Forest. Cuftpidia jjsi var. saffnsa, common all over the district. 

 Bryophila perJa, forewings a mass of black scales, slightly relieved with 

 light, and a light band near thorax ; common, London. Xylophasia 

 rnrea, fore wings almost unicolorous dark reddish-l)rown, discoidal, 

 lighter ; not scarce, Epping Forest. Apamea didijma, fore wings, 

 ! )laek, discoidal spot, white ; hind wings, dark ; occurs plentifully. 

 Miana strigilis vars. lafnmcula, oethiops, more common than type. 

 Miselia oxyacnnthce, fore wings, black ; hind wings, dark ; common near 

 London. Henierophila ahruptaria, fore and hind wings almost uni- 

 colorous deep brown ; occasionally, London. Boarmia repandata, ground 

 colour very deep blackisli ; markings distinct ; not common, London. 

 Hybernia Icucophcearta, fore and hind wings, unicolorous black ; occa- 

 sionally. H. marginaria, fore and hind wings brown ; not common ^ . 

 5 Abdomen, black ; fore and hind wings unicolorous black, except at 

 edges ; occasionally. Eupithecia rectangulata, fore and hind wings, 

 and abdomen, black ; sometimes with beautiful green lines ; common, 

 London. — Ambrose Quail, 15, Stamford Hill, N. — [We believe that the 

 whole of these varieties have names and ai"e on record from the London 

 district. To us, our correspondent's comparison of the dark var. of 

 Stanrojms fagi with Amphidasys hetidarid var. doubledayaria does not 

 appear happy, as the ground colour of the former bears no resemblance 

 to that of the latter ; whilst the remark, " with scarcely any markings," 

 is scarcely correct ; as we have seen a fair number of this variety, aU 

 having very distinct markings. The others all ajjpear to refer to 

 well-known and named varieties. We take it that our corres- 

 pondent refers especially to London north of the Thames, in these 

 notes, and North London in particular ; and from that point of view 

 it would be interesting to compare with the list in The Entomologist, 

 vol. xxi., pp. 247-219.— Ed.] 



Variation in the Fen District. — A record (ante, Vol. i., page 13,) 

 on Miana strigilis vars. &c. lias induced me to put on record from the 

 Fen district. Up ware, Canibs., that the very pretty var. arata, Esp. 

 and var. latrimcuhi, Haw., both occurred in July, 1891, and at the same 

 time I took a melanic Agrotis exclamationis, and comparing this with 

 strigilis, it seems interesting, as I have never taken the melanic form 

 {(rthiops. Haw.) of strigilis in the Fen district. — A. Quail, 15, Stamford 

 Hill, N. 



The Eelative Fading of Tint from Exposure. — I was interested 

 to see Mr. Prideaux's remarks {Record, iv., p. 5) as to the " Kelative 

 fading of tints " in Lepidoptera by exposure, and should be glad to 

 know if other entomologists have noticed the same tendency. I have 

 noticed in Nemoria viridata the extreme paleness of the upper wings in 

 many specimens, which have been flying at the same time as others, 

 with the upper wings of the normal beautiful green colour, and have 

 l)een puzzled to account for the fact. Possil^ly, the paler specimens had 

 been on the wing longer than the normal-coloured ones. Perhaps some 

 correspondent can inform us whether specimens of this or other species, 

 with tbis apparent tendency to fade in life, have lieeii bred witli such 

 pale upper wings. — (Rev.) J. A. Mackonochie, The Hirsel, Coldstream, 

 N.B. January, 1893. 



