l74 THE entomologist's record. 



The variation in colour of the hind-wings, which Mr. Tutt men- 

 tions as one of the peculiarities of the British specimens, is very 

 common with us ; I have a series showing all the gradations, from 

 bright scarlet to light yellow, not bred specimens, but captured ones. 

 This seems to me to point out the true originators of the British 

 specimens. 



When we see the number of British tourists who annually visit 

 these islands, many of them interested in natural history pursuits, it 

 is no wonder that some of them would do their best to introduce so 

 splendid an insect into the British fauna. 



I can scarcely believe that the old collectors in Devonshire could 

 have missed so conspicuous an insect had it existed there in their 

 time. 



I find that r'. ]i<'ra is very little given to variation, except in 

 colour of the hind-wings, and I would like to draw attention to a 

 variety which I bred in 1875, with the two large central creamy 

 bands on the upper wings almost obliterated. I presented this speci- 

 men to the late Edward Newman, who published a figure and descrip- 

 tion of it in the Kntnuinloiiist of February, 1876. 



Retrospect of a Lepidopterist for 1895. 



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



Another year has drawn to a close, and 1895 has now to be 

 numbered with the past. Wherein, from various entomological points 

 of view it has differed from previous years, it may be worth while to 

 enquire, and for this purpose we may take the year's work seriatim. 



From the collector's point of view 1895 has been a " good " year, 

 a year in which butterflies and moths have been more abundant than 

 is generally the case, in which moths have come to sugar, and in 

 which staring blanks in collections have sloAvly but surely become 

 obliterated. It has not been especially a "butterfly year," although 

 the usual local species have been taken in their respective haunts. 

 There was no influx of Pieris ilapUiJirc, An/i/imis latona or Colia.s lii/alc in 

 June, to produce a sufficiently large brood in August, to fill our 

 magazine Avith records of these rare species ; although four worn 

 specimens of the first-named are recorded by Colonel Swinhoe as 

 having been captured at Deal, in August. ( '<>lias edu.sa has had one of 

 its hitherto inexplicable years, a year in which almost every collector 

 in the southern counties saw a few specimens during August, 

 September, October, and even in November (Mr. Carrington saw one 

 on the 9th), and yet it occurred nowhere in any quantity. One can only 

 explain such years as these by supposing that the spring wave of dis- 

 persal of this species left only a stranded remnant on our shores. We 

 hear of Tji/cania arion having another nail driven into its coffin ; of 

 the spirits that yearly haunt the New Forest catching fewer A. papliia 

 var. ralcsina than usual ; of Apatura ?r/.s failing to appear ; of a great 

 autumnal abundance of (rrapta r-allniin ; but of the rest the record is 

 very meagre indeed. 



Of moths, however, the collector has more to tell. The large 

 Sphingides have been represented by Sp/u'n.r cnnvdlvull in immense 

 numbers. I estimate, from what I have heard and read, that 500 



