VAKIATION. 305 



Aberrations of Cleora glabraria and Plusia moneta. — I bred 

 a very dark female C. rjlahraria, from a New Forest larva, and a rich 

 chocolate-coloured P. moneta, in a second-brood batch, from Ascot. — 

 E. A. Bowles, M.A., F.E.S., Waltham Cross. 



Aberration of Bombyx callun.t;. — The best aberration that has 

 come under my notice this season is a bufl'-coloured male Bombijx 

 ealluncu', almost as pale as an ordinary female specimen. It was reared 

 from a larva found feeding on heather on Hazelhead Moor, near 

 Aberdeen. — A. Horne, Aberdeen. 



Aberrations of Limenitis sibylla and Dryas paphia. — It has been 

 a great season for aberrations among the Diurni in the New Forest. 

 Many black Liwenith sihi/lla have been taken, one of which, an 

 ab. nii/rata, is in my cabinet. Several good aberrations of /^/v/rt.s- 

 paphia have also been taken. I have one, a $ , in which the black 

 spots and dashes on the wings are so strongly confluent, as to form an 

 almost continuous dark band. — J. C. Moberly, M.A., F.E.S., 

 9, Rockstone Place, Southampton. 



Hermaphrodite Fidonia piniaria. — I found F'uIoii'ki ju'niaria very 

 abundant this year, and I got one hermaphrodite specimen. — F. 

 Norgate, Bury St. Edmunds. 



:]^OTES ON LIFE-HISTORIES, LARY^, &c. 



The egg-laying and cocoons of Pamphila comma, with some 

 REMARKS ON ITS ABUNDANCE. — On August Ist and 3rd I was with a 

 friend on the downs, near here, and was surprised at the abundance 

 of P. cn)itiiia. They were all over the downs, and it was no uncommon 

 sight to see a dozen or more males chasing a female. I had as many 

 as live in the net at one time, and many times three and four. I was 

 fortunate enough to see a female depositing ova, which it did singly 

 on blades of grass. I subsequently obtained a good number of ova 

 from females, which I put in a glass jar with grass and a few pieces 

 of lucerne. Finding several of the insects drying their wings, I looked 

 for the empty pupa-cases, and succeeded in finding three or four, 

 which were spun up among the short herbage near the ground, but 

 not actually on the ground, enclosed in a very slight silken cocoon. — 

 A. H. Hamm, Reading. 



ACIDALIA DILUTARIA (hOLOSERICATA), partially DOUBLE-BROODED, WITH 



SOME ACCOUNT OF THE LARVA. — On Junc 25th last I took, in the usual 

 Bristol locality, about twenty specimens of A. dilHtaria (Iioloscricata), 

 very much worn, although in previous seasons I have found them 

 just coming out on that date, and in perfect condition. I kept 

 all the females for eggs, as they were not worth setting. They com- 

 menced laying at once, and altogether I obtained over three hundred 

 eggs. I was staying in the West of England for three weeks, and 

 experienced exceptionally hot weather while there, and this may 

 account for the larva' beginning to emerge in nine or ten days' time. 

 In ordinary seasons I have found them take from a fortnight to three 

 weeks. I fed the larv« on knotgrass, and they grew quickly at first, 

 but after three or four weeks seemed to feed but slowly. I then gave 

 my friend, Mr. W. A. Southey, about thirty larvje, which he fed up 

 indoors, and kept them much warmer than mine were ke})t. They 

 got ou rapidly, and began to pupate the first week in September, and 



