160 THE Entomologist's record. 



the variety. If it was the type, it acted like its congeners, but if it 

 emerged as the variety it would to some extent uphold Mr. Barrett's 

 theory. Again, with regard to " larvfB found in Hampshire and the 

 Isle of Wight, which fed up slowly and remained in pupa all winter," 

 which form was it that emerged from these pup;e ? Callunae certainly 

 occurs in the New Forest and in Devonshire, and unless these pup?e pro- 

 duced the type after remaining in pupa all winter, rui hono .' When the 

 climatic theorists can show that an imago of the unmistakable Southern 

 form has been produced that had hybernated once as a larva and once 

 as a pupa, they would have some foundation to build their theory 

 upon, and they should also give some line of demarcation for the two 

 forms, showing where the climate begins to take efiect in the colora- 

 tion, such as the Trent, the Tees or the Tyne, north of which the 

 type is not found. There is no doubt that it occurs in Yorkshire ; and 

 Mr. Porritt, in his " Yorkshire list " says : — " The specimens found in 

 the West Biding, and probably inland specimens generally, are the 

 form eallmuw, Palmer, but I believe the coast specimens are the true 

 <jih-rcHs.'" The larva occurs on the east coast of Yorks, being found on 

 the herbage on the sea front, and it also occurs on the Lincolnshire, 

 Norfolk and Essex coasts. 



If we admit that these two forms constitute but one species, we are 

 still confronted with the problem that two races exist, emerging at 

 diflerent periods, and presenting a marked difi'erence in very many 

 respects in every stage of their transformation. Occupying as they do 

 in one case one year, and in the other two years to complete the latter, 

 it is impossible to suggest that one is the offspring of the other, for it 

 is certain that the oti'spring of each race emerges in the same month as 

 its parents, the type in summer and the variety in spring. 



This leads me to allude to the controversy which crops up from 

 time to time in our periodicals, between our leading scientists, upon 

 the question of Ti'i>hnma hhtuvtata {cn'jnificidana) and 2\ rrepuxridaria 

 {biundularia). Are they separate species, or is one a variety of 

 the other ? The two points in dispute are, first, the ground 

 colour, and, secondly, the time of appearance, much the same 

 as in the species under our consideration at present. T. rirpns- 

 cularia is said to be brownish, and T. hiundularia whitish, and 

 T. crepuscularia appears from February to April, and T. hmndu- 

 lana in May and June ; and yet, notwithstanding the arguments 

 pro and con that have appeared from time to time, we do not 

 appear to be any nearer a solution of the enigma : Are they distinct 

 species, or merely a type and its variety ? The supporters of the 

 theory, that because T. crcpusiularia appears in April, and T. biundu- 

 laria in May, urge that it is not possible for one to be a variety of the 

 other, there not being time enough to permit of a brood maturing, and 

 the objection appears a sound one. I am, however, surprised that the 

 supporters of the theory that T. hiundidaria is a variety of T. 

 crepuscularia have not quoted B. callunae as a variety of a species 

 appearing at one time of the year, and the type at another. We 

 may, therefore, safely infer that the peculiarity attributed to B. callunae 

 is unique in the science of entomology. 



I have now laid before you, I fear in a very imperfect manner, the 

 leading differences in the life-history of BiDuhiix qucrcus and its variety, 

 and it is manifest that we have yet much to learn respecting the 



