BOARMID.'E—PHIGA LI A . 1 37 



Mr. S. J. Capper has another with pale markings. An orange- 

 yellow specimen, dull orange taking the place of the usual 

 grey dusting, from the collection of Mr. W. H. Jones, of 

 Farnborough, Warwickshire, was obligingl}^ brought to 

 London for my information by Mr. E. W. Lifton ; buff speci- 

 mens almost devoid of markings have been taken near 

 Hartlepool. Durham; and some from Forres, Moray, are 

 uniformly semitransparent pale brown, with darker nervures, 

 and an almost total absence of transverse markings. These 

 last lead up to a distinct phase of variation — such as already 

 remarked upon in the preceding species — where all the usual 

 markings have become obliterated and the darker colour is 

 concentrated smoothly on the nervures, rendering them con- 

 spicuous on a paler ground. Colonel Partridge has obtained 

 from Epping Forest specimens of this form, very pale yellow- 

 grey with the nervures brown ; Messrs. Kobson and Gardner 

 have found them at Hartlepool of a darker smoky-grey with 

 blacker nervures ; a more olive coloured variety seems to 

 exist in Derbyshire ; and within the last fifteen years a 

 uniform smoky-black race with deep black nervures has 

 made its appearance in South Yorkshire, and has extended 

 into Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Glamorgan- 

 shire. With it are intermediate specimens of all shades of 

 smoky-grey and semitransparent smoky-black, the nervures 

 black-brown or black ; in some the hind wings are scarcely 

 affected, in others they are equally unicolorous and blackened. 

 In South Yorkshire, where it doubtless originated, this range 

 of forms is alread}^ becoming more frequent, and forming a 

 reliable fraction of the specimens reared. 



On the wing in January, February, and occasionally in 

 March — if the weather is favourable it is often seen on the 

 first of January. In Scotland it appears to emerge earlier 

 still ; and casual records exist here of captures at Ipswich on 

 December 14th, and at Bedford on the following day. It is 

 even asserted that in 1887 a specimen was taken iu 

 November. 



