166 THE entomologist's record. 



dorsally by a very conspicuous black-brown line, interrupted at the 

 segment-incisions, and paling off from black-brown to umber pos- 

 teriorly on each segment ; the effect is as though the whole line were 

 umber, and overlaid with deep black on the anterior two-thirds of 

 each abdominal segment, the black giving place to a slight sprinkling 

 only, as one proceeds posteriorly. It should be mentioned that the 

 thoracic segments are slightly dirtier-looking (more tinged with 

 greyish) than the abdominal, and that on the former the umber line is 

 not overlaid with black, except a very slight and inconspicuous freck- 

 ling, and one deep black dot on each segment. Tubercles very minute 

 and inconspicuous, except the trapezoidals, of which the anterior are 

 further apart, and, I think, rcnj diijhthj larger than the posterior ; 

 bristles very short and inconspicuous, I believe, single ; but I made 

 no note on the point." 



The larva is rather shy, and seems to feed only at night (except in 

 its very earliest stages). Brahm used to find the larva? by day concealed 

 on the ground, under leaves of low plants, chiefly mullein, burdock, 

 teasle, etc., and found they would also eat chickweed. I occasionally 

 offered my larva? the last-named plant, but did not observe them 

 touch it. 



The pupa was kept close to a fire, and the final darkening took 

 place on February 21st, after a pupal period of over six weeks. The 

 white spot of the wings showed very prominently through the cases. I 

 suppose I did not keep it sufficiently damp to counteract the influence 

 of the heat, for, to my great mortification, it died, instead of emerg- 

 ing ; and the satisfaction of having bred a specimen of this rarity was 

 denied me, though I have had the interest of watching it through its 

 complete life cycle. 



Notes on the Zygaenides. 



III. Z. LONICER^ A CONSTANT SPECIES IN BeITAIN, AuSTRIA AND FrANCE. 



— Zyg^na medicaciInis earlier in its appearance than Z. 

 lonicerve. — Fertile hybrids. — Criticism of Barrett's remarks 

 on the specific identity of z. lonicer.e and z. trifolii. z. 



MEDICAGINIS, BdV. (dUBIA, StDGR.) as a distinct SPECIES. Z. 



MEDICAGINIS MORE CLOSELY ALLIED TO Z. LONICERyE THAN TO Z. 



TRIFOLII. — Criticism of Lederer's and South's remarks on the 



RELATIONSHIP OF Z. MEDICAGINIS WITH Z. FILIPENDULyE. Z. HIPPO- 



CREPIDIS, St. NOT CO-SPECIFIC WITH Z. MEDICAGINIS. UnION OF 



Z. MEDICAGINIS AND Z. OCHSENHEIMERI BY CONTINENTAL AND BrITISH 

 ENTOMOLOGISTS. EeMARKS ON SO-CALLED SIX-SPOTTED Z. MEDI- 

 CAGINIS. — Baker (-Bethune)'s captures in the Buttier Valley, 



(Continued from p. 107 y. 

 By J. W. TUTT, F.E.S. 



Zi/i/aena lonicerae is probably the most constant of all the British 

 species of that particular group of the genus to which it belongs. 

 Occasionally, a blotched specimen occurs (Nix, Entom., x., p. 180, 

 Hewett, two bred specimens, Knbnn., xxv., p. 251, Bower, Ent. lice, 

 vi., p. 19), but the form is rare, and it would appear to be equally 

 rare on the Continent, for Oberthiir writes : " La Zi/i/acna loniirrac 

 aberre tres rarement par la confluence des taches. Nous n'avons 



