196 THE entomologist's record. 



silence, biit a remark or two may perhaps be useful. I think that we 

 are to be congratulated, that so energetic and enthusiastic an observer 

 as Mr. Tutt, lias taken up pupee, and may hope that he will lead the 

 way for an army of our younger entomologists, Avho Avill find them 

 fully as interesting as the imagines. 



The inner line round the margin of the pupal wnng, which Professor 

 Poixlton regards as the outline of the imaginal wing, I will call 

 " Poulton's line " to save circumlocution. The conclusion I have pro- 

 visionally arrived at, is, that " Poulton's line " is the margin of the 

 membranous portion of the imaginal wing, that the further space 

 represents the fringe. This may appear to be very like I*rof. Poulton's 

 conclusion, but it is essentially the reverse of it, since the pupal margin 

 is not the record of a past imaginal Aving ; both margins having been 

 always both pupal and imaginal as they are now, but in certain species 

 the entire margin (margin of fringe), has submitted to variation in the 

 piipal state, to suit the exigencies of the pupal form. 



Mr. Tutt's observation on the antennae of Rhodocera (Gonopteryx) is 

 very interesting, and comes as an illustration of the true meaning of his 

 observations on the wing ; the development of the wing begins with the 

 membranous margin at " Poulton's line," but it has not proceeded very 

 far, before it has slipped away from it ; in some species, towards the 

 base (e.g. Varasa chloris) ; as it happens, in those species, Mr. Tutt has 

 examined in the other direction, crowding the hind margin of tlie wing 

 down to the extreme of the available space. This bears on Professor 

 Poulton's explanation ; not as showing that the wings develop where 

 Mr. Tutt finds them, after development has proceeded for some time, 

 but as showing that in these species (c-album, &c.), which Professor 

 Poulton selected as illustrating the declining size of the imaginal wing ; 

 the imaginal wing as pupal structure is really too large for its pupal 

 space and not too small. 



As the observations that have led me to these conclusions require to 

 be extended and amjjlified, I refrain from reporting them at present. 



]VIEL£]^Oeill^OI^]V[ I]^ Bl^Il'l^Ji LEPITDOPfEI^yi. 



By a. E. GROTE, M.A. 



I have read with much interest Mr. Tutt's remarks upon my 

 little paper on " Melanochroism in British Lepidoptera." In several 

 and important points they supplied me with fresh information, 

 especially as to the fact that " there is no shadow of a doubt that there 

 is a much larger total number of dark forms produced in wet and 

 smoky places." This fact I had questioned, saying that it did not seem 

 to be proven. But my paper must be considered as mainly suggestive 

 and probably only useful that, by its correction, fresh light may be 

 thrown upon its subject which is one of general interest. Tlie question 

 is, as Mr. Tutt happily puts it, what are the forces in existence at the 

 present time which develop the latent tendency (whicli exists by inheri- 

 tance) to melanism ? It had seemed to me, I Avill say at least possible, that 

 the phenomenon of melanism was due wholly to reversion and the law 

 of inheritance, and that its display in certain localities, say damp and 

 smoky places, was not directly owing to the jjhysical effect of damp 

 and smoke upon the insects. I do not as yet understand the Avay in 



