262 [April, 



Variation in Lepidoptera. — Mr. Davis, in this month's number of the " Ento- 

 mologist's Monthly Magazine," referring to a letter of Mr. Llewelyn's, gives a list 

 of varieties he has observed ; and, believing the subject to be one of interest to 

 entomologists, I append a few notes on some insects in my own collection, as it is 

 only by comparing abnormal forms occurring at diflferent times and places that we 

 can cUminate varieties, and assign to them their legitimate weight, and that only. 



I think, however, a very jgreat distinction should be made between a simple 

 aberration from the normal condition and an actual " variety" technically so called. 

 A species may afford a series of diversified examples vrithout producing a variety ; 

 nor can malformation, stunted or excessive growth, or mere lighter or darker 

 colouring be considered as indicating a departure from the type, or being otherwise 

 than the result of accident. WoUaston, in his "Variation of Species," defines 

 varieties as "various aberrations from their pecuUar type, which are sufficiently 

 constant and isolated in their general character to appear, at first sight, to be 

 distinct from it," and which have in them " the prima-facie elements of stability." 

 Of the insects mentioned below only the examples of Vanessa xirticce and V. cardui 

 have any appearance of being true varieties, and I should like to ascertain if similar 

 forms have been observed before. 



Vanessa v/rticce. — A fine variety captured at Brixton, having the second and 

 third costal spots on the fore-wing merged into one, the white spot beyond extending 

 to the middle of the hind margin, and the two central spots absent. Hind-wing 

 nearly totally suffused with black. Alar expansion 1" 9'". 



Vanessa cardui. — A remarkable variety, — taken by my late father in the Isle of 

 Wight, having the normal white oblong costal blotch and the dark markings in the 

 discoidal area absent, and the five round black spots on the hind-wing replaced by 

 white ones, — has been very fully described by Mr. Newman in the Zoologist, 

 page 3304. 



Chortolius Pamphilus. — A male taken at Wandsworth, whose alar expansion is 

 only 11"', has the black spot on the tip of the wing barely discernable. 



Zygasna trifolii. — A specimen with all the spots united in a regidar blotch. 



Zygcena filipendulcB. — An example having each pair of spots confluent, and the 

 upper basal spot expanded into a streak extending along the costa to nearly the tip 

 of the wing. 



Euchelia jacohceoe, — A specimen having the red stripe near the costa and the 

 two red spots on the hind margin confluent. — William Ingall, Albany Koad, 

 Camberwell, 12th February, 1866. 



Food of Boarmia rhomhoidaria. — Noticing that it is very positively asserted in 

 the current " Annual" that the above-named species will not eat ivy, and, indeed, 

 *' inevitably perishes if not supplied with other pabulum," I send a note to say that 

 in this locaUty, at any rate, ivy is undoubtedly its natural food, and the moths 

 are commonly found frequenting that plant. — E. Horton, Powick, near Worcester. 



[At our request Mr. Horton has kindly forwarded an example of the Worces- 

 tershire form of rhomhoidaria. We consider that it is an ordinary type of that 

 insect. — Eds.] 



