CLASSIFICATION OF COLEOPTERA. 245 



How far these suggestions will stand after further investiga- 

 tions it is too early yet to say, hut to those with the time and 

 opportunity it opens up a new line of enquiry, which may lead 

 to some tangible result. And after all is said and done as to 

 the value of protective coloration in insects during the imago 

 stage, it is really during the larval period that the greatest 

 mortality occurs, and their enemies then are far more numerous. 

 Ichneumons and birds, possibly, do the most damage in this 

 respect. I once opened the stomach of a cuckoo shot amongst 

 bilberry, and it was filled with the caterpillars of sawflies and 

 Geometers, including one larva of the wood tiger — so that the 

 ultimate shade of an imago is possibly of secondary importance. 

 In the glen here referred to, C. nissata, Larentia ccesiata and 

 L. olivata were very numerous, and their greatest enemies in the 

 imago stage were the spiders. One species of formidable size was 

 common, and as their webs were always stretched across fissures 

 and crannies of the rocks, their toll of insect life must have been 

 considerable, but it would hardly be a protection to any moth 

 to be a shade darker or lighter than its fellows once it came in 

 contact with one of these webs, which had usually the owner 

 sitting in the centre waiting for his or her next meal ! Insect- 

 feeding birds were rare — though a few large dragon-flies (C. annu- 

 latus) were hawking up and down the stream, but so far as my 

 observation went they did not molest these moths, even when 

 sent flying amongst them by the dozen. 



In conclusion, I think Mr. Leigh is right when he says : — 

 " There is probably some other factor at work in the production 

 of melanic forms." And again : " It is of course quite probable 

 that the dark colour of many species of moth is protective, while 

 in others it may be of physiological importance, and associated 

 in some way with constitutional hardiness," or, may I suggest ? 

 climatically hardy but reproductively a disadvantage. 



Note. — The inbreeding of Spilosoma lubricipeda led to the 

 production of the black form var. radiata. 



38, Ferguslie, Paisley. 



ON SOME RECENT ATTEMPTS TO CLASSIFY THE 

 COLEOPTEEA IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR 

 PHYLOGENY. 



By C. J. Gahan, M.A. 



(Published by Permission of the Trustees of the British Museum.) 

 (Continued from p. 21'.).) 



In the Synteliidae and Lamellicornia, the wing-venation is 

 considerably modified, and by reduction of the veins it comes 

 sometimes to look like that of the Staphylinoidea ; but there is 



