NOTES ON NEW AND RAKE BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 155 



to prove their specific identity. He writes, "• I have seen 

 the two varieties in copulation ; these and other varieties 

 swarm on a cherry tree in my yard." Now I have myself 

 taken either ribeana or heparana in copula with Tortrix 

 viridana, but should hardly on that account say that they 

 were identical ; for if this rule were to be observed, — in the 

 case of Cosmia trapetzina, for instance, — ever so many 

 species would have to be included under one. 



Copulation certainly does not prove either identity or non- 

 identity, nor does it prove in one case and disprove in 

 another ; but, taken in connection with corroborative facts, 

 it adds considerable weight to other evidences of specific 

 identity. 



Argynnis dia again and Cnethocampa processionea. 



A Mr. Batchelor states that he has found a magpie's nest 

 stuffed with about half a hundred cocoons of C. processionea, 

 and that he captured Argynnis dia in Kent last July. Last 

 year he figured as the discoverer of the South European 

 species Syritomis phegea ; next year he will probably treat 

 us to Saturnia pyri and Sphinx Carolina. Let us hope 

 that the cocoons of the " Processionary " paid him out. 



Leucania commoides, Guenee. 

 It was Tom Ingoldsby, I think, who made the remark 

 that it was not generally known that the earth was divided 

 by the best geographers into five quarters, the first being 

 Europe, the second Asia, the third Africa, the fourth 

 America, and the fifth Romney Marsh. It was in the latter 

 quarter that he laid the scene of one of his most interest- 

 ing legends, and Mr. Parry has followed his example with 

 another legend laid in the same half-civilized locality. The 

 story runs that he captured four specimens of L. commoides 



