216 THE entomologist's record. 



the same occurrence. .-7','. culici/onnis and .K. ci/nipiforinis were both 

 fairly abundant, the latter commencing to emerge in a wild state on 

 May 18th, although at the same time there were pupre and small 

 larvcT. These species continued to emerge at intervals, the last 

 appearing on July 30th. The emergence was thus spread over a 

 period of nearly 11 weeks. Whereas .TL ctilicifonnia appears to make 

 an almost simultaneous appearance in the wild state, and is most 

 regular in emerging (I have always fo'xnd the empty cases within a 

 day or two of May 17th), in captivity the emergence is rather more 

 protracted, generally spreading over a period of about a fortnight. 



The Anthrocerids, which I always work thoroughly, have been very 

 scarce in each of the several localities visited. Antlnoccra trifnlii was 

 perhaps the most abundant, A. hipporrefiiilis entirely failed to put in 

 an appearance, and A. fdipendidae has been most remarkably scarce on 

 the North Downs, for I have not noticed more than half-a-doxen 

 imagines. The pupte of this last were slightly more abundant, but 

 were attacked again this year in a manner that I have not observed 

 since 1909. I refer to the cocoons having the lower end roughly torn 

 off and the pupa extracted, and although having given considerable 

 time to trying to find the cause of this, I am as far from finding the 

 solution as when I started. From all appearances it cannot be mice, 

 as the cocoons are generally high up on a dried grass culm, and the 

 strength of this is such that it will not stand the strain of even such a 

 small weight as a mouse without a fracture. From experiment I 

 found that a weight of considerably under one ounce will cause the 

 stem to bend in such a manner that it will not subsequently recover 

 its vertical position. For the same reason one must exonerate birds ; 

 even supposing the culm would stand the weight without breaking, 

 one would expect to see the stem bend to the ground, and find the top 

 of the cocoon destroyed, as being nearest to the ground, whereas it is 

 extremely difficult to find a culm with a destroyed cocoon other than 

 in a vertical position, and even when one is found, it can usually be 

 traced to human agency. I should be very glad to hear if any 

 entomologist can give a solution to a problem that has often exercised 

 my mind. 



To sum up, it appears to me that a very hot summer does not tend 

 to produce the same amount of variation in the following summer as 

 a wet season does. To take the last four years ; the 1908 average 

 summer produced, in 1909, an average amount of variation, not very 

 obvious, but average working at a species would produce fair results. 

 The 1909-10 wet and cold summer produced considerable variation in 

 1910 and 1911 ; this was especially noticeable in the latter. 1911 had 

 a record summer as regards drought and heat, with 1912 variation 

 practically nil. I may be premature in making this statement, but it 

 has always been a theory which seemed probable, that variation 

 fluctuates according to the climatic conditions to which the insects 

 are exposed during the early part of their existence. 



In conclusion I can only say that 1912 has been most disappointing 

 so far as variation is concerned, although I have given considerable 

 attention to my favourite species. I will give the season justice, 

 however, by saying that perhaps I have not given entomology the full 

 benefit of spare time at my disposal, as the scheme for preserving 

 Colley Hill as an open space took up some of it. It has been prin- 



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