^6 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



wet Tuesday, when common things were plentiful, the season terminated 

 abruptly. — J. Clarkk ; Reading, December, 1890. 



Lepidoptera at light at Hastings. — From the end of A.ugu8t to 

 the end of October I paid a good deal of attention to the lamps, 

 particularly those on the outskirts of the town, with the result that I took 

 about fifty species of Heterocera, and as I am about the only lepidopterist 

 in Hastings, it may be worth while recording a few of the species taken. 

 This season has been a particularly bad one for Lepidoptera here ; many 

 species which usually occur commonly at light, such as Xanthia flavago, 

 Cidarla miata, &c., I have not seen at all this season, while many others 

 which are generally common only occurred occasionally. The commonest 

 species this season were Luperina testacea, Neuroma popularis Dlloba 

 cceruleocephala, Melauippe flactuata, and Pionea forJicaUs. Among those 

 which I found somewhat commonly I may mention Bryophila perla, 

 Hydrcecia micacea, Ennomos alniaria, Acidalia marginejyunctata, Eujnthecia 

 oblongata, Anaitisplwjiata, Cramhus geniculellus, Platyptilia gonodactyla, &c., 

 while among those which only occurred occasionally or singly were 

 Lithosia lurldeola, Hydrcecia nictitans, Gortyna ocliracea, Orthosia lota, 

 Anchocelis lunosa, Drepana binaria, Ennomos erosaria, Ephyra porata, 

 Coremia ferrugata, Phlbalapterijx vittata, Thera variata, Cidaria immanata, 

 C testata, Euholia cervinata, Chesias spartiata, Cataclysta lemnata (female), 

 Scoparia angustea, Homceosoma bincevella, Conchylis straminiana, Xantho- 

 selia zcegana, &c. The weather has not been at all favourable for working 

 the lamps, as the evenings have very frequently been cold or windy, so that 

 I have had very few really good nights, otherwise the above list would 

 doubtless have been considerably increased. — A. Ford ; Alexandra Villa, 

 Braybrooke Road, Hastings. 



Abnormal Pupation of Acherontia atropos. — Last autumn I 

 received two larvae of the above species from Evenlode (Worcestershire), 

 one of which was evidently about to pupate. The morning after arrival 

 I found that the change had taken place, but the pupae presented a curious 

 spectacle. The larval skin seemed to have been shed successfully, but the 

 wing-cases, instead of being drawn down in the usual way, were fully dis- 

 tended in a globular form and charged with the fluid which the upper part 

 of the abdomen should have retained. It seemed probable that the surface 

 of the pupa would harden in this form, but such was not the case, for but 

 a short period had elapsed before a second inspection, when I found that 

 the wing-cases had burst, discharging their contents. However, they were 

 soon again fully charged and subsequently discharged. This process 

 continued until all the liquid part of the pupa was ejected, leaving little 

 but a shrunken skin. It should be mentioned that the larva had sustained 

 no apparent external injury. Having bred a considerable number of 

 imagines from the larval state without a similar occurrence, I thought this 

 worth recording. — Alfred T. Mitchell ; 5, Clayton Terrace, Gnnners- 

 bury, W., December 28, 1890. 



Pale Variation of Lepidoptera. — Having seen many remarks 

 lately about the dark varieties of Lepidoptera in the London district, I 

 would draw attention to the occurrence of pale varieties also, which, although 

 met with as frequently as the dark ones, do not seem to attract the amount of 

 attention they deserve. The problem to be solved with regard to the cause of 

 pale and dark varieties appears to be equally difiScult in both cases. If we 



