THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
Vou.. XVI1.] AUGUST, Slee: [No. 243. 
VARIATIONS IN THE COLOUR OF LEPIDOPTERA.« 
By J. Jenner Weir, F.L.S., F.Z.S. 
In no order of insects has so much importance been attached 
by entomologists to the mere colouring of the species as in the 
Lepidoptera. The reason of this is not far to seek, for the wings 
of butterflies and moths are, as a rule, larger in proportion to the 
size of the body than is the case in any other order of insects; 
and further, the markings of the great majority are singularly 
invariable specifically, and the same character of markings obtains 
often over the whole of the genus, and even family, to which the 
species belongs. 
Many of the species of butterflies are so constant in their 
markings and coloration that a variety, or even slight aberration, 
is rarely to be found. The common peacock butterfly, Vanessa io, 
is remarkably invariable in colour and markings; thousands 
might be taken before the most trifling deviation from the 
normal type could be found. This is true also of the red 
admiral, Pyrameis atalanta; the painted lady, P. cardui; and 
numerous other species. 
On the other hand, particularly amongst the moths, some 
Species are so truly polymorphic that it would be difficult to 
decide which coloration was the typical or normal one, scarcely 
two specimens being found to be absolutely similar. Two of the 
Cidarie, for instance, viz., Cidaria russata and C. immanata, are 
very variable in their colours; and Peronea cristana has even a 
wider range of variation. 
Within the limits of the word variety, as used amongst 
lepidopterists, several widely different conditions of variations of 
* A paper read before the West Kent Natural History, Microscopiéal, and Photo- 
graphic Society, 22nd November, 1882. Communicated by the author. | 
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