70 THE KNTOMOLOGIST's RECORD, 



are strikingly jilipenduhw, and the hind-wing character is ahnost 

 entirely lost," Insects fkom the Cheshire coast, Bidston, etc. — 

 Mr. Tutt exhibited some Lepidoptera from the Cheshire coast, 

 Bidston, etc., and said : — " The insects, which I exhibit for Mr. H. B. 

 Prince, were captured on Wallasey sand-hills. The following par- 

 ticulars about the specimens may be interesting : Nyssia zonakia. — 

 These insects are remarkably uniform at first sight, and yet, when 

 carefully examined, exhibit considerable variation. In some specimens 

 the darker areas of the wings are but faintly developed, and the 

 specimens have a very pallid and unicolorous appearance. At the 

 opposite extreme, the transverse basal line is continued up to the costa, 

 and the space between this and the next transverse line is filled in 

 with dark grey shading, forming a more or less distinct transverse 

 band. In other specimens the basal transverse line is almost, or 

 quite, obsolete, and leaves the whole area, from the discoidal lunule 

 to the base of the wing, with only the two dark longitudinal neurational 

 markings. On the hind-wings there is an equal range of variation, 

 the paler having scarcely any trace of the three transverse bands, 

 which are very distinctly marked in the darkest specimens. The 

 apterous females show no marked variation. TripJtaena orbona 

 (conu's). — A moderately variable series, with nothing approaching the 

 range of variation found among the Scotch specimens. Of the colour 

 aberrations, you will observe the ab. adsfqua, Tr. (pale grey), ab, (/risea, 

 Tutt (dark grey), ab. ocltrca, Tutt (pale ochreous), and ab. nifu-uchrea 

 (pale ochreous, tinted with red). For descriptions of these forms vide 

 Brit. Nnctuae and their Varietii's, vol. ii.,pp. 9G-99. At the same time it 

 will be observed that two or three specimens closely approach the 

 ab. connuha, Hb,, and the ab. suhseqiia, Haw. This is probably the usual 

 range reached in our Southern and Midland English counties. 

 Noctua xanthoiirapha. — Among these we get the usual range of 

 variation, extending from the pale grey ab. cohaesa of Herrich-Schiifter, 

 the typical .vcDithnnrapha, Fab., the pale reddish-grey ab. rufescfutij&nd 

 an approach to ab, obscura, without reaching the range to which the 

 Scotch specimens often reach, Triphaena pioiinba. — The range in this 

 series comprises some of the more usual forms. There is the pale 

 grey type, the ab. oclirca, Tutt (greyish-ochreous form), the ab. 

 hrunnea, Tutt, and the ab. ochrea-bninnea, Tutt, Altogether the series 

 tends to the darker aberrations. Mdlinia circellaris. — The series of 

 this species is composed of about half each of the greyish-ochreous 

 type {i-ircdlaiis), and the redder dJo. ftrrwjinea of Esper. The suffused 

 ab, viacilenta, Hb., is not represented. Ortluma luta. — These are a 

 most uniform series of the insect. Of the thirteen insects 11 are quite 

 of the typical coloration, whilst one shoAVS a tendency to approach the 

 ab, rufa, Tutt. Apamea basilinea. — The four specimens sent are very 

 fairly typical. Ematim/a atomaria. — These specimens were captured 

 on Thurstaton Common, by the river Dee, in May, 1896, They are 

 rather smaller than our southern form, and more nearly approach in 

 size, and in their dark fuscous coloration, those from the northern 

 moors, Hypsipetea ruberata. — Captured at Flaybruck Hill, near 

 Bidston, in May, 1896. These are an interesting series, somewhat 

 smaller than the Wisbech specimens. Most of the individuals show 

 the transverse markings fairly well, whilst only two examples exhibit 

 the pale central band so conspicuous in the two allied species — tri- 

 fasciata di^nd fiircata {sordidata). 



