1914] 65 



On the breeding of the variety nigrosparsata of Abraxas grossulariata. — My 

 experience in breeding var. nigrosparsata of Abraxas grossulariata last summer 

 was bo remarkable, that it is advisable to place it on record to compare with 

 others and f uture experiments of the same character. 



It will be remembered that in 1912, I bred from -wild larvae from a garden 

 here some very extreme forms of v. nigrosparsata (see Ent. Mo. Mag, September, 

 1912, pp. 214 and 215), including two of var. nigra, which is in reality the most 

 extreme form of nigrosparsata. Both of the var. nigra were males, and one of 

 them I paired with a very fine 9 nigrosparsata, the larva? resulting from which 

 I labelled as "Brood I." Next I paired a very fine green-black £ nigrosparsata 

 with an almost equally fine ? , the larvae from which were labelled " Brood II." 

 Lastly I got a pairing from two very fine specimens of the form, but which were 

 not so good as the others, and the larva- from this lot I called " Brood MI." 

 Unfortunately the larvae from all three broods mostly died off in the following 

 spring, and out of them I bred only about sixty moths, in pretty equal numbers 

 from each brood. The moths from broods I and II were all ordinary typical 

 specimens, whilst those from brood III, from which I had certainly expected 

 least, were all nigrosparsata varying from white groiuid with but little black 

 freckling, to an exceedingly dark example, which was markedly finer than 

 either of its parents. One typical specimen did indeed emerge in the cage of 

 this brood, but it obviously belonged to one of the other broods, the larva 

 having doubtless got in accidentally when food changing. In almost every 

 brood of this species, there is some characteristic in the moths, slight though it 

 may often be, by which one may separate them at once. Pairings were again 

 obtained from the moths from all the three broods, and it will be interesting to 

 ascertain whether there will be any return in broods I and II to the nigra or 

 nigrosparsata forms ; but as I bred five second brood moths from them in the 

 autunin, again all most ordinary specimens, I have no great faith that anything 

 better will be produced from the hibernating larva? during the coming summer. 

 It seems clear that the form does not work out at all on Mendelian lines, which 

 is curious when we know that the vars. varleyata and lacticolor of the same 

 species, do so work out. — Geo. T. Porritt, Elm Lea, Dalton, Huddersfield : 

 February 3rd, 1914. 



Notes on the breeding of two species of Diptera. — So little is known of the 

 habits of many of our commonest Diptera that I venture to place on record the 

 breeding of the undermentioned two species. 



Anthomyia procellaris, Bond.— In either May or June, 1912, I noticed 

 that the young pears on a tree in my orchard were much infected by Dipterous 

 larva?. I therefore gathered two or three of the affected pears, in order to 

 ascertain, if possible, what insect caused the damage, and placed them in a 

 breeding jar. The pears eventually became mouldy, and most of the larva? 

 perished, but I succeeded in breeding, at about the beginning of July, two or 

 three specimens of the above Anthomyid. 



Anth racophagafrontosa, Meig.— Early in May, 1912,1 observed in a marshy 

 spot near my house, that the growth of a small species of Carex, which I was 



