38 



Mr. Briggs also exhibited a variety of Vanessa w, L., which 

 he had found in a case hanging on the wall of a roadside inn, 

 showing only a partial development of the "eye" in the hind- 

 wings. 



Mr. Fremlin exhibited a large number of specimens of 

 Vanessa iirticcE, L,, picked during the last few years from 

 several thousands he had bred. Among them were a series 

 of what he described as premature varieties, i.e., specimens 

 which had not attained to the normal development of colour 

 of the species. In one specimen the second and third black 

 blotches on the costa were united, the spots were nearly 

 obsolete, the usually red and yellow portions being very dark 

 brown, and there was a general suffusion of black scales over 

 all parts of the wings ; on the lower wings there was scarcely 

 a trace of the usual band. In another specimen the ground 

 colour was similar, but on the lower wing the red band was 

 present, and the costal blotches were not united. Several 

 specimens showed gradations in the size of the characteristic 

 spots ; in one example the upper spot was absent, in another 

 both were enlarged to form square blotches, another had an 

 additional spot above the usual pair, one specimen had an 

 additional spot below, while still another possessed an addi- 

 tional spot both above and below. Another series showed 

 more or less expansion and suffusion of the orange coloration, 

 and there was one example with very light fringes. 



Mr. Dennis also exhibited varieties of Vanessa iirticce, L., 

 picked from a large number bred since 1886. Some speci- 

 mens possessed large spots, whilst in others the spots were 

 almost obliterated ; one possessed a perfect band on the 

 upper wing, and several had an imperfect band ; others again 

 showed a large increase in yellow coloration, and one was 

 extremely light on the underside. 



Mr. Filer exhibited a series of Nyssia hispidaria, Fb., taken 

 in Epping Forest this year. 



Mr. Robert Adkin exhibited a long series of Boarniia 

 cinctaria, Schiff., bred from ova received from Co. Cork, 

 Ireland. The specimens showed a great range of variation, 

 some having a pale grey ground colour, with the usual mark- 

 ings delicately pencilled in shades of brown ; others were 

 much irrorated with smoky-grey, giving them an obscured 

 appearance, and of one remarkable variety the following is a 

 description : — Primaries pale grey, small basal patch, and 

 broad hind-marginal band blackish, crescentic spot pale grey, 

 bordered with blackish shading, and an oblong mark paler 

 than the ground colour between it and the marginal border. 



