NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 79 



Aberrations of Lepidoptera captured in 1896. — The first part of 

 the summer 1896, from the middle of May up to July 25th, was quite 

 exceptional with us, on account of the great heat and the large number 

 of Lepidoptera it brought with it. Among the Lepidoptera captured 

 the following three aberrations are most interesting. 



The first variety is that of Catocala nupta. The second half 

 of July was very remarkable for the extraordinary numbers of 

 specimens of the genus Catocala. For many consecutive evenings 

 the sugar-patches were literally covered with them : C. fraxini 

 and C. nupta, as usual, were predominant ; C. adultera and 

 C. pacta were in fair numbers ; C. sponsa, rarer, but also plentiful ; 

 and only C. promissa and C. paranympha were very rare. After 

 the first evenings, in fact, these great moths became a nuisance, 

 as they most unceremoniously pushed the other moths oft" the 

 trees. Owing to their numbers a great many living specimens of 

 Catocala could be inspected and compared with each other. On the 

 whole, no marked difference existed between the examples of each 

 species, only the primaries having a more or less distinct pattern, 

 being more or less brilliantly coloured ; the secondaries are always the 

 same in form, except in the case of C. nupta, which has sometimes a 

 broader or narrower black band. One of the specimens, however, 

 showed exceptional aberration. Upper surface : fore wings show the 

 usual margin, but all the other spots and lines, characteristic of 

 C. nupta, are wanting ; the wings are of a uniform greyish-brown 

 tinge ; the central dark spot is seen, and beneath it there is a large 

 white one, corresponding in position with the white spot on the 

 primaries of C. fraxini. The secondaries are of a peculiar red, con- 

 siderably paler than usual, and having some pink colour in its compo- 

 sition ; the black median band is wanting, and its position is only 

 indicated by a series of grey marks and three short lines. The black 

 border is rather narrower than in typical specimens. Taken at sugar, 

 July 25th. 



The second variety is a male Argijnnis selene. This example was 

 captured on the 26th of July, evidently an individual of the second 

 brood ; the first brood was on the wing this year from May 19tli to 

 the middle of June. The upper surface of the wings of this aberration 

 is peculiar, as with the exception of a submarginal series of minute 

 dots and the fine marginal lunules the black markings are confined to 

 the basal half of each wing ; the number of the marks themselves is 

 eight on the fore wing and two on the hind wing. Of the eight spots 

 on the fore wing not one occupies its normal place ; all are either 

 longer or larger than in typical specimens. The hind wings have 

 only two marks : one is the usual round basal spot, characteristic 

 of A. selene; the other, just beyond it, is in shape like the 

 Greek letter Y,. The under surface of the wings is much paler 

 than in the type ; the black spots of the submarginal area are 

 hardly seen, and the central band of the hind wing, consisting 

 usually of alternately yellow and white spots, is wholly white with 

 a silvery sheen. These differences, I believe, are due to the length 

 of time that each specimen has lived ; the less distinct marks and more 

 uniform colour denote the older moths. The disastrous influence of 

 daylight on the colours of moths is well known. I have seen a 



