VARIATION. 315 



I have taken insects in Scotland as early as August 16th, which I 

 suppose are (). filinraiiiniaria, but which, as far as markings go, might 

 be taken for 0. (lilutata ; in fact, nothing but a little smaller size, a 

 slight difference in the tone of colour, and the early date, distinguishes 

 them from 0. (lilutata. Mr. Meyrick, I see, lumps all into one species. 

 I have in Scotland only found ( K dilntata among woods, or where there 

 has been a good many trees. I have not noticed it upon the moors. 

 I have observed (>. Jilif/raiiwiaria in two localities, both in Argyllshire, 

 and it was not common in either of them. One of these localities was 

 at sea level, close to the sea ; the country was bare and there were no 

 trees, only stunted bushes. At the other locality, although there are 

 plenty of woods, I have never seen O. rJli(/raiiniiaria in or near the 

 woods, but I have taken it on the moors, miles from trees, and up to 

 1200 feet above the sea.— W. M. CnpasTY, F.E.S., Watergate. 

 March, 1896. 



I am pleased to find attention drawn to Oporahia (lilutata, as it is a 

 species of which I have examined a great number of specimens in the 

 hope of finding a form which is in a York collection, but which I have 

 never secured for myself. The hind-wings have a dark band round 

 them, and the usual central line. What is Oporahia antuinnaria .' 

 I took, a few years ago, towards the end of August, a specimen of 

 what I at first fancied to be (>. (lilutata, although much smaller. 

 The date of capture, however, was all too early for that species, and 1 

 was afterwards told by an old collector that it was (K autiniinaria. 

 Will someone inform me about this so-called species'? — S. Walker, 

 23, Portland Street, York. Marcli, 1896. 



Varieties of Hybernia defoliauta. — We used to get all the 

 varieties of Hybernia (Icfoliaria at Redhill, but, of course, the banded 

 ones were in a large minority, and not nearly so finely contrasted 

 as the Yorkshire and Lancashire specimens. The rarest variety 

 appeared to be one of these banded forms, that looked as though it 

 had been dipped in an umber bath and then sprinkled over with 

 dots — a curious admixture of three races. — Sydney Webb, Dover. 

 Marc/i, 1896. 



:iaOTES ON LIFE-HISTORIES, LARY^, &c. 



Habit of the larva of Boarmia roborakia in spking in nature. 

 — With regard to the notes on this subject {ante, pp. 280-281), I 

 have frequently obtained larvae of B. roboraria from oaks when I have 

 been beating for larvte of Clcora lichenaria, in February and early 

 March, before the oaks have shown a sign of leaf. They must there- 

 fore have loosened their winter hold of the branches before they could 

 expect to get nourishment from the buds, but larvae do attack buds 

 surprisingly early, before the human eye can detect much sign of 

 growth. it may not be out of place to remark that larvae of 

 B. roboraria feed on sallow and whitethorn, besides oak and birch. I 

 have often beaten them out of both, and generally feed mine up 

 on sallow. — J. C. Moberly, M.A., F.E.S., 9, Rockstone Place, 

 Southampton. 



Extended pupal state of Nyssia zonaria. — Fs it generally known 

 that this insect "holds over" in the pupal stage? In April, 1891, 

 from ova obtained from St. Anne's-on-Sea, I successfully reared about 



