CtltlREiJT? NOTfeS. 313 



this, says that he "has found that the scales develop during the trans- 

 parent stage. The white stage is caused by the protoplasm shrinking 

 out of the scales, leaving them in the condition of little hollow bags, 

 so that they diffract the light. In the yellow stage the pigment first 

 appears ; this pigment is made by something analogous to a blood- 

 clot, for the plasm of the blood enters the scales and forms the pigment. 

 The blood of the chrysalis contains a large amount of serum albumen." 



A most interesting paper " On the development of melanism in 

 (koiijitof/rawiiia hilincata,'" by Mr. Kane, appears in the Irixli Xat. 

 (March, 1896). The form, with the " whole ground colour of the 

 fore-wings, and, in a less degree, that of the hind-wings darkened, 

 closely approximating to suffused specimens described by the late 

 Mr. Jenner Weir, from Unst, but more melanic," is called ab. 

 infuscata. Another form, "with all the wings of a sooty black, upon 

 which the waved strigte and median band are marked in a darker 



tone the body and underside of the wings also of a sooty 



black," is called var. isalata. The largest of these are said to be 

 If inches in expanse from tip to tip, and this is considered a proof 

 that " the blackening is not a result of dwarfing or diseased condi- 

 tions." These specimens occur on the cliff's and islands of Cork and 

 Kerry, where the rocks belong either to a dark slate formation or are 

 formed of dark conglomerate. As the herbage is sparse, the insect 

 rests on the dark rocks, and Mr. Kane concludes that the species 

 "has acquired a melanic tendency as a protective adaptation, and 

 that isolation on a small area out at sea (the island being haunted by 

 bats and insectivorous birds, that have thinned out the paler speci- 

 mens, conspicuous on the dark rocks), has brought about the sur- 

 vival of the more melanic forms." The rainfall of Kerry is, Mr. 

 Kane says, "notorious;" but he thinks that the excessive wet has 

 only been a factor in the total result to the extent that it darkens 

 the rocks. The rocks, too, where they occur, are in winter bathed in 

 spray, the Atlantic waves dashing floods of water high into the air, so 

 that the islet in question must be continuously soaked by the deluge 

 of sea water, as, indeed, Mr. Kane avers it was in the winter of 1893. 



At the sale of Mr. Fry's collection on March 9th and 10th:— 

 Clin/sojihanus disjiar produced per specimen, 80/-, 65/-, 50/-, 105/-, 

 126/, 100/-, 120/-, 90/-, 40/-, 110/-, 84/-, 80/-, 135/-, 105/-; 

 Fieris daplidke, per specimen, 12/-, 9/-, 10/-, 8/- ; Eurane.ssa antiopa, 

 per specimen, 10/-, 12/-, 12/-, 12/-, 7/-; Nomiades semian/u.s {acisj, 

 per pair, 20/- 20/-, 18/-, 14/- ; Thnlcphila livomica, Ij- (2 specimens), 

 10/- and 12/- per specimen ; Cliocrocampa cdcrio, 8/-, 7/- each ; 

 Sesia allantiformis, 52/6, 32/6, 27/6 per specimen ; Sriajitcron 

 tahani forme, 40/- ; Lasincaiiipa iUrifoUa, per specimen, 26/-, 22/-, 

 22/-, 24/-, 21/-, 16/-, whilst one with a larva produced 32/6 ; Laclia 

 coenosa, per pair, 20/-, 22'-, 26/-, 18/- ; Jh'idpcia judc/wlla, per 

 specimen, 18/-, 10/-, 12/-, 21/-, 12/- for 2 ; the "original Xi/ssia 

 lapponaria, taken by J. Warrington at Loch Rannock, April 4th, 

 1871," fetched 45/- ; ('lora ridiuuia, 30/- for 2, 22/- for 3, 27/6 for 2 ; 

 a lot consisting of 2 specimens of Acidalia strawinata var. cinrJlata 

 and 2 Acidalia pcrochraria produced 32/6 (the latter not the original 

 specimens of Weston) ; Abra.ras i/rossulariata, 35/- (9 vars.), 20/- (3 

 vars.); P. poh/nranimata, 16/- (4 specimens), 18/- (3 specimens), 14/- 

 (8 specimens), 26/- (3 specimensj ; Cidaria reticulata, 16/- (for 3), 



