98 THE entomologist's record. 



J parent, and considerably darker than the 2 parent, only one 3' 

 specmien, however, being darker than the 3 parent. The second 

 crossing (possibly through the action of intra-selection) had appa- 

 rently tended to eliminate or suppress the pale (?) ancestral strain 

 (determinants). In any case, the ditterence between the '95 and '96 

 broods of the same race seemed worth attention. Lastly, Mr. Bacot 

 exhibited 3 3 and 4 5 specimens of Ennomos qiiercinaria, bred in 

 July, 1896, from ova given him by Dr. Buckell. One had no trace 

 of suffusion, the remaining 6 all being strongly marked in this direc- 

 tion, and one 3 in particular having the whole ground-colour of 

 both wings of a smoky hue, instead of the usual bright yellow. 

 Livixft Endromis versicolor. — Mr. Garland exhibited a living female 

 specimen of Kndiviiils rersicolor, which emerged from pupa Feb. 14th, 

 1897 ; also four imagines of Zi/i/aoia Innicerac, from Enniskillen, 

 1896, Plnsia j)ulchri)ia, from Enniskillen, 1896, and CuculUa hjchnitis, 

 bred May, 1896, from Hampshire pup^e of 1894. Remarkable aber- 

 ration OF Dromius 4-notatus. — Mr. Heasler exhibited a remarkable 

 aberration of Dromius 4:-notatus, taken under bark at Richmond in 

 Jan., 1897. The head was shorter, flatter, and broader ; the eyes 

 being closer to the anterior margin of the thorax than was usual, 

 owin" to the short neck. The head was also strongly alutaceous 

 and striated at the sides, making it appear very dull, whereas in the type 

 form it is shiny, owing to the strife being obsolete and the surface 

 very finely alutaceous. The thorax was depressed on the disc, and the 

 central channel fine and sharply defined. The upper surface was 

 very dull and rugulose with scattered transverse striae. In the type 

 form the disc of the thorax was convex, with a broad central channel, 

 and was very shiny. The elytra had the strife rather deeper than in 

 the type form. On the underside, the head and thoracic segments 

 all exhibited the coarse striation and dull appearance, so different 

 from the type, but the abdominal segments were typical. In fact, the 

 whole of these remarkable variations were confined to the head and 

 thorax and their appendages. Perhaps the most remarkable differ- 

 ence occurred in the femora, of which Mr. Heasler had drawn and 

 exhibited a rough illustration, showing in what a marked manner 

 they differed from typical femora, which were not only typical for the 

 o-enus, but also, so far as he knew, for the whole of the British 

 Geodephaga. The femora were also flattened on both the upper and 

 undersides, and both surfaces were striated transversely. Mr. Heasler 

 read the following notes on the species : — " This species, in common 

 with other members of the genus, has carnivorous habits, feeding on 

 small insects, found on the trees which the Dromius frequents. It 

 is a nocturnal species, hiding in crevices of the bark by day, and 

 feeding during the night. It hybernates under bark during the 

 winter, in company with many other insects, which are always found 

 in similar situations. Bearing in mind that the species is under 

 bark quite six months of the year (Oct. to March), and also that there 

 is in company with it a large quantity of insects which might become 

 its natural food, and that nowhere else would it find food so readily 

 during this time of year, it is quite possible that under these condi- 

 tions the habits of the species might gradually become changed, so 

 that the species became exclusively a sub- cortical feeder. The ten- 

 dency to a change of habit like this would, I think, be accelerated in 



