306 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Apamea hasilinea. — One example without markings was 

 secured. 



Boarmia repandata. — The local form of this species, var. 

 aodorensium, Weir, is well represented, and the specimens are 

 unusually fine. 



Odontopera bidentata. — The series obtained this year are an 

 interesting lot. In colour they range through all gradations, 

 from very pale ochreous to almost black. The markings in some 

 specimens are exceedingly well defined, and in others obsolete. 



Emmelesia albidata. — The var. hehridium was not seen in its 

 true form, and only one example of the species captured this 

 season approximated thereto. 



Melanippe sociata var. ohscurata. — Specimens of the second 

 generation are tinged with ochreous, whilst those of the first 

 generation are larger, darker in marking, and without any 

 ochreous in the coloration. 



Triphcena comes (orhona) occurs in all forms, including var. 

 curtisii, whereas in Orkney only the latter form and its modifica- 

 tions have been obtained. 



The collection, taken as a whole, is of greater value and 

 interest than that brought back in 1887. We understand that 

 the weather, from the beginning of May until the middle of 

 June, was all that a collector could desire, but from the latter 

 date up to the middle of July it was very unsettled. Sugar was 

 not attractive, the only visitors being a few Xylophasia monoglypha 

 {polyodon) and Triphana p>ronuha. 



VARIATION IN THE GENUS EBEBIA. 

 By Geoffkey Smith. 



Part I. 

 (Continued from ]}. 281.) 



W^E have seen that when a scheme of distribution is normal — 

 i.e. when about the same number of individuals have values 

 above the normal as below — then M, or the medium obtained by 

 the scheme and the arithmetical mean of the values under 

 observation are practically identical (see note, p. 280). So far, 

 then, there is no apparent advantage gained by throwing the 

 numbers in Tables I. and II. into the form of a scheme. 



The advantage lies here: when it is stated that, for instance, 

 ten individuals have 4 spots apiece ; the mere numbers imply 

 absolute identity between those ten individuals with regard to 

 those spots. But this is never quite the case in nature ; it 

 would be giving a totally incorrect idea of the variations in the 

 spots and ocelli of different species of Erehia, if hard and fast 



