54 THE ENTOMOLOGIST^? llECOliU. 



Vernon L. Kello.n-i;-, which should be in the possession of eveiy student 

 of the Order, both for the excellence of the letter-press and the plates. 

 As Mr. Kellogg's studies have led him to recognise twenty European 

 species (out of about sixty examined) of this Order, as parasitic on 

 American birds, so we have no doubt the study of Mr. Kellogg's 

 newly-described species will speedily prove that some of them, at 

 least, ha\e an European range. We are not in a position to criticise 

 the scientific portion of the author's Avork, but must thank him 

 heartily for the interest and instruction the perusal of his book has 

 aH^'orded us. 



Melanippe fluctuata. 



By L. 11. I'KOUT, F.K.S. 



My object in l)ringing this paper before the City of London Ento- 

 mological and Natural History Society this evening, is not to pi'ovide 

 a complete account of the natural history of the species whose name 

 iippears in its title, nor to clear up any difficult (question of closely- 

 M.llied species, nor {niirahile (Jictu .') to ]ii'ove that it is the unhappy 

 possessor of a name which does not belong to it ; but chiefly to 

 discuss its variation, and endeavoui- to reduce to some measure of 

 order the chaotic varietal nomenclature ; in fact, if possible, to do 

 for this species what Dr. Ikickell did so admirably for ('oninniiiniilni 

 fifliliiDi., six months ago. Since, however, a mere dissertation on 

 varietal nomenclature is not likely to prove very interesting to most 

 of our members, however useful it may be for subsequent reference, 

 I propose also to incorporate the few sketchy notes which 1 have 

 at connnand on tlie life-history and geogi-aphical distril)ution of this 

 connnon insect. 



It is, as I have alreiidy hinted, (juite a relief to come across a 

 species amongst the (tkometkides, whose specific name is established 

 beyond all possibility of cavil, or of future alteration according to the 

 rights of priority. In the very first year in which such names were 

 given, IT'^iS, Liima;us (Si/st. Xaf., ed. x., p. 529) named it ilmtnatii, 

 and his diagnosis runs, " Plialaoia. (Tfomrtnt seticornis, alls cinera- 

 scentibus : anticis fasciis abbreviatis tribus fuscis." The authors of 

 the " Accentuated List " are in doubt whether Linnjeus derived the 

 name from Hiirfiinri', to undulate — " the pale parts of the wings 

 being much undulated with fine ashy streaks ; or fliirtuare, to 

 fluctuate — from the variableness of the species." As a rule, Linnanis 

 described from one or two specimens only, and knew little enough 

 about the variableness of any species ; hence one would be inclined 

 to favour the former derivation, only that, unfortunately, his type is 

 the non-undulated pale form ; undei- the circumstances, therefoi-e, I 

 " give it up." Linn;BUS cited figures in three or four (nirliei- works, 

 and^ he may have inferred from these, either the variability of the 

 insect or the undulated appearance of certain specimens. The type 

 specimen in the LimiiToan cabinet (a female, hence the " seticornis " 

 and the name fiuctnata, not aria) agrees with the diagnosis, being 

 the pale form with dark basal patch, costal half only of central fascia, 

 and small sub-apical costal blotch. 



In common with many other of our British L.\i!KNTnr).K, Mrhaiippr 

 iinrlnaia has a very wide geographical range ; pi'obably, in fact, 



