﻿54 
  

  

  ing 
  a 
  destructive 
  pest 
  in 
  the 
  larval 
  stage 
  under 
  favourable 
  conditions, 
  

   He 
  said 
  that 
  in 
  Staudinger's 
  "Catalog," 
  ed. 
  iii. 
  (1901), 
  where 
  the 
  

   genus 
  was 
  greatly 
  restricted, 
  nine 
  species 
  were 
  enumerated, 
  with 
  a 
  

   number 
  of 
  local 
  races 
  and 
  aberrations. 
  Some 
  50 
  species 
  have 
  at 
  

   various 
  times 
  been 
  placed 
  in 
  this 
  genus, 
  which 
  is 
  now 
  much 
  

   restricted. 
  South, 
  in 
  his 
  " 
  Moths 
  of 
  the 
  Brit. 
  Isles," 
  includes 
  only 
  

   S. 
  luhricipi'da, 
  8. 
  nienthastri, 
  and 
  S. 
  urticic, 
  while 
  Hampson, 
  on 
  the 
  

   other 
  hand, 
  drops 
  Spilosoma 
  and 
  many 
  other 
  genera 
  to 
  lump 
  some 
  

   hundred 
  and 
  twenty-six 
  species 
  together 
  in 
  the 
  omnibus 
  and 
  un- 
  

   wieldy 
  genus 
  Diacrisia. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Ashdown 
  exhibited 
  a 
  very 
  varied 
  series 
  of 
  S. 
  mendica, 
  and 
  

   series 
  of 
  S. 
  hihricipeda 
  and 
  S. 
  nienthantri, 
  including 
  some 
  nearly 
  

   spotless 
  forms, 
  with 
  an 
  example 
  of 
  the 
  ab. 
  itiiicolor 
  of 
  S. 
  Inbricipeda, 
  

   with 
  only 
  one 
  slight 
  dot 
  on 
  the 
  costa. 
  It 
  was 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  Wye 
  

   Valley. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Robert 
  Adkin's 
  exhibit 
  included 
  Sidlosonia 
  hihricipeda 
  from 
  

   various 
  localities 
  from 
  Yorkshire 
  southwards, 
  together 
  with 
  series 
  

   of 
  crossings 
  between 
  the 
  type 
  and 
  var. 
  zatinta. 
  Also 
  long 
  series 
  of 
  

   S. 
  vicnthastri 
  from 
  Scotland, 
  Ireland, 
  and 
  various 
  English 
  localities. 
  

   The 
  Scotch 
  and 
  Irish 
  specimens 
  were 
  all 
  of 
  a 
  yellowish-brown 
  tinge, 
  

   grading 
  to 
  a 
  distinct 
  dark 
  brown 
  in 
  the 
  extremes 
  of 
  the 
  former, 
  

   while 
  among 
  the 
  more 
  southern 
  English 
  series 
  were 
  some 
  smoky 
  

   specimens, 
  and 
  some 
  with 
  heavily 
  spotted 
  hindwings. 
  There 
  were 
  

   also 
  several 
  specimens 
  approaching 
  var. 
  walkeri. 
  He 
  also 
  showed 
  

   series 
  of 
  Spiloso)ita 
  inticcc, 
  S. 
  fuli(/i)iosa, 
  and 
  S. 
  mendica 
  with 
  its 
  

   Irish 
  var. 
  rustica. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  A. 
  Mera 
  exhibited 
  a 
  cabinet 
  drawer 
  containing 
  the 
  genus 
  

   Spilosowa, 
  including 
  — 
  

  

  S. 
  mendica. 
  — 
  Bred 
  specimens 
  from 
  Wanstead, 
  one 
  female 
  having 
  

   somewhat 
  smoky 
  ground 
  colour, 
  and 
  two 
  intermediate 
  males 
  pro- 
  

   duced 
  by 
  a 
  cross 
  between 
  the 
  white 
  Irish 
  form 
  and 
  the 
  English 
  

   type. 
  

  

  S. 
  Inbricipeda.— 
  A 
  variable 
  series 
  bred 
  from 
  larvfe 
  of 
  the 
  Barnsley 
  

   stock, 
  containing 
  the 
  form 
  var. 
  radiata 
  and 
  intermediates. 
  A 
  series 
  

   of 
  clearly 
  marked 
  var. 
  fasciata, 
  three 
  of 
  which 
  appeared 
  in 
  a 
  batch 
  

   which 
  otherwise 
  were 
  all 
  fine 
  var. 
  radiata, 
  these 
  three 
  being 
  the 
  

   only 
  ones 
  which 
  showed 
  an 
  appreciable 
  variation 
  from 
  the 
  parent 
  

   forms 
  of 
  var. 
  radiata. 
  Two 
  specimens 
  with 
  a 
  darkening 
  of 
  the 
  

   thorax 
  after 
  interbreeding 
  several 
  times. 
  Also 
  a 
  specimen 
  with 
  

   black 
  fringes 
  obtained 
  from 
  another 
  race. 
  Examples 
  from 
  South- 
  

   end, 
  London 
  District 
  and 
  Sligo 
  were 
  also 
  included. 
  

  

  S. 
  nienthastri. 
  — 
  Yellowish 
  forms 
  from 
  Sligo, 
  lightly 
  spotted 
  forms 
  

  

  