THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 237 
actual experience as likely to restore the original colour; 
but [ should try spirits of ammonia.—£’. Newman. | 
Joseph Anderson, jun.—Thera variala.—l\|t is stated in 
Newman’s $ Illustrated History of British Moths,’ that ‘ the 
true Variata has never occurred in England.” Will you kindly 
tell me whether since the work was written it has been 
discovered in this country? Also what are the distin- 
guishing characteristics between Variata and Obeliscata? 
[This is rather a case of nomenclature; and I will 
endeavour to explain, as well as Lam able. Thera variata, 
according to Guenee, includes five named varieties, or forms, 
as they are sometimes called:—A, Obeliscata of Hiibner; 
B, Fulvata of Fabricius; C, Variata of Wood; D, Simularia 
of Boisduval; and E, Vitiosata of Frey. The type, according 
to Guenée, is well figured by Hiibner; and, on the authority 
of my late friend Henry Doubleday, I said that this form had 
never been taken in Britain; at the same time adding that 
“the two were probably distinct species.” Iam still in doubt 
on this subject; and not possessing an authentic specimen 
of Variata, can only copy Guenée’s description, with which 
Mr. Anderson is probably already familiar. I give the 
original :—‘ Le type, bien figurée par Hiibner, est d’un gris 
un peu olivatre, saupoudré, avec espace median noiratre, 
rétréci par en bas, ot il forme de petites taches ovales 
contigués. La subterminale est distincte, fortement dentées. 
Les ailes inférieures sont grises, avec une lunule cellulaire 
distincte et une ligne médiane un peu coudée, noiratre. La 
femelle est plus grande et souvent plus pale.” (Uran. et 
Phalen, ii. 372.) Although I have great pleasure in copying 
this description, I am perfectly satisfied with Mr. Doubleday’s 
decision that our British species is Obeliscata, and that Variata 
yet remains to be discovered in Britain. It will, however, be 
seen that Dr. Staudinger again unites the two, No. 2593 of 
his Catalogue, giving Variata as the name of the species, and 
Obeliscata as that of the variety; and Fulvata of Fabricius, 
Pinetata of Borkhausen, Simulata of Guenée, and, doubtfully, 
also Ulicata of Duponchel, as synonyms. A second variety, 
or aberration, is Strangulata of Hiibner. © 
T’. Matthews.—Hemigynous Specimen oy Lycena Icarus ; 
Heliophobus popularis at Horley; to Keep the Colour of 
Dragonflies.—1 am pleased to inform you that I captured a 
