304 THE entomologist's nteCoRbv 



that — like our friends, Messrs. Barrett and Briggs — he took the 

 July form to be specifically identical with those of May and June. — 

 LouisB.PRouT,F.E.S.,246,RichmondEoad,Dalston. Oct. 26th, 1896. 

 The gexus Neuronia. — This genus is established by Hiibner, 

 Verz., 215, for jinjndaris and pcrplexa. The date of the Vci-zcichniss is 

 1816, but an earlier date than 1818-1822 cannot be assigned this 

 portion of the work (see Scudder, HisUnical Ski'tc/i, 97). Xcuronia is 

 limited by Stephens to the type jiopularis. This restriction must be 

 followed, and renders T/mlcra, Hiibn., IV^c, 214, for ce.sjiiti.s, furra, 

 e.vtrema, again a mixed genus, a quantite neglv/ible. The type of 

 Tholera must, if crspUis be strictly congeneric with p/qnilaris, be sought 

 in furra or e.vtreiiia,aitex Stephens' useof Xeuronia for the typepopularis. 

 Therefore, under ]\Ir. jMcLachlan's statement that AVz?ro»/rt is preoccu- 

 pied, a new term of replacement must be proposed for the type ptijtiilaria, 

 and I hope Mr. Tutt will propose one, Avhich will then enter into all the 

 rights which Xeuronia held at the time of its restriction to the type 

 popularis. Ochsenheimer, iv., 70, 1816, refers jtopularis to Hadcna, 

 which is one of the largest of Ochsenheimer's mixtures, but includes 

 the type of Hadena, viz., rurubali. Should ccspitis be generically dis- 

 tinct from popularin, the term Tholera, since neglected, would be 

 available for the species ; but Stephens' action, and that of other 

 authors, prevents a recurrence to this earlier term for the genus 

 represented typically by jxipularis. — A. Radcliffe Grote, M.A., 

 Roemer Musevim, Hildesheim. 



^y ARI ATION. 



Melanic insects in the New Forest in 1896. — One very curious 

 feature of the New Forest collecting has been the very marked ten- 

 dency to melanism, shown in several species. Those in which I have 

 noticed it more especially have been Limenltis sibi/lla, Drt/as jiaphia, 

 and Cleora lichenaria. The number of black, or nearly black, L. sihi/lla 

 taken was extraordinary, amounting in all to not less than forty, I 

 should think. I know also of about a dozen fine aberrations oi iKpaphla, 

 most of which showed a decided increase of the black markings on 

 the wings, while the tawny ground-colour remained. The tleora 

 lichenaria, in bred specimens, showed a decided tendency to darker 

 colour than ordinarily, and I have two specimens of quite a melanic 

 form. The characteristics of the weather from March to middle of 

 August, were a great excess of sunshine and lack of moisture. I do 

 not know whether these were the causes. It would be very interesting 

 to know if, in dry, hot climates, these particular insects showed this 

 tendency to melanisn. — P. M. Bright, F.E.S., Roccabruna, Bourne- 

 mouth. 



Variation of Boarmia repandata. — I have been much struck with 

 the tendency of Boarmia repandata to run to dark forms this year, 

 and the ab. concermria has been quite common. This is striking, as 

 B. repandata itself has not been more plentiful than usual. The pro- 

 portion of conrersaria this season, as compared with the last, would be 

 about ten to one. — E. C. Studd, M.A., F.E.S., Oxton. 



PiERis RAP^ AB. NovANGLiiE. — I havc bceii struck with the very 

 yellow tint assumed by Pieris rapae. During the very hot summer 

 1 took them of quite a sulphur colour. — Ibid. 



