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most abundant this \'ear, which differs from my experience 

 in former years, when the var. lutescens was always the most 

 common. Those of my exhibits of the orange or terra cotta 

 tint were by far the rarest. They are probably the offspring 

 of red and yellow parents. We only saw one or two flying in 

 the sunshine, which might have been from their own choice, or 

 it may be that they were simply disturbed by the shifting of 

 the sun's rays or a shadow, as they are exceedingly shy. 

 They always sit on the sunny side of a hedge or lane. In 

 Germany they fly by day, and are frequently to be seen 

 sunning themselves on thistle heads. They are attracted 

 by light, and probably have another flight after midnight, 

 for a signal-man took several for me in his box." 



Mr. Tutt stated that he saw this species in large numbers 

 during August in the Valley of Aosta. There it flew in 

 the intense sunshine apparently naturally, sitting on the 

 thistles and sunning after the habit of the Rhopalocera. 

 Mr. Barrett remarked how advantageous it was to see a 

 species in its natural habitat, where the climatic conditions 

 were most suited to its existence. Calliniorpha dominula, L., 

 was accustomed to fly in the hottest sunshine, while the 

 nearly allied Arctia villica, L., only flew when disturbed. 

 He suggested that the climate of our country was not suited 

 to the really natural habits of C. hera, Devonshire being the 

 extreme limit of its distribution both to the north and west. 

 Mr. Jager said that in Germany it was not found in lanes, 

 but in the open spaces of woods, where flowers abound, and 

 near vineyards. The districts in the two countries where he 

 had seen the species were most dissimilar. On damp days he 

 had been very unsuccessful in obtaining specimens. Mr. 

 Tutt did not think that a species would so markedly change 

 its habits, and considered that further observation was needed. 

 He had seen the species only in watercourses at the bottoms 

 of the valleys, the sides of which were covered with vineyards ; 

 these gullies covered with flowers were certainly not to be 

 compared with our English lanes. In answer to Mr. Barrett 

 he said that he did not notice the species during the daytime 

 engaged in the ordinary business of life, either in copulation 

 or egg-laying, Mr. Barrett remarked that Agrotis vestigmlis, 

 Hufn., A. tritici, L., and Dianthcecia carpophaga, Bork., species 

 whose habit it was to fly at night, moved from place to place 

 in very hot dry weather, and suggested that having become 

 thirsty they were seeking moisture, or that they were dis- 

 turbed by the direct rays of the glaring sun penetrating their 

 retreat. 



