CATALOGUE OF MOTHS. 239 



ago my brother found at Wideopen, near JS'ewcastle, a race of 

 nearly black larvae of this species. One of these is figured in 

 Morley's Illustrations (Abraxas, pi. iv., fig. 6 and 7), but it had 

 evidently commenced to contract for pupation, and the figure 

 appears to be badly drawn. They only produced the most ordi- 

 nary form of the imago. I isolated some of the darkest of these 

 larvae, paired the imagines, and the larva produced were nearly 

 all absolutely black, no trace of either white or yellow. This is 

 one of the most variable of the Lepidoptera, and wonderful 

 forms may be seen in large collections, but it is evident the 

 tendency to variation of this Wideopen race was confined to the 

 larvae. Since my brother found them they have been noticed 

 in many places on both sides of the Tyne and about Sunderland. 

 It is the only species I know of in which the melanic tendency 

 in the Lepidoptera of to-day appears in the larva. I have not 

 heard of the occurrence of these dark larvae outside our own 

 counties. 



72. A. ulmata, Pab. Clouded Magpie. 



Abraxas ulmata. Staint. Man., vol. ii., p. ^Q. 

 „ „ ]S"ewm. Brit. Moths, p. 100. 



„ sylvata. Meyr. Hdbk. Erit. Lep., p. 268. 



Laeva. Buck., vol.vii., pLcxxiv., fig.2 ; O.Wils., pl.xxii.,fig.8. 



"Well distributed through both counties, and occurring, 

 generally in some abundance, in all the woods and denes 

 where there is plenty of Elm. Mr. Hewitson took it in the 

 early part of the century at Meldon Park, Gibside, Dinsdale 

 Woods, &c. (see Steph. Illust., vol. iii., p. 246). Mr. Finlay 

 recorded it for all the woods about Morpeth ; Miss Rosie found 

 it at Kenton ; and Mr. Henderson at Jesmond. Mr. Hedworth 

 and others got it at Chopwell, Thornley, Gibside, and generally 

 along the valley of the Derwent. Mr. Backhouse took it at 

 Hofiall Wood and at Shotley ; Mr. W. Procter, jun., found it 

 "in great profusion" around Durham (Ent. W. Int., vol. i., 

 p. 150). Mr. Wailes in his address to the members (Trans., 

 vol. v., p. 9) mentions having taken one in Castle Eden Dene 



