822 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



H. lupidinus, Diloba ccerideocepluda, Dicranura vinula, Ai'ctia caia, 

 Spilosoma menthrasti, S. liihricipeda, and many other common 

 moths. Sugar was quite a failure. The best plan for taking 

 Nocture was to catch them with a net and lantern. I was over in 

 England from July 10th till August 12th, but when I returned 

 the country was swarming with Colias edusa. We always noticed 

 that they were to be met with in most plenty at the sea-side. 

 Although the Vanessidse were as numerous as ever, I have not 

 seen Macroglossa stellatarum once this year, though they were 

 plentiful last season. By the above list it will be seen that what 

 there are in Ireland are abundant, but the number of species 

 appears to be very limited. — Harry C. Sandford ; Bellevue Park, 

 Military Road, Cork, September, 1885. 



Melanism in Renfrewshire. — Having received remarkably 

 black forms of Thera variata from my friend Mr. Watson, of 

 Renfrewshire, I determined to visit his locality this year, and 

 started on the 13th September. This journey was not unaccom- 

 panied by adventure, for on account of their being two stations 

 of the same name, but on different lines, out of Glasgow, my wife 

 and I found ourselves late at night in a most lonely locality, and 

 utterly lost. At length, through the kindly hospitality of a Mr. 

 Young, who most good-naturedly helped us out of our difficulty, 

 we reached our destination. I found, with Mr. Watson, some 

 most lovely forms of black T. variata, also T.jirmata and worn 

 Eetinea turionana ; some very black. Among the Lepidoptera 

 Mr. Watson had saved for me were some most extraordinary 

 varieties of Cidaria immanata : part of these were of the Arran, 

 while others were like the Shetland, types. I never saw a more 

 mixed series. Hypsipetes trifasciata {impluviata) are most variable, 

 and in a novel radiating manner : some are so black as to be 

 steel-blue in ground colour, with a chain-like row of white spots 

 on the margin; others have the same ground colour, with a band 

 of bright brown in the anterior wings. The May brood of this 

 species are much larger than those of September in that locality. 

 jSIelanipve montanata occurred, some of which were of the Shet- 

 land form ; while MelantJiia. hicolorata {ruhiginata) are of the 

 Rannoch type. There is an Eiipithecia in the wood, but the 

 specimens are so black that one cannot make out the species. 

 The Oporahia dilutata of the district are also very dark. I observed 

 no undergrowth in the wood, though outside there was heath. 



