106 THE entomologist's recoed. 



sallow, Sec. 0. (]iii')rih, from oak. Krin-hi)nts hiiiiaciilatim, moderately 

 common under refuse on the Solway. (Ti/nnu'tron hi'rrahimiiof and 

 lahili^, sparinp^ly swept. Anthnnmnii^ riibi, from bramble, ('ioniis 

 pidrhelliis, from fi.ijwort. < 'fiiitJwrri/nchiiH erj/simi, from sallow, &c. 

 ('. litiira, from thistle. ( '('uthorrln/nrln/liiis troi/lodi/ti'.s, by sweeping. 

 Hijhirf/iis pinijirnla, from burrows in Scotch fir. Tr)/j>odnndrnn rlomrs- 

 tinini, one on the wing near Keswick. ]jrar}u/tarsii<; rariiis, few swept 

 and beaten. — F. H. Day and James Mukrav, Carlisle. 



"^AR I AT 10 N. 



Aberration of Vanessa io. — A remarkable aberration of this most 

 constant species was taken by my wife on August 10th, 1898, whilst 

 staying in South Devon. The lower half of the fore- wings, usually of 

 the deep red-brown colour, which Newman describes as resembling 

 "dragon's blood," is in this specimen, of a dark semi-transparent 

 purplish tint, evidently owing to some abnormal condition of the scales 

 upon that portion of the wings. It is in perfect condition, and the 

 semi-transparent patches (which appear to be somewhat thinly scaled) 

 constitute the only peculiarity. There is a similar aberration more 

 commonly occurring in Af/lais iirticai', of which I have a specimen in my 

 own collection. — P. W. Abbott, Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire. 



Variation of Hydrilla palustris. — Among the eight specimens 

 of H. ])alii.'itn'>i which fell to my lot in June last at Wicken Fen, is one 

 somewhat similar to that described by Mr. J. C. Moberly, in the 

 January number of the EntovinlofiisVs liecord — " No. 4 specimen," 

 taken by Mr. S. Bailey, June, 1898. The fore- wings are very dark 

 blackish-brown, the elbowed line and reniform only just discernible, 

 hind wings smoke colour. x\nother specimen is of a rich fawn colour, 

 all markings very distinct, basal line very sharply angulated, discoidal 

 elongated, forming a short straight line, reniform very large and of 

 the normal shape. I cannot remember having seen any sign of 

 Newman's " violet tint " on any of my specimens. — Ibid. 



Aberration of Venilia maculata. — Last May I netted in Wyre 

 Forest a peculiar specimen of this species, the whole of the ground 

 colour l)eing smoky-orange, whilst the spots on the costa are coalesced. 

 — Ibid. 



NoxAGRiA arundinis ab. fraterna. — I bred a female specimen of this 

 species (pupa from the Norfolk Broads) last August, anterior wings 

 very dark blackish-brown with a few pale dots on the hind margin, 

 hind-wings with black nervures, apparently ah. fraterna. I also bred a 

 female with dark reddish-brown anterior wings from the same locality 

 in 1895.— Ibid. 



r^RACTICAL HINTS. 



Field Work for Spring Months: April -May. 



By J. W. TUTT, F.E.S. 



1. — By collecting teazle heads in April and May and putting them 

 in a bandbox Eiipon-ilia msuana will probably be bred in plenty. 



2. — In April the imagines of Alrucis jji'rtaria may be found at night 

 sitting on twigs or flowers of sloe-bushes. It appears to prefer, in the 

 larval stage, the stunted bushes growing in its special localities. 



