220 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



of manufacturing towns, exhibit melanic variations, which become 

 perceptibly commoner with the increase of manufacturing industries. 

 How do we account for this ? Lord Walsingham's theory is physically 

 sound and theoretically adequate ; and I claim this to be the explana- 

 tion of that particular phenomenon. How does this affect Mr. Bath's 

 theory? Objections (1) and (2) point to the uncertainty of melanism 

 being procryptically adaptive, but here we have a process going on 

 under our eyes. Therefore I do not think it illogical to presume that 

 the cause which originated melanism is the same as the cause of its 

 rapid increase, when that cause is proportionately augmented. — 

 G. W. Smith; College, Winchester. 



Lycjena arion in GiiOUCESTERsmRE. — Eeaders of the ' Entomo- 

 logist ' will doubtless be pleased to learn that although the area 

 formerly occupied by the " large blue " is sadly diminished, it yet 

 holds its own in one or two localities. My colleague, Mr. J. Mountney, 

 visited the Cotswolds on the 7th and 14th of June, and found it 

 sparingly distributed on the spot discovered by my son three or four 

 years ago. On the earlier date it was just appearing ; on the later one, 

 doubtless owing to some rough weather in the interval, was getting 

 rather worn. A most careful search by him on both dates, and by 

 myself on the later one, led us to believe that it is quite extinct in the 

 old "Painswick" district. On my visit there last year none were 

 found, although three were seen in the wood openings between there 

 and Birdlip. None were noticed by us in the last-named locality this 

 season, but we did not work it fairly. — H. W. Marsden ; 40, Triangle W., 

 Clifton. 



Peronea permutana in Sussex. — I find that I have not hitherto 

 recorded the fact that I bred two specimens of this species from larvfB 

 found on llosa spinosissima near Beachy Head in August, 1888. The 

 specimens are both males, and rather smaller than Wallasey females 

 of the species in my collection ; the hind wings are darker. — Kichard 

 South ; 100, Ritherdon Eoad, Upper Tooting, S.W. 



DiANTiicECiA ? LUTEAGo var. BARRETTi IN CORNWALL. — At the meeting 

 of the South London Entomological and Natural History Society, held 

 on July 8th last, Major Ficklin exhibited three specimens of 1>. lutecH/o 

 var. harretti which he had recently taken on the Cornish coast. These 

 examples differed from the Irish specimens in having the ground colour 

 grey instead of brownish. As there appears to be some doubt as to the 

 identity of the two previous records, these are probably the first authentic 

 English examples of the species. 



WicKEN Fen. — We are very pleased to learn that a considerable 

 portion of this notable locality, which for some time had been in the 

 market, has been purchased by gentlemen who are entomologists. 

 This promises well for at least one species of Lepidoptera enumerated 

 in the list of those that should be protected from the danger of exter- 

 mination. 



Uniformity in Setting Lepidoptera. — I can only endorse the 

 Editor's opinion on the above subject [ante, p. 175), and Mr. Dannatt 

 will see that I have made the same remarks in regard to anybody's 

 private opinion or taste in setting Lepidoptera. That nothing is more 



