ABERRATIONAL NAMES. 229 



A Gynandromorphous Specimen of Amorpha populi, L. {ndth plate). 



By W. PARKINSON CUETIS, F.E.S. 

 An interesting gynandromorphous specimen of Amorpha populi has 

 been handed to me by Mr. Leonard Tatchell of Bournemouth, with a 

 request that I would note its principal features. Unfortunately the 

 line was drawn at making a preparation of the abdomen, which would 

 no doubt display many interesting characters. At first glance the most 

 noticeable peculiai'ity of the insect is the dissimilarity in shape and 

 colour of the respective parameres of the fore-wings. Besides, the female 

 side looks smaller than the male side, though measurements prove this 

 to be an optical illusion. The right male paramere is ample, and hence 

 appears larger than the left ; it is of normal coloration (if such there 

 be in the species !) The left female paramere is flushed all over with 

 a rosy pink (being near ab. mirahile, Aust.), and the margins are 

 strongly crenulate. The development of the markings is not 

 materially different on either side of the median line, but the pre- 

 marginal suffusion in the left female hindwing is obsolescent, and the 

 rufous tornal patch is more restricted and of a yellower shade of 

 terra-cotta (unless my eye deceives me, but owing to the pinkness of 

 the surrounding area it is a little difficult to judge accurately the exact 

 line). The most interesting feature is undoubtedly the exactness with 

 which the characters are arranged on either side of the median line. The 

 entire left of the thorax and abdomen being pinkish and the right 

 grey, the pink only trespassing on to the grey side at the 4th, 5th and 

 6th segmental divisions. This peculiarity is equally marked above 

 and below, and so far as one can see from the exterior, the genitalia 

 are in the same interesting condition. The antenna, palpi, and legs 

 retain their diverse sexual characters precisely. The posterior right 

 male leg has the tarsi missing, and apparently this is not the result of 

 an accident after emergence. The length of the male costal margin 

 of the forewing is 28mm. and of the female 30mm. The specimen is 

 one of a partial second-brood bred by Mr. Tatchell from larvte collected 

 at Swanage, and like most second-brood Sphhujithc undersized. 



Aberrational Names. 



By Eev. GEORGE WHEELER, M.A., F.Z.S., F.E.S. 

 The -June number of the Ent. Record contained some observations 

 on aberrational names, introduced incidentally in a paper by Col. 

 Manders, to which, (especially since they seem to echo certain semi- 

 official editorial outcries), a reply seems to be needed. With regard to 

 Collectors (with a big C) there is not the slightest need for them 

 to overload their minds or their cabinets with a number of 

 aberrational names in which they take no interest, and for them it 

 still appears to me, as I said some time back in the pages of the 

 Entomologist, that the best plan is to take the names of extreme 

 aberrational forms only, and to call intermediate specimens " trans, to 

 ab." SO-&-SO. But Col. Manders is not so much a collector (even 

 with a small c), as a Scientist (with a big S), and a Biologist 

 (with a big B), and it is to the scientific student of Variation and to 

 the biologist that these names are of value ; they serve to register 

 minute differences, and " these minute differences will sometimes 

 October 15th, 1912. 



