340 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



under side of British specimens is often too black.* The extreme 

 form of var. turcica, with almost obsolete inner marginal spot 

 and puncta, also appears in aberrations of V. urticce, but only 

 under the influence of high temperature or of strong contrasts 

 of temperature, and not every brood of V. urticce larvae will 

 produce it, the influence of temperature often not being suffi- 

 cient to overcome possible hereditary tendencies in another 

 direction. 



The " tawny " appearance of var. turcica is produced by the 

 darkening of the yellow spots with orange ; in addition, this 

 form has a brownish tinge in the ground colour, which, however, 

 also appears often in the ground colour of specimens of northern 

 V. urticcE. This browning of the ground colour must not be 

 confounded with the yellowish colouring often produced by less 

 favourable temperature conditions abnormally retarding the 

 larval and pupal period, or with the dulling of the ground colour 

 caused b}' extreme conditions ; compare var. polaris, Stdgr., 

 always assuming that under this name specimens from Northern 

 Europe are understood, lohich among themselves may vary con- 

 siderably,f and specimens of var. turcica from Syria may also be 

 compared, as often showing the effects of extreme conditions of 

 another kind. 



In this connection it is also necessary to remember that an 

 upper side facies like that of turcica, with the yellow parts 

 almost obsolete and changed to the ground colour, appears as 

 an atavism, as is shown by the developing wing in every pupa 

 of urticce, in which the yellow spots are at first not differentiated 

 from the ground colour. 



Fiery specimens of urticce, such as ab. ignea, Rynr., are very 

 different from the southern varieties ; but I do not wish to imply 

 that ichnusa and turcica might not also develop red aberrations 

 under suitable conditions. I would note, however, that V. urticcB 

 from Persia seems also to be distinguishable by a warmer 

 coloured yellow- brown under side and a very clear orange-golden 

 upper side with somewhat reduced black and yellow markings 

 (var. persica), so that, generally, these southern forms appear 

 less red — but more brilliant from a greater unbroken expanse of 

 colour — than their northern kindred. The actual colour seems 

 to be least different from V. urticce of Central Europe in var. 

 ichnusa ; but to the eye the difference is greatest just in this 

 variety, which, by the character of its facial detail, again invites 

 two questions which have arisen before : Is ichnusa an insular 

 " relic " ? May it claim specific rank ? 



'■'■■ Also specimens from the western parts of continental Europe seem to 

 exhibit the blacTc mider side facies oftener than specimens from more eastern 

 parts. In Tuscany the brown form is already the most common, if I may 

 trust my experience. 



j To me the var. connexa of Japan has little to do with the var. jpolaris. 



