GENUS ENTOMOBRYA, BOND. 277 



Entomobrta mtjltipasciata, var. pulchella, IRidley. 

 The basal two segments of the antennae yellow ringed with 

 brown, the terminal two dirty violet. Head dark anteriorly, but 

 behind the anchor-band there are no markings. Mesothorax 

 with a broad dark band anteriorly, proceeding backwards along 

 the epimera as in the type. No basal band on this segment. 

 Metathorax dark brown, excepting two or three small spots of 

 yellow on each side. First abdominal segment without coloured 

 band. Second abdominal with a strong dark band along the 

 basal margin, and the same colour occupying nearly the whole of 

 the segment. Third as second, but perhaps a little more yellow 

 showing through towards the anterior margin. Fourth abdo- 

 minal segment has the basal two thirds occupied with the dark 

 brown colour, excepting an irregular triangular pale patch just 

 above the basal line, and another at each side ; the basal margin 

 itself is very dark. Fifth and sixth abdominal segments almost 

 entirely dark brown. Legs pale, with dark patches on the femora. 

 Spring pale. 



This variety was found by Mr. H. N. Eidley under the dead 

 bark of an elm at Cumnor, Berkshire, in March 1879, and was 

 described by him as a new species in the ' Entomologist's Monthly 

 Magazine ' for May 1881. Mr. Eidley has kindly forwarded me 

 a specimen of this species, which I have examined carefully and 

 compared with many other specimens. In some respects the 

 specimen I have differs from Mr. Eidley's description, and, again, 

 from a sketch which he also sent me. I cannot say that I have 

 a specimen exactly like the one supplied, but then it would be 

 difficult to find two insects exactly alike. The chief charac- 

 teristics of this variety are the absence of markings on the basal 

 part of the mesothorax, and also on the first abdominal segment, 

 coupled with the greater proportion of colour on other parts of 

 the body. I have specimens without a basal band on the meso- 

 thorax and also without any markings on the first abdominal 

 segment ; in fact, I find that if you compare a series of specimens 

 these two bands are the first to disappear. Again, I have speci- 

 mens in which nearly all the other segments are marked as in 

 pulchella ; so that I think I am justified in regarding this as a 

 dark variety of multifasciata, more particularly as I have ob- 

 served almost every gradation of change irom this to var. lanugi- 

 nosa, in which there are no markings at all. 



