188 THE entomologist's record. 



But by far the best character is found in the thoracic punctuation. 

 In L. plantar/o-iiiaritiinim the punctuation is coarse, confluent and 

 close, in L. niffer, shallow, isolated and diffuse. This gives to nir/rr a 

 a much more shining thorax, most easily seen if both species are 

 examined side by side under a low objective. The shallow, isolated 

 nature of the punctuation of the thorax in ni</er is mentioned by 

 Weise and other authors. The L. ni(/er of Redtenbacher is considered 

 by both Foudras and Weise as a synonym of Koch's species. 



Subsequent expeditions to Gravesend resulted in the accumulation 

 of more material to work upon, a nice series of the beetle being taken off 

 the leaves of sea-plantain. The majority of these were quite dark like 

 the first specimen, but some were pitchy-brown and others testaceous- 

 red. The coloration of the legs and the basal joints of the antennte in 

 these latter specimens was in harmony with their general pigmentation, 

 in the pitchy specimens being pitchy (a little lighter than the type- 

 form), and in the light ones, testaceous-red, with the exception of the 

 posterior femora, which in all my specimens are black, or nearly so. 

 For this extreme light form I propose the name of pcrpleu-us, ab. nov. 



Similar to normal specimens of plaiitano-niorilinius in size and sculpture, but 

 with the thorax and elytra (except the sutural margin) testaceous red ; antenna 

 with the first six joints, and the base of the seventh, clear light red-brown ; anterior 

 and intermediate legs entirely testaceous-red, posterior legs with the femora black, 

 tibiae dark brown, and tarsi testaceous. 



The " var a" of L. nuicr, Koch, mentioned by Weise, would seem 

 to show a parallel case of colour variation in that species. 



I may say that all my specimens were taken oft' I'lantaijn itiaritima, 

 to which plant the species is undoubtedly attached. Being a very 

 active Ijinnitarsus, it is not a matter for surprise that perhaps as many 

 examples were missed as secured. 



In conclusion I am glad to have the opportunity to thank Mr. H. 

 St. J. K. Donisthorpe for having very kindly translated for me the 

 German descriptions of Koch and .Weise. 



:^OTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



Types of Lepidoptera. — In a note to the l^ntomoliHiist in May, 

 1911, p. 185, Mr. R. Adkin queries why so little interest was mani- 

 fested by the numerous gentlemen assembled at Steven's Sale Rooms 

 when the main portion of the Xoctnac contained in the " Tutt" collec- 

 tion, and upon which the book British Noctiiae and their ^'arieties was 

 based, were sold. In the June number of the same magazine Mr. G. 

 T. Porritt answers this query with the statement that except some 

 half-a-dozen British lepidopterists, who are interested, no one uses 

 such varietal names, as were attached to the various series, or cares 

 anything about them. May I be allowed to suggest another reason ? 

 One sought in vain among Mr. Tutt's insects for the "type 

 specimen " of a variety. The varietal names given by him were 

 given, not to a single specimen, but to a set or series characteristic of 

 a certain geographical area, and to that set were his labels put ; he 

 did not, as a rule, pick out an individual and bestow a name upon it, 

 and it alone. He saw the general facies in a set of specimens from 

 one or more localities as distinct from a set from other localities where 

 the species occurred, and distinguished each set by a distinctive name. 



