94 



twenty years are still much brighter in colour, more densely scaled, 

 and have much longer hairs on the bodies, particularly of the 

 females ; so much more so than any Scotch female can show, that 

 I cannot but feel that the Scotch insect is well deserving of its 

 varietal name. This should be readily disproved if the Swiss insect 

 can be produced of the form shown by the Braemar. Mr. Tutt can 

 possibly do so, but if I were to prophesy I should say he will not be 

 able to. 



The Scotch insect, to my way of thinking, is a weakly race, as 

 evidenced by the tendency to albinism, and this is proved by the 

 failure of pigment colour, the reds failing, and pale white grey tones 

 taking their place. This is strikingly so with the females of the 

 Braemar insect. 



Zygsena exulans, Hoch., and its varieties. 

 By J. W. Tutt, F.E.S. Read October iiih, 1894. 



Probably no species in this genus is more interesting to British 

 collectors than Zygcena exulans. Discovered as a British insect, 

 near Braemar, many years ago, by Dr. F. Buchanan White, the 

 locality was afterwards visited by Messrs. Tugwell and Lachlan 

 Gibb, and some of the captures of these gentlemen gradually found 

 their way into our cabinets. 



The first British specimens of Zygcena exulans which came into 

 my possession were received from Mr. Tugwell in 1886. The insect 

 at that time was a great desideratum, and I was very thankful for 

 specimens not in the very best condition. They were somewhat 

 rubbed, and agreed excellently with Dr. White's definition of what a 

 Scotch Z. exulans (a somewhat diaphanous form) should be, and 

 evidently belonged to the variety specially created for these rather 

 rubbed specimens, viz., var. subochracea. Since then, however, 

 Messrs. Reid, Home, and others have put up on the ground for a 

 considerable time, and for some three or four years in succession, 

 so that gradually a great change has come over our notions of how 

 really fine Scotch Z. exulans ought to look. 



Soon after I obtained my first British specimens of Z, exulans I 

 received some examples captured in the Swiss Alps, from Dr. 

 Staudinger and Professor Blachier of Geneva. These were com- 

 paratively finely scaled insects, and, as far as I could judge, were 

 largely females, although without the pale nervures that the females 

 of the Scotch specimens (even in much poorer condition) exhibited. 

 With these Swiss specimens, which I assumed to be the type, I was 

 quite satisfied that the Scotch form was a very good local race. But 

 my assumption as to the Swiss specimens being the type led me to 



