65 



mentioned species afforded a trustworthy distinction if the 

 specimens were in anything like order. 



Mr. Adkin also exhibited, on behalf of Mr. William 

 Farren, of Cambridge, long series of Bryophila muralis, Forst., 

 B. impar, Warren, and B. perla, Fb. — the first-mentioned 

 from Folkestone, and the last two from Cambridge. Mr. 

 Adkin stated that there had been some considerable dis- 

 cussion as to whether impar was a true species, or only a 

 variety of muralis. He was pleased to have the opportunity 

 of bringing Mr. Farren's exhibit to the notice of the 

 meeting, and he would like to have the opinion of the members 

 present upon this point. For the purpose of comparison with 

 this exhibit, Mr. Wellman had brought his beautiful series of 

 muralis, and Mr. Jager the red forms of the same species, 

 taken by him this year at Dawlish, and which had been already 

 exhibited at one of the Society's neetings. Mr. Farren had 

 asked him to call attention to the neater, harder, and more 

 glossy look of impar , compared with muralis, and to the fact 

 that the latter was generally larger ; also that the reniform 

 stigma, which extended almost across the fore wings, was filled 

 up, and almost obliterated with black in impar, while at the anal 

 angle was a blackish blotch always present in impar, but absent 

 in muralis. The lines in impar instead of ending in spots on 

 the costa, ran together, and formed a blackish edging along 

 the costa ; further, the wings in impar were not so ample as 

 in muralis, and the fore wings were decidedly narrower than 

 in that species. Although both varied considerably in colour, 

 running from grey to a deep bluish green, the whole tone of 

 colour was very different in the two — impar, both on body 

 and wings, being peppered with black, and muralis with 

 pale greyish brown. 



Mr. Weir said the Bryophila was not a group to which he 

 had paid very much attention ; but looking at the habits of the 

 whole genus, and the necessity for their resembling walls and 

 old rocks, and at the light in different neighbourhoods, he 

 could quite understand that local forms and races were almost 



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