TRlp-ID^. 345 



be found, in its browner forms, on almost all heaths but only 

 in moderate numbers ; until within a few years it even 

 frequented the London district, but now is hardly ever seen 

 there; in the English Midland Counties I find hardly a 

 record, but in the Breck-sand district of Norfolk and Suffolk 

 it is most abundant, and in richly coloured varieties. In 

 Scotland it continues plentifully up the East coast, m 

 suitable places, to the Moray district and to the Shetlands ; 

 it has also recently been found in the Orkneys and Hebrides, 

 but otherwise the West of Scotland does not appear to 

 be greatly favoured with its presence, the records only 

 attaining to Ayrshire. In Ireland everywhere abundant 

 on sandy coasts, to Antrim, Derry, and Donegal, but 

 apparently hardly observed inland. Abroad it is found 

 throughout Central Europe, Northern Europe except the 

 coldest portions; in Southern Russia, Siberia, and North 

 America. 



Perhaps it may be well here to call attention to a view 

 strongly urged in some quarters, that this species with 

 A. nigricans, A. aquilina, and A. obdisca are all but forms of 

 one extraordinarily variable species. In a paper translated 

 from the German of Dr. Adolph Rossler for the Entomologists' 

 Monthhj Magazine, May 1883, by Mr. W. Warren, Dr. 

 Rossler says : '■'■ A. tritici, L., is certainly the most variable 

 of all our Nodum in size, markings and colour — nay. even the 

 antennse seem not to be quite the same in all examples. We 

 had an opportunity of assuring ourselves on this point very 

 completely. The devastation caused in vineyards on the 

 frontiers of Moravia, recorded by Treitschke in vol. 10, part 2, 

 page 19 of Ochsenheimer's work, has been repeated in our 

 neighbourhood at Ockelheim near Bingen, in the years 1871 

 and 1872, to such an extent that many individuals had their 

 vineyards destroyed. Hundreds of larva3 were collected here 

 in both years." Here follows a description of the larva, 

 which it is unnecessary to reproduce. "The larvse lived 



