340 ^ THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



occurs in this country, only as an aberration of the first brood. 

 I have bred it with typical forms of the first brood, and several 

 times have also taken it upon the wing with the type in the 

 months of July and August; but, according to my experience, it 

 is by no means plentiful, only appearing m the proportion of 

 about one to ten of the type. I have never known it to occur 

 with tlie later emergence, so that Humphreys and Dale (quoted 

 by Newman) are both evidently incorrect, when they assert that 

 it is the form of the second brood ; and so also is Mr. Adkin, 

 in assuming that it is the type of the first emergence in this 

 country. This form can be readily distinguished from the 

 typical one with which it occurs, not only by the distinctive 

 colouring of the under side, but by a mere glance at the upper 

 surface as well, for it is slightly larger in size, much less angular 

 in shape, and a good deal lighter, both in the ground colour and 

 in the markings. 



A very similar form occurs, under somewhat parallel con- 

 ditions, in the case of Pararge egeria upon the Continent, besides 

 many other species too numerous to mention ; but I do not think 

 it is generally known that Vanessa urticce possesses a similar lighter 

 coloured form (as far as the upper surfaces of the wings are con- 

 cerned) in this country with the first brood. If Weismann's 

 theory is correct, namely, that the great majority of the European 

 Khopalocera owe their origin to more northern latitudes, the dark 

 form constituting the type would probably be the original stirps 

 from which the fulvous form, as well as the closely-allied Vanessa 

 egea, originated in more southern climes, and the fulvous form 

 would possibly be the connecting-link between the two species. 

 The sexes, in the case of both broods, may be easily distinguished 

 from each other, concerning which I can endorse the opinion of 

 Mrs. Hutchinson (quoted by Newman). The female is also, 

 on the average, larger than the male, and the shape of its wings 

 is less angular than the latter sex. 



Having fully discussed the dimorphic tendencies of this 

 species, I will now deal with a few other points concerning its 

 economy, about which there still lingers a little doubt. I believe 

 it is now generally understood to be double-brooded in this 

 country every year, although Newman considers, in his well- 

 known work, that this is a "mistake," as he had "been able 

 to obtain no satisfactory evidence of any caterpillar prior to 

 those so abundant in the autumn months about the season of 

 hop-picking." Now it seems rather strange that he should have 

 written thus, considering that he had such abundant opportunities 

 for observing the habits of this butterfly in Herefordshire, where 

 he resided for a number of years ; for I have myself found the 

 larvse as early as the end of June. The larvae of the second brood 

 occur in September, and 1 have reared the imagos from them 

 so late as the last week in October. 



