ANTHROCERA. 419 



species without constraint, and when in a condition of perfect liberty." 

 We believe he gives none of the details, however, on which he based this 

 conclusion. Goossens notes (Ann. Ent. Soc. Fr., (5) vi., p. 432) that 

 he obtained fertile eggs from a pairing of A. Jtippocrepidis with A. 

 peucedani, all the larvaa dying after the second moult, the same in the 

 case of A.fansta with A. hippocrepidis. Kogenhofer (S. B. z.-b. Wien, 

 xxxviii., p. 74) notes cross-pairing between A. camiolica $ and A. 

 filipendidae 2 , A. ferulae (tranmlpina) $ and A. camiolica 2 , A. 

 filipendidae $ and A. ferulae 2. He also records a pairing between 

 Zygaena ( Syntomis) phegea $ and A. filiperidulae J. 



Our actual knowledge of the hybridisation of these species is almost 

 entirely due to Fletcher. During 1889 and 1890, Fletcher reported 

 breeding hybrids between A. lonicerae x A. filipendidae (hybr. 

 lonicerae X filipendidae). These were intermediate in markings between 

 the parents, some of the males showing only a slight trace of the sixth 

 spot when examined with a strong lens, while some of the females 

 have it as well developed as it is in typical A. filipendidae. They were 

 very large, one with an alar expanse of 40 mm. Two pairings of the 

 hybrids were obtained, but none of the eggs hatched, yet Fletcher 

 concludes that he is not justified in assuming that the cross between 

 these two species is always sterile. In 1891 and 1892, Fletcher succeeded 

 in rearing hybrids of both the crosses obtainable between A. lonicerae and 

 A. trifolii, viz., lonicerae £ x trifolii 2 and trifolii $ X lonicerae ? 

 (= hybr. lonicerae x trifolii and hybr. trifolii x lonicerae). Unlike the 

 filipendidae x lonicerae hybrids, these laid fertile eggs, and, in 1892, 

 specimens of the following crosses were obtained : hybrid £ x trifolii 

 2 ; lonicerae $ x hybrid ? ; hybrid $ x hybrid 2 . In March, 1893, 

 he had hybernating larvae, with the following pedigree : 



trifolii t? lonicerae ? 



1 1 



trifolii s trifolii ? 



1 1 



1 

 hybrid (1890) ? lonicerae s 



1 

 lonicerae ? trifolii j 



1 1 



hybrid (1891) <r 



hybrid (1891) ¥ 



1 

 hybrid (1892) larvae 



in March. 



We are informed that these experiments were not carried further, the 

 fertility of the hybrids being already abundantly proved. The two 

 species, A. lonicerae and A. trifolii, pair freely inter se. On the other 

 hand, only a few pairings could be obtained between A. filipendidae and 

 A. lonicerae. Single couplings were also obtained between A. filipen- 

 didae and A. trifolii, and between A. filipendidae and A. hybr. lonicerae x 

 trifolii, but these failed to produce fertile eggs. 



Among the hybrid lonicerae x trifolii there is a strong tendency to 

 resemble the mother, although when several of a brood are seen 

 together the influence of both parents is very marked. Thus, out of 

 several hundreds of specimens of A. lonicerae from Kent, Notts and 

 York, which Fletcher had bred during the last few years (1889-1895), 

 not one had the central pair of spots united, whilst among every brood 

 of the hybrids some have had them united. When A. trifolii has been 

 the female parent, several have had all the spots run together as in the 

 ab, minoides (confluens) of A. trifolii ; a more extreme form, too, occurs, 



