Catalogue op mcths. 213 



early seasons sometimes at the end of April. Both, occasionally, 

 in the south at any rate, produce second broods, which do not 

 differ so much as the earlier ones. They do not appear to cross 

 in nature, indeed they scarcely could do so, as they emerge at 

 different periods, but they have been crossed in confinement 

 and the hybrids have proved fertile. I cannot pretend to give 

 even a resume of the controversy here ; vrhich, however, is the 

 less necessary, as only the late or grey form occurs with us. It 

 is recorded for ITorth ^Northumberland as follows. — ''This is 

 another species which does not seem to have been noticed by 

 anyone else in the district, and is, I think, new to the !N'orth- 

 umberland list. I found two at rest on a low wall bordering 

 the old road leading along the east side of Kyloe "Wood, on 17th 

 May, 1896, and another, much worn, on the 14th of the fol- 

 lowing month." (G. Bolam, Trans. Eer. 'Nsct, Club, vol. xv., 

 p. 299). Mr. Bolam is mistaken in supposing these captures 

 were the first in ^Northumberland. It does not appear to have 

 been observed by the earlier collectors ; Mr. "Wailes records it 

 for Keswick only in Stephens' Illustrations, but Mr. Pinlay 

 met with it several years earlier than Mr. Bolam's captures, in 

 the old wood, !N"etherwitton, where he found it occurred regu- 

 larly. Mr. Ehagg took it at Corbridge and Hiding Mill ; Mr. 

 D. Eosie at Stocksfield. It is abundant in Castle Eden and 

 Hezleden Denes, appearing generally from the middle of May 

 to the end of June. In very early seasons I have seen an odd 

 specimen at the end of April. Dark forms are occasionally met 

 with. In May, 1898, we had some exceedingly cold weather, 

 and the appearance of the May insects was delayed thereby. 

 On Whit-Monday, May 30th, I found several specimens at rest 

 on tree trunks in Hezleden Dene. They were all dark, and 

 included the darkest I had ever taken. After a week or more 

 of fine warm weather, I went again, but except one worn speci- 

 men, all I saw were of the lighter normal shade. This supports 

 Mr. Merrifield's theory that cold applied just before emergence 

 darkens the imago. (See also under A. basilinea, p. 147). 

 The dark forms we take here in no way approach the hue of 

 the earlier insect, which is brown, ours are dark grey. 



