NOTES ON NEW AND RARE BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA, 99 



generally distributed over the whole country, from Fresh- 

 water to Camachgoiiran, where three examples have been 

 secured ; but this is by no means the most curious point in 

 the history of Sterrhcij the astounding part of the business 

 is, that, while all the captured specimens are all more or less 

 typical of the species as occurring on the Continent, no one 

 has yet been able to rear the ordinary form, all the bred spe- 

 cimens presenting striking peculiarities. It will be within 

 the recollection of our readers that Mr. Hellins was successful 

 in breeding half-a-dozen bewitchingly beautiful imagos, no 

 two of which were alike, and no one of which bore a i-esem- 

 blance to the parent; More recently, indeed quite lately, 

 Mr. Bond has exhibited at the Entomological Society a 

 series — consisting of three females and five males, bred from 

 eggs laid by two moths of the ordinary type, in allof which 

 the ground colour is pale brown, very like that of Lozo- 

 (jr'amma pelraina, but varying slightly in intensity ; their 

 oblique stripes are black, and in one or two only is there a 

 faint indication of rosincss about the cilia. What can be the 

 cause of this phenomenon ? is it food ? or climate ? or 



what? It surely cannot be difference of brood, for 



Stej^rha occurs at large in both spring and autumn. Then, 

 again, Camptogramma Jiuviata and Acidalia rubincataj 

 but a few years since great rarities, have now become, like 

 Sterrha, of tolerably frequent occurrence, and the way in 

 which they have gradually become acclimatized would 

 doubtless, if properly investigated, prove highly instructive. 

 It is in such cases as these that the chronicles of captures 

 of scarce and local species are really serviceable, but to be 

 of use they should also be complete, and this can only be 

 eifected by the cordial and general co-operation of British 

 Lepidopterists as a body. 



Since the publication of our last Annual, another example^ 

 h2 



