284 TTTE KN'I'OMOI.OOIST's kecorh. 



captures wliieli seem to me to call for notice. Specimens of most of 

 these I have arranged in the two cases which I have brought with me 

 to-night. 



On July 5th, 1 took the first specimen of Agrot/s ohscura, a 

 lovely specimen, tlie neat appearance, gloss}^ wings, and bright red costa 

 of which, both delighted and puzzled me. I had never seen the species 

 alive before, and, like so many of my recent correspondents, I had only 

 very poor specimens in my cabinet. I confess, without shame, tliat I 

 thought at first that I had taken a curiously-mai'ked Noclna aiujur, a 

 mistake which ^vas made the more excusal)le by the capture, the same 

 evening, of a very red specimen of the latter insect, tlie red tint being 

 very much the same as that on the costa of the former. 



I have very little doubt that I passed over several more specimens 

 of ^4. obscnra before I discovered what it was, and it was not imtil the 

 8th, three days later, that I noticed a second specimen. 



The numbers taken on different evenings, ranged from 1 to 27, and 

 the captures extended from the otli of July, until the Gth of September. 

 Two females, which I had boxed for eggs, escaped alive and well on 

 the 11th of September, and I do not doubt but that, liad tliey remained 

 prisoners, they would have lived some time longer. 



The species was most common in the last week of Jul}^, but did not 

 show mucli trace of wear and tear until the end of August. I took in 

 all about 120 sjiecimens, mostly in good condition. Ilovv many escaped 

 me I cannot say (some nights they were very lively, and flew directly 

 they saw the light), and how many my cat ate I do not know ; 1 got 

 weary of them towards the last, and was not very much concerned when 

 they got away. 



In the case l)efore you are 62 specimens, selected by Mr. Tutt as 

 representing the chief points of variation. I notice tliat the typical A. 

 ohscura has the costa red, whilst the var. ravida has, in addition, a black 

 mark between the stigmata. These two forms are, 1 think, well repre- 

 sented in the first and second columns. There seems also to be a 

 tendency to the development of the complete transverse lines on the 

 upper wing which occur in several other Agrutides, and some very 

 distinct specimens of tliis variety are in the third column, while the 

 fourth column shows the forms which incline towards general suffusion 

 and obscurity. A few specimens show also the development of a ladder- 

 like series of lines between the elbowed and subterminal lines, which 

 will also be very distinctly seen in some of the forms of A. nigricans, to 

 be noticed later on. 



After several failures, I succeeded in getting a good many eggs. 

 These do not promise well ; at first yellow, they have now turned 

 leaden Idack and have lost their form. This is not, I know, a 

 proof that they will not hatch, for I have before noticed eggs, notably 

 of Orthosia suspecta, which seemed to shrivel up and flatten till they lost 

 all shape, but, after all, hatched in due course. That these eggs are not 

 simply infertile seems to be certain, because there are (as is usual) a 

 few infertile ones Avhich still retain their yellow colour. 



The next species which I will refer to, is A. exclamationis. 

 Though so common, I think that it is well worth examining for variation. 

 Looking over tlie 62 specimens in the case before you, I feel that I can- 

 not say that tlie majority are much out of the common, though they 

 were all taken on account of some peculiarity. Many of them exhibited 



