14 (June, 



may be some truth in this, but why do they select transparent hiding places, 

 thus defeating the probability of security ? We know that they are moat active in 

 the bright sunshine : are they such lovers of light, that even their generally in- 

 eflBcient shelter from the winter's cold must be exposed to the broad daylight ? or 

 why this marked preference for transparent cover ? — Albeet Mullek, South Nor- 

 wood, S.E. : March 22nd, 1872. 



On the forms of Zygana trifoUi. — Mr. Briggs' paper on the existence in England 

 of two forms (species ?) of this insect (Trans. Ent. Soc, 1871, pp. 417 — 440) has 

 been the subject of discussion at the meeting of the Belgian Entomological Society, 

 lield on the 6th of April last. In the Com'pte-rendn of that meeting (No. 73) Baron 

 De Selys-Lonchamps gives an abstracted analysis of the paper, and concludes with 

 the following remarks :• — 



" In examining 40 individuals of Z. trifoUi in my collection (and in making a 

 " provisional separation of the two forms noticed by Mr. Briggs) , I find that the five 

 " red spots present five principal variations, and that this results from the manner in 

 " which the two median spots are modified, according to whether they are separate, 

 " united into one, confluent with the terminal spot, with the basal spots, or with 

 " both terminal and basal." 



He goes on to say, that the disposition of the varieties and their synonymy, ac- 

 cording to Belgian specimens, somewhat modifies the arrangement as given in Staii- 

 dinger's catalogue, and enumerates the forms as under : — 



a. (Type) trifoUi, Esper (partim), 34, fig. 5 ; Hiibner, 135. 



The median spots united, isolated from the terminal and basal spots. 

 h. Aberi-ation orobi, Hiibner, 133. 



The two median spots separated. 



c. Aberration glycirrhizcB, Hiibner, 138 ; Freyer, 164, fig. 3. 



The two median spots united, and confluent with, the terminal. 



d. Aberration minoides, Selys (1845) ; confluens, Staudinger (1871) ; trifoUi, parthn, 

 Esper, 34, fig. 4 ; acldUem, Hiibner (wee Esper), 165. 



All the spots united into a band. FiUjyendulcB, Hiibner, 166, is a sub-variety, 

 in which the band is less perfect, and forms a passage towards the aberration 

 glycirrliizce. 



e. Aberration hasaUs, Selys (1872) ; trifoUi (partim), Hiibner, 134. 



The median spots united and confluent with the basal. This last is less com- 

 mon than the others ; none of them are constant, but pass from one to the 



other. 

 — Eds. 



Natural History of Agrotis cursoria. — This is one of the many species I owe 

 to the kindness of Mr. C. Gr. Barrett, since he has turned his attention to the insect 

 fauna of the coast of Norfolk. 



On September 4th, 1869, he sent me a dozen moths (mostly females) alive ; and. 

 in the course of a week some of them laid batches of eggs in little clustered groups 

 of about forly or fifty, and also a few single ones scattered amongst the sand in their- 



