VARIATION OF CERTAIN AGROTID^. 171 



possible shape for stud}', I ^YOulcl say, set your insects high on 

 the pin, and let the wings be flat. 



In high flat-setting of course a diflerent kind of board or 

 " set " is required, to that in general use in this country. These 

 are made of soft pine or cork, and are of the usual length. Those 

 I have in use were made by Mr. Crockett, of Eiding House Street, 

 Great Portland Street, W.* I find it a great advantage to have the 

 sides slightly inclined thus : , — ___ _., — i After an insect is re- 



moved from the board there 

 tendency for the wings to 



is almost invariably a 

 droop a little. The 



tilt in the setting allows for this, and an almost perfectly flat 

 wing-surface is the result. 



The modus operandi in setting Lepidoptera on flat boards 

 may be identical with that usually practised, but it is a most 

 useful plan to use strips of transparent tracing-cloth. These 

 should be the length of the board, and the width in accordance 

 with the insects set thereon, care being taken that the inner 

 edge should not come too close to the base of the wing, but the 

 outer edge should lap well over the apices. Bead-headed pins 

 are the best for fastening down the strips. 



It is not essential to use the foreign pins, as sizes such as 

 Nos. 2, 3, 11 and 12, of Kirby, Beard & Co., would do very well for 

 Macros, and the Micros could be set on ordinary pins and then 

 staged on cork or pith, thus obviating the necessity of having 

 turf-lined cabinet drawers. These last would be indispensable if 

 Carlsbad and Vienna pins were used. 



93, Robert Street, London, N.W. 



VARIATION OF CERTAIN AGROTID^E. 

 By J. W. TuTT, F.E.S. 



The groui) of Lepidoptera containing Agrotis triticl, A. 

 carsoria, A. aqu'dina, and A. ohelisca presents, and always has 

 presented, such a vast range of variation and consequent difliculty 

 of determination, even to our best lepidopterists, that it seems 

 only natural they would from time to time, have something to say 

 concerning such a difiicult subject. It seems to me, however, 



[* May also be obtained tluou{,'li Mr. Janson, Little Eus-sell ytrect, 131oom:ibury, 

 W.C— Ed.] 



