PERCNEA CRISTANA. IS 



I have already called attention to the fact that certain forms, 

 which were apparently not uncommon a generation or two ago, 

 are not now known to occur, so far as my information goes. 

 Amongst these perhaps the most noticeable truant is ab. albo- 

 fiammana. Judging from the fact that specimens are pretty 

 plentiful in old collections, it seems to have been not uncommon 

 in the past. The last record I have been able to trace is one by 

 Mr. Webb, who states in 'Ent.,' xxiv, p. 271, that he took this 

 a'i)erration in the New Forest in 1891. Other missing forms are 

 abs. suhalbojiammana, transversana, capucina, curtisana, and 

 comhustana ; probably most, if not all, of these were always rare. 

 If any one can throw light on the recent occurrences of any 

 of these forms, it is to be hoped he will publish his knowledge. 



It is very noticeable that the variation of P. cristana runs on 

 certain well-marked lines, that is to say, there are exceedingly 

 few specimens that will not tit some one of the named forms. 

 I suppose during the last three years I must have examined 

 approximately 1000 examples ; yet out of this large number 

 there are only about half a dozen that I cannot fit into one or 

 other of the named forms. 



There is some confusion as to the identity of forms that bear 

 certain names, and in consequence of this it is incumbent upon 

 me to deal with this question, so far as it afi'ects those forms that 

 appear hi this paper, in order it may be quite clear what are the 

 forms referred to. 



The first instance I will mention refers to abs. nigrocostana 

 and alhonicirana. These forms were described by Clark in ' Ent. 

 Record,' xiii. p. 327, and figured on plate 8 of the same volume. 

 Mr, Webb, in his paper, ' Notes on the Varieties of Peronea 

 ciif^tana lately in the Collection of the late J. A. Clark," 'Ent.,' 

 xliii, p. 268, writes : "By some extraordinary blunder, Clark's 

 plate showing these aberrations has the names and figures 

 reversed." 



I have examined a number of copies of the volume which 

 contains the plate and description, but have been unable to find 

 one in which the mistake occurs, and can therefore only come to 

 the conclusion that either Mr. Webb's copy is an incorrect one, 

 or that he is mistaken. It will be interesting to know if any of 

 my readers has a copy of the volume in question in which the 

 figures are transposed. 



The other instance which I must call attention to represents 

 ab. fiicmpinana. Mr. Webb, with respect to this form, writes in 

 ' Ent.,' xliii, p. 199 : 



" Gumjnana, Clark. — Specimens have hitherto been incor- 

 porated with our series of subcapaciua, more uniformly s})rinkled 

 with grey and white, of a smoother aspect, and wanting the two 

 white square blotches towards the hind niargin, whilst the central 

 tuft was either very small or wanting. These were pointed out 



