( civ ) 



reached La Plage and Hermitage, but that it had not yet 

 succeeded in advancing to Les Maures. At Les Maures the 

 forces producing [i. e. selecting) melanism came into action, 

 and now there is sufficient interchange of individuals between 

 La Plage and Les Maures to prevent the dark from exceed- 

 ing 50 per cent, at the latter locality and to supply the dark 

 strain in sufficient numbers to La Plage to keep a small 

 proportion of melanic specimens at that station. 



" At any rate it is certain that we have at present at 

 Hyeres two colonies of H. hyerana, in one of which the 

 melanic specimens are three times as numerous as in the 

 other. These two colonies are separated by only a mile and 

 a half of impassable country, which may however present 

 some stepping-stones, in a direct line, and may be in closer 

 connection by some more lengthy route. 



" It is obvious, therefore, that the melanic tendency is much 

 stronger in the one area than in the other, and it is difficult 

 to believe, that, though sufficiently segregated to show this 

 difference, they are not nevertheless capable of crossing with 

 each other to an extent that makes the difference observed 

 much less than it would be if segregation were complete. 

 Possibly even to the extent of making the Les Maures race 

 entirely dark and the La Plage colony entirely of the type 

 form. 



" I use the word melanism as indicating the presence of dark 

 as contracted with lighter normal forms. Literally, however, 

 these dark forms (viarginata) are not black, but deep purple, 

 almost leaden, when intense enough ; it is, perhaps, desirable 

 to note this, since the typical form presents specimens with 

 an excess of black (not purple) pigment. The most marked 

 of these are, however, far from being black, and even so are 

 rare. They are, no doubt, indications of a melanic tendency 

 acting on a different pigmentary variability to that which 

 yields the purple specimens, and would literally be more 

 entitled to be called melanic than the leaden-coloured ones. 

 (See Ent. Trans. 1906, p. 155. E. M. M. 1906-1907)." 



Dr. F. a. Dixey exhibited specimens of Teracolus oinphale, 

 Godt., bred and captured at Salisbury, Mashonaland, by Mr. 

 G. A. K. Marshall, F.Z.S, The exhibit was intended to show 



