( xxiv ) 



pubescens, Wasm., a species new to Britain, taken on Lasius 

 flavus at Whitsand Bay on April 18th. 



Colour variation in Coleoptera. — Mr. W. E. Sharp 

 exhibited examples of the following Coleoptera from tlie West 

 of Ireland to illustrate the prevalence of colour variation in 

 that region: — Carabus iiemoralis, Miill., G. granulcdus, L., C. 

 arvensis, F., Notiophilus aqiiatictis, F., N. higuttatus, L., Leistus 

 ferrugineus, L., and Corymhites ctqn'eus, var. am'uginosus, F. 



Mr. H. St. J. DoNiSTHORPE also showed three melanic forms 

 of Carabus nitens, C. arvensis, and Pterosticlius diriiidiatus from 

 the New Forest ; all quite black, and other species from Ireland. 

 Mr. Sharp explaining his exhibit said that in his opinion 

 these dark forms were racial, and represented the survival of 

 an older race, and that the melanism was not due to protective 

 necessities, derived from the environment of the localities in 

 which the several species existed. 



Mr. G. C. Champion mentioned that the black variety of 

 the common Tiger Beetle was found both in Spain and in 

 Scotland, but very rarely. 



Mr. J. W. TuTT also expressed his opinion, citing parallel 

 instances in lepidoptera, that these dark forms probably 

 belonged to an older race of the species. He was inclined, 

 however, to dissent from the conclusion that they had no 

 cryptic significance, for if, as Mr. Sharp averred, the black 

 forms of some of these species were more conspicuous than the 

 paler normal forms, a possible explanation based on protective 

 advantage was at once forthcoming as to the replacing of the 

 assumed older darker race by the assumed newer, normally 

 lighter, more numerous, and, apparently, less easily detected 

 one, and since, as Mr. Shai'p indicated, the percentage of 

 dark forms of one of the species exhibited varied from a bare 

 1 per cent, in the eastern counties of England to from 15 to 20 

 per cent, in the western parts of Ireland, there appeared to be 

 a further suggestiveness that the assumed newer, normal, form 

 had, probably, owing to its more highly developed protective 

 coloration, displaced the older dark race more completely in 

 the east than in the west. The statement that two races of 

 the same species occupied the same ground, in different pro- 

 portions, without advantage to either, could neither be proved 



