152 



the difference is by no means striking, and probably is the 

 result of accident in the particular specimens selected, rather 

 than a general character of the district. This species also 

 is of very general distribution throughout Britain, but its 

 Continental range appears to be confined chiefly to the 

 southern and central districts. 



TripJicBna inierjecta, Hb., is another comparatively constant 

 species, showing but little variation beyond a slight difference 

 in the tone of colour of some specimens. It appears to have 

 a somewhat restricted range in our islands, being confined 

 to the southern portions, and on the Continent has a much 

 less general distribution than the other members of the 

 genus. 



TriphcBna orbona, Hufn. {=^ subsequa, Hb.), owing to its 

 comparative rarity, offers a less favourable opportunity of 

 judging of its liability to variation than is afforded by its 

 commoner brethren, but it has been taken in sufficient 

 numbers in Scotland during the last year or two to enable us 

 to form some idea on the subject; and here again we find it 

 to be a matter of tone of colour, but in a somewhat more 

 marked degree than in the two last mentioned species, some 

 few of those recently taken at Forres showing a decided 

 tendency towards melanism, but excepting in this one point, 

 there appears to be no great difference between these and 

 the more southern examples. It has been taken in most of 

 our southern counties, at one time somewhat commonly in 

 the New Forest, and as far north as Shetland, it is also 

 reported from Ireland. On the Continent it has a wide range, 

 extending northward into Scandinavia. 



TriphcBiia conies, Hb., is the last species that we have to 

 deal with, and it is, I think, by far the most interesting. 

 Not only is it liable to great variation in both colour and 

 markings, but gives some extreme local forms, and in this 

 respect differs from the other five members of the genus. 

 The series now exhibited is perhaps a sufficiently repre- 

 sentative one to give an idea of the various forms that it 

 takes, and before examining them in detail it may be well to 

 glance at its geographical distribution. This, as compared 

 with most of the other members of the group appears to be 

 more southerly, thus we find that it occurs in the Canaries, 

 North- West Africa, Southern and Central Europe. In Great 

 Britain it is an abundant species throughout the country, as 

 far north as the Orkney Isles, but does not appear to have 

 been recorded from the Shetlands. 



In dealing with the various forms that occur it may be well 



