VARIATION. 51 



ginal series of black spots being replaced by a continuous black line ; 

 there is a very dark band across the wings, making the moth look not 

 unlike a very strongly-marked specimen in miniature of the banded 

 form of Acidalia aversata. I made some notes as to the habits of 

 Acidalia Rtraminata which may perhaps be of interest. The moth 

 generally flies just about dusk, and continues on the wing till it is 

 dark enough for lamps to be needed, but, occasionally, it starts Hying 

 in broad daylight some time before sunset, with the sun shining full 

 on the ground. On each occasion that it has done so this year the 

 setting of the sun has been followed by the appearance of some ground- 

 fog and the instant disappearance of A. straminata, and, though the fog- 

 cleared off at 8.30, and other species, such as Li/raphotia atrit/ida and 

 Scoparia ainbiiiualis, began to fly again freely, not a trace of A. strain i- 

 nata was to be seen either on the wing or at rest ; it would seem that 

 the approach of ground-fog is known to the insect, and its flight 

 taken earlier in consequence. The only other incident worthy of note 

 in July was the presence of a ? Saturnia pavonia on the evening of 

 the 17th busily engaged ovipositing on the heather. August, 

 September, and October require little comment, and these notes are 

 already overgrown. A pair of Zeuzera pi/rina were brought to me in 

 a matchbox on August 4th, but as they were, of course, useless as 

 specimens, I liberated them ; this species is another addition to our 

 local list. The second brood of Enpithecia indiiiata was out on the 

 12th. Ai/rotis af/athina first appeared on the 26th, but, though fairly 

 plentiful from then to September 23rd, the rain which fell every day 

 completely spoiled them, and very few good specimens were taken — 

 wet weather ruins this species at once. Tapinostola fulva and Lnperina 

 testacea came freely to the moth trap during the first ten days of 

 September, and a few Lnperina cespitis also. In October, ivy-bloom 

 yielded two perfectly fresh Xj/lophasia monoiilypha on 5th, but nothing 

 else except (Jrrhodia raccinii and O. spadicea — -the bloom was destroyed 

 by rain almost as fast as it came out. Since the end of October I 

 have done no field work. — (Rev.) C. D. Ash, B.A., Skipwith, Selby. 

 December 4tth, 1903. 



W^ARI ATION. 



Notes on the variation of Lycena (Polyommatus) lysimon, Hb. — 

 It has occurred to me that the following notes might be interesting to 

 the readers of the Knt. Becord. Directions of Variation : — («) Size : 

 2 generally larger than ^ . One very bright blue ^ from Aboukir 

 only 15mm. Males average 21mm., ? s 22mm., but I have specimens 

 up to 24mm. (b) Colour of uppcraide of the J; The 2 s of this species 

 fall into two types : (1) The commonest, on the whole, and certainly 

 almost universal during March -April and October- December, has the 

 fore- and hindwings suffused with bright dark blue scaling from the base 

 to the discoidal spot and often further on the upperside forewings, and 

 from base over discal field and to margin of fold for often half the 

 area upperside hindwings. Outer and costal margins of both wings 

 are always broadly dark. A 2 in which the suffusion was reddish - 

 purple was taken April 20th, 1903, some 20 miles southwest of Cairo 

 in a desert waste. (2) In which the suffusion disappears but for traces 

 on base and a few scales on discoidal field of both wings. Cairo, end 

 July-October, Aboukir and Alexandria, June and July. This appears 



