69 



advanced by Mr. Poulton. Mr. Poulton has shown that larvae 

 placed among white surroundings produced light-coloured cocoons. 

 Mr. Bateson obtained similar results without the white surroundings, 

 but with larvae under unnatural conditions. Mr. Poulton expressly 

 states that " he felt convinced that the whole process was entirely 

 involuntary ; " and if that be so, would not the presence of unnatural 

 i.e., white, surroundings be a sufficiently disturbing element to pro- 

 duce the unnatural, i.e.^ white, cocoons ? 



Is Coremia unidentaria. Haw., specifically distinct from 

 C. ferrugata, Clerck. ? 



By Richard South, F.E.S. Read November loth, 1892. 



Probably the majority of entomologists are of opinion that Coremia 

 unidentaria is not specifically identical with Co7-emia ferrugata. At 

 the same time there are many who hold the opposite view, and 

 regard the former insect simply as a well-defined form of the latter. 



Newman, in his " British Moths," mentions a form of unidentaria 

 with reddish central fascia ; and it has been stated, but I do not 

 know that the fact has hitherto been published, that unidentaria has 

 been bred from ova deposited by an undoubted iQ.m.2XQ ferrugata. 



During the past twenty years 1 have frequently bred both ufiiden- 

 taria and ferrugata, but I have never seen a specimen among the 

 offspring of a {txx\2\Q. ferrugata that could not at once be distinguished 

 from unidentaria, or vice versa. In fact, I have always observed 

 that specimens comprising the various broods of unidejitaria and 

 ferrugata were remarkably constant in retaining the colour and 

 pattern of their respective parents. In evidence of this I exhibit 

 portions of two broods of ferrugata and two of unidentaria, with the 

 female parent at the head of her offspring in each case. The two 

 series oi ferrugata were selected for exhibition because they repre- 

 sent very opposite forms of the species. Not only do the specimens 

 comprised in series A differ from those in series B in colour of the 

 markings, but they also show considerable difference in the shape of 

 the markings : thus we find in A that the internal edge of the central 

 fascia is distinctly angled below the costa, and from that point runs 

 in an inwardly oblique direction to the inner margin ; whilst in B 

 the internal edge of fascia is usually curved, but sometimes nearly 

 straight. Other points of difference are also exhibited, but those 

 referred to appear the most important. 



Possibly the specimens in series B might be confounded with 

 unidentaria, but if carefully compared with that species they will 

 be found to differ therefrom in several important features. As it 



