182 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST S RECORD. 



has counted 80 eggs laid by one female, but I have no doubt she 

 would have laid many more if at liberty. 



The colour of the imago is most fugitive, unless the specimens be 

 carefully killed as soon as possible after emergence. Once set and dry 

 they do not appear to alter much, within a reasonable time, except, 

 perhaps, by losing somewhat of their lustre. The Rev. J. A. 

 Mackonochie refers to this fading {Entom. Record, vol. iv. (1898), 

 p. 109), and writes, " I have noticed in Neinorm viridata the extreme 

 paleness of the upper-wings in many specimens, which have been flying 

 at the same time as others with the upper-wings of the normal beautiful 

 colour, and have been puzzled to account for the fact. Possibly these 

 pale specimens have been on the wing longer than the normally 

 coloured ones." It has also been noticed that these faded specimens 

 are often in quite as good condition, sometimes better, than the green 

 ones. Mr. Grosvenor accounts for this paling of the upper-wing in 

 preference to the lower, by referring to the resting-position of the 

 species, in which the habit is to drop the upper-wings over the lower, 

 and thus shield them. Dr. Hodgson would add dampness to light as 

 the cause of this destruction of colour, as he has found with bred 

 specimens kept indoors for breeding purposes, and exposed to daylight,, 

 even to a little sun-light, that they died natural deaths, without loss of 

 colour. In my opinion this is the correct explanation, and I do not believe 

 that specimens thus coloured have ever been bred. This faded colour 

 is peculiarly disagreeable to the eye, a dirty yellow-pink, most un- 

 interesting, and always a great disfigurement to a series. 



Apart from the two aberrations mentioned by Staudinger, I found 

 no other notes upon the variation of the species. The Linnean type 

 has, we have seen, but one transverse line on both upper- and under- 

 wing. Meyrick's description, which is full and modern, refers to 

 ab. cloraria, Hb., but I quote it as a basis with which to compare the 

 other forms : — 



Face red-brown, tillet white, crown light green. Antenna of i filiform. 

 Forewings light green, costal edge whitish-ochreous. First line faint, curved. 

 Second nearly straight, whitish. Cilia white, basal half pale greenish. Hindwings. 

 as forewings, but first line absent. Termen very obtusely angulated. 



I suggest the following arrangement of the various forms : — 



1. N. viridata, L. — Only one transverse line on each wing. 



2. ab. cloraria, Hb. — Two transverse lines on upper wing. 



3. ab. insignata, Stand.— Transverse lines obsolete or nearly so. 



4. ab. rufotincta, n. ab. — Forewings with distinct red central flush. 



5. ab. mathewi, Bankes. — Fore- and hindwings dusted with orange scales. 



6. ab. olivaceo-marginata, n. ab. — Fringes of all wings dark olive-green. 



7. ab. concavilinea, n.ab. — Line on hindwing concave outwardly. 



8. ab. caerulescens, n. ab. — Of decidedly blue-green colour. 



Of these forms one or two call for special notice, viz. — 



4. ab. rufotincta, n. ab.— The remarkable specimen which I chose 

 as exemplifying this striking aberration was bred by Mr. G. F. Mathew 

 amongst others from eggs obtained from Bovey Tracy. It passed at 

 Mr. Mathew's sale into the possession of Mr. E. R. Bankes, but was 

 unfortunately lost in transfer. The red fascia was most distinct, and 

 so puzzling that I concluded at first that it was stained. Yet the flush 

 was far too uniform and symmetrical for this explanation, and, upon 

 enquiring from Mr. Mathew, he sent me, amongst others, three 



