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  by 
  putting 
  luhricipeda, 
  L., 
  in 
  the 
  genus 
  Spilarctia, 
  ButL, 
  leaving 
  

   only 
  menthastri, 
  Esp., 
  and 
  urticiE, 
  Esp., 
  in 
  the 
  genus 
  Spilosoma, 
  

   Steph. 
  (Curt.). 
  Also 
  to 
  include 
  all 
  these 
  species 
  together 
  with 
  

   Diaphora 
  mendica, 
  Steph., 
  in 
  the 
  sub-family 
  Spilosowhm 
  of 
  the 
  

   family 
  ArctUda. 
  

  

  For 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  this 
  paper 
  I 
  have 
  adopted 
  South's 
  view, 
  and 
  

   have 
  taken 
  the 
  genus 
  Spilosorna 
  as 
  including 
  ))ienthastri, 
  iirticcc, 
  and 
  

   luhricipeda, 
  and 
  no 
  others 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  Britain 
  is 
  concerned. 
  

  

  The 
  genus 
  as 
  thus 
  defined 
  constitutes 
  a 
  most 
  interesting 
  group. 
  

   Two 
  of 
  the 
  species, 
  menthastri 
  and 
  luhricipeda, 
  are 
  among 
  the 
  very 
  

   commonest 
  of 
  Lepidoptera, 
  while 
  the 
  third 
  species, 
  urticce, 
  though 
  less 
  

   so, 
  and 
  less 
  variable, 
  will 
  always 
  provide 
  a 
  pleasant 
  outing 
  in 
  August 
  

   over 
  the 
  marshes, 
  where 
  an 
  occasional 
  larva 
  may 
  generally 
  be 
  

   found, 
  among 
  the 
  bedstraw 
  and 
  water 
  mint, 
  in 
  company 
  with 
  

   Charoca)upa 
  elpenor. 
  

  

  Taking 
  the 
  species 
  separately. 
  

  

  Spilosonia 
  tiienthastri, 
  the 
  synonym 
  of 
  which 
  eriuinea. 
  Marsh., 
  per- 
  

   haps 
  gives 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  "ermine" 
  to 
  the 
  group, 
  possesses 
  two 
  leading 
  

   forms 
  of 
  colour; 
  a 
  white 
  form 
  and 
  a 
  buff 
  form, 
  with 
  any 
  number 
  

   of 
  intermediate 
  shades. 
  The 
  markings 
  consist 
  of 
  black 
  spots 
  or 
  

   dots, 
  varying 
  in 
  size 
  and 
  number, 
  and 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  joining 
  together 
  

   into 
  lines. 
  The 
  buff 
  form 
  is 
  known 
  as 
  ab. 
  ochrea 
  ; 
  more 
  extreme 
  

   forms 
  with 
  brown 
  forewings 
  as 
  ab. 
  hrunnea, 
  Oberth., 
  and 
  forms 
  in 
  

   which 
  nearly 
  all 
  the 
  dots 
  on 
  the 
  forewings 
  merge 
  together 
  to 
  form 
  

   radial 
  streaks, 
  as 
  ab. 
  undkeri. 
  Many 
  other 
  names 
  have 
  been 
  given. 
  

   Any 
  shade 
  of 
  colour 
  may 
  take 
  any 
  variety 
  of 
  marking, 
  and 
  no 
  ento- 
  

   mologist 
  need 
  fear 
  loss 
  of 
  interest 
  in 
  catching 
  or 
  breeding 
  the 
  species. 
  

   Two 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  aberrations 
  in 
  my 
  collection, 
  one 
  with 
  spots 
  almost 
  

   absent 
  and 
  one 
  asymmetrical 
  specimen 
  with 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  spots 
  merg- 
  

   ing 
  into 
  lines, 
  were 
  captured 
  b}^ 
  myself 
  on 
  fences 
  in 
  the 
  London 
  

   district, 
  while 
  a 
  batch 
  of 
  ova 
  will 
  generally 
  yield 
  something 
  of 
  

   interest, 
  and 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  insects 
  of 
  large 
  size 
  if 
  sufficient 
  fresh 
  

   food 
  be 
  provided. 
  I 
  am 
  showing 
  a 
  drawer 
  full 
  of 
  this 
  species, 
  and 
  

   have 
  indicated 
  therein 
  the 
  two 
  captured 
  specimens 
  mentioned 
  above, 
  

   the 
  buff' 
  parents 
  from 
  which 
  Mr. 
  Harrison 
  of 
  Barnsley 
  bred 
  large 
  

   numbers 
  of 
  the 
  buff 
  form, 
  four 
  specimens 
  with 
  the 
  costa 
  more 
  or 
  

   less 
  black 
  and 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  spots 
  merging 
  into 
  lines, 
  and 
  two 
  speci- 
  

   mens 
  from 
  the 
  Isles 
  of 
  Scilly, 
  one 
  with 
  large 
  spot 
  on 
  hindwings 
  and 
  

   one 
  with 
  smoky 
  edges 
  to 
  all 
  four 
  wings. 
  I 
  have 
  bred 
  many 
  speci- 
  

   mens 
  from 
  those 
  islands, 
  but 
  have 
  been 
  considerably 
  disappointed 
  

   in 
  the 
  result. 
  There 
  are 
  several 
  specimens 
  of 
  interest 
  in 
  my 
  drawer 
  

   besides 
  those 
  referred 
  to. 
  

  

  