30 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Mr. Poiritt, by crossing a female fasciata with a male 

 radiata, produced specimens of radiata forms nearly approach- 

 ing fasciata and var. eboraci, thus showing that heredity holds 

 good in this species. Mr. Tugwell suggests that the York city 

 form resulted from just this kind of cross, and, after fully con- 

 sidering the j^ros and cons of the suggestion, I think it the only 

 satisfactory explanation to be arrived at. 



The Eev. C. D. Ash, Skipwith, near Selby, informs me that 

 in 1880 he " took, on the sandhills a little north of Mablethorpe, 

 a male hihricijjeda almost identical in markings with var. eboraci ; 

 the ground colour was very pale, and the black streaks on the 

 costa and inner margin were not so pronounced." At Saxby, 

 Lincolnshire, in 1893, he only found the type. The Eev. G. H. 

 Eaynor, Panton Eectory, Wragby, informs me that he " has 

 never taken any varieties of lubricipeda in Lincolnshire." 



Mr. Allan Nesbitt, of Llandago, Chepstow, says that kthrici- 

 2)eda varies little with him. Mr. D. Chittenden, of Ashford, Kent, 

 says that specimens of lubricipeda which he has bred from Ashford 

 and neigbbourhood are very much Hghter than some selected 

 examples which I sent him. 



With regard to the all-important question which has been and 

 is repeatedly asked me by very many entomologists, viz., "Do you 

 think the introduction of radiata to be genuine ? " in order that no 

 misunderstanding may exist as to what I believe or do not believe, 

 I may say, as the result of all my investigations, I am firmly 

 convinced that it is genuine, and that Mr. Harrison is entitled to 

 our warmest congratulations for his marked and well-merited 

 success. Mr. Harrison has still another and perhaps more 

 interesting surprise in store for us, the result of careful artificial 

 selection on his part ; this I will leave him to announce, and 

 merely add that the species selected belongs to the same 

 interesting genus. In conclusion, I desire to thank most 

 heartily all those gentlemen whose names I have mentioned in 

 this paper, also very many whose names do not appear, for 

 the material aid they have rendered me, both by their kind and 

 ready replies to my enquiries, and for affording me special 

 facilities for tbe inspection of their collections. 



THE SENSE OEGANS OF INSECTS: A SPECULATION. 



By John Watson. 



Me. Arkle, referring to the senses of Lepidoptera (Entom. 

 xxvii. 338), says, "There is no evidence in favour of an additional 

 sense existing ; there is no organ we can point to for its exercise; 

 there is, in short, no need for it." I would say in answer to this. 

 What about the antennee ? That there is some special function 



