60 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



or by getting the insect in profile. The latter is protected by its assimila- 

 tion to the dark brownish green, sometimes almost black, colour of the 

 weather-stained trunks. Why then, one asks, do we not find the black 

 form dominant? It occurs to me that the probable explanation is, that at 

 some former period oak prevailed and beech was the exception, the opposite 

 to that which now obtains. The grey coloured, generally accepted type, 

 would, under such conditions, be as much protected by conformation of 

 colour to its environment as the black variety is now. I have concluded 

 that the species in this particular place is in a transition state, i.e., from a 

 less to a more protected form of coloration. That oak may have flourished, 

 where the beech now occupies the ground, is evidenced by the remains of a 

 great tree, whose prime must have passed some two or three centuries 

 since, and that occasional oaks (planted ?) still over-top the lofty beeches 

 which surround them. The grey fagi of earlier times would have found a 

 secure retreat in the crevices of the grey oak bark, which the smooth and 

 often dark-coloured rind of the beech certainly does not now afford them. 

 S.fagi, in its beech wood home, has few natural enemies ; birds and other 

 animals likely to prey on it are scarce, and the larva is peculiarly free from 

 the attacks of ichneumons ; hence hlack fagi are not likely to supplant the 

 grey just yet. The regular pursuit of it by energetic collectors would 

 accelerate such an event ; the grey would go out, and the black, as the 

 fittest, would have the sole chance of perpetuating the race. As bearing 

 on the above, I should like to know if the black form is taken in oak woods, 

 and, if so, in what proportion to the type. — J. Clarke ; Reading, January 

 8, 1893. 



CucuLLiA vERBASGi BRED IN JANUARY. — I found, to my astonishment, 

 on the 12th of January, that a fine imago of Cucullia verbasci had hatched 

 in the pupa-box. The larva I found on June 24th, and it went down in a 

 few days. Surely this was extremely early, particularly as the box stood 

 in a cold north room without a fire, and the weather was very severe. — 

 John N. Still; Seaton, Devon. 



CoLiAS EDUSA BRED IN JANUARY. — I have just bred four specimens of 

 Colias edusa. The eggs were laid at the end of August, so the insects 

 have been nearly five months in coming to maturity, which is surely far 

 more than the normal time. It was not discovered that there were any 

 larvge until about the 20th of October, nearly two months after the eggs 

 were laid, and they were then only one-third of an inch long. As soon as 

 noticed they were placed in a warm greenhouse, where they pupated about 

 Dec. 20th, and since then have been kept warmer than they would have 

 been in summer out of doors. When young they lay extended on the top 

 of the clover-leaf, and resembled it so much in colour that they were diffi- 

 cult to find. When full-fed the lateral stripe was a brilliant orange, being 

 composed of a mixture of red and yellow speckled mottlings. I only had 

 six larvge altogether. — W. M. Christy ; Watergate, Emsworth, Hants, 

 Jan. 19, 1893. 



The earlier stages of Colias hyale. — Upon reading Mr. Williams's 

 notes on the rearing of C. hyale, I was somewhat surprised to find that his 

 descriptions of the earlier stages were to some extent erroneous, and, being 

 so, at variance with the descriptions I published (Entora. xxv. p. 271). It 

 is obvious, from the description given by Mr. Williams of the egg of C. 

 hyale, that he did not examine it microscopically, and did not examine more 



