148 THE entomologist's recokd. 



first hand reference to the Hterature, and that the general trend of his 

 remarks on the variation of the species was inaccurate and unreliable, 

 nor are these conclusions really modified by his supplementary after- 

 note (Entom., xxxix., p. 19). 



The point raised in Miss Cochrane's interesting article, discussed by 

 Mr. Prout, put in a nutshell, is this : Is the grey form of A. leporina, 

 as known in Britain, the var. hradyporina, Tr. ? Is the suffused grey 

 form melanocephala, Mansb., practically hradyporina, Tr., and only 

 separable therefrom by the black thorax? Miss Cochrane selects {pacv 

 Mr. Prout) the essentials of Treitschke's description for comparison, 

 and clearly shows (1) that Treitschke's was a member of the grey 

 race (which she calls gruea), (2) that it was not a pure or uniform 

 grey form, but one in which («) the markings vary considerably, {b) 

 powdering is excessive, and (c) developed into a darker transverse 

 band between the serrated line and the outer margin. 



Mr. Prout considers that Miss Cochrane leaves out certain crucial 

 parts of Treitschke's description by which she fails to focus the 

 Treitschkian type. He quotes (apparently as crucial) neglected details. 

 (1) The short Latin dia^gnosis (which Miss Cochrane did not leave out, 

 but quoted in English, and) which appears to me not to bear on 

 the point she raises, which has its origin in the detailed descrip- 

 tion following. (2) The reference to other authors made by 

 Treitschke, which suggests that he was willing to include {teste Prout) 

 in the general variation of hradyporina, specimens varying from 

 "examples with scarcely more dusting than typical leporina" to "dirty- 

 brownish." When one carefully considers the value (!) of these 

 references, as set forth by Mr. Prout, and their want of uniformity, 

 one can only follow Miss Cochrane and neglect them as being valueless 

 for the purpose of fixation of the form described, and one must rely 

 absolutely on the description. One point in Mr. Prout's criticism, in 

 my opinion, settles the matter in favour of Miss Cochrane's contention, 

 viz., that Treitschke's description of hradyporina " suggests an alliance 

 with ab. iiemivirya, Tutt." This clinches the matter. Bradyporina, 

 Tr., is not the iiniform grey form ; it is a banded form. It bears to 

 the uniform grey race ( = var. yrisea, Cochrane) something of the same 

 relationship that ab. semivirga, Tutt, bears to the type. Mr. Prout's 

 remark concerning " the darkest continental specimens with which 

 literature deals, and which are represented in our national collection," 

 etc., is surely quite beside the mark, in the face of Treitschke's descrip- 

 tion. One might, a little time since, have argued similarly on 

 Pharetra rumicis, P. menyanthidis, and even Awphidasys betularia, and 

 would, of course, have been hopelessly at fault. So far as Mr. Mans- 

 bridge's aberration stands, the only fixed character in which we can 

 separate it from Treitschke's description is the " black thorax," and 

 the aberration must stand or fall on this character. Into the question 

 of the alteration of names, as suggested by Mr. Prout, I dare not enter. 



This morning (May 4th, 1906), a note from Mr. Mansbridge, pur- 

 porting to be a criticism of "Mr. A. M. Cochrane's notice in the 

 'Entomological Record'" (a new title for our magazine!!) comes to 

 hand [Entom., xxxix., p. 115). This simply begs the whole question. 

 To say that Miss Cochrane " wishes to set aside the prior claim of 

 Treitschke to the name bradyporina for our grey form of leporina," etc., 

 is — putting it mildly — great nonsense. The writer wishes to set aside 



