CELERIO GALLII. 171 



greatly in size, the lower, linear, discoidal one being sometimes almost 

 obsolete, whilst the upper wedge-shaped one is sometimes well extended. 

 The band frequently narrows at its base, towards the inner margin, the 

 most remarkable aberration in this direction known to us being one 

 that stops short just beyond the discoidal tooth, the position of its basal 

 portion being occupied by the ground colour. This incomplete- 

 banded form we term ab. incompleta, n. ab. In the hindwings also 

 the more or less marked redness of the median area is very noticeable, 

 and whilst, in some instances, the black submarginal band is narrowed 

 to a mere line=ab. stricta, n. ab., in others it extends outwards to the 

 cilia=ab. lata, n. ab. The variation in size is very remarkable, and, 

 among our British-bred examples, we have specimens extending 

 from 62'5mm. (the smallest $ ) to 91mm. (the largest 2 )• Tugwell 

 gives (E. M. M., xxv., p 284) some interesting details as to the 

 size of some of the examples captured wild in 1888. He observes 

 that the measurements of a number of continental C. gallii average 

 $ s 3ms. — 3-g-ins., 2 s 3ins. — 3^ins. Of the British-caught examples 

 measured, all the $ s and 2 s (except 2 $ s) are 3ms. to 3§ins. in 

 expanse ; on the other hand scarcely any of the many bred $ s and 

 2 s reach 3ms., and only 2 $ s exceed this measurement, the Liverpool 

 collectors give 2f ins. as the average for the bred 2 s and 2^ins. average 

 for $ s ; the Deal-bred 2 s averaged only 2§ins ; the Essex-bred cf s 

 averaged 2§ins. the 2 s 2§ins. These figures, Tugwell says, give an 

 average of at least fins, larger in the caught, over the bred examples, 

 whilst the caught accord in every way with those reared from continental 

 pupae. In answer to the suggestion that bred insects are often 

 undersized, Tugwell states that many of his larvae were absolutely 

 fullfed when found. He further states that the largest examples bred 

 from English larvae taken in 1888 were as follows : Liverpool — largest 

 2 , 3^ins., largest $ , 2§ ins. ; Deal — largest 2 , 3 T V ms -> largest $ , 

 2f ins. ; Essex coast — largest 2 2|ins., largest $ , zf ins. The 

 imagines caught in 1888 were much larger, St. Margaret's — the largest 

 2 , 3§ins., the smallest, 3§-ins., the $ s 3§-ins. ; Kingsdown — 2 , 

 3^ins. ; Aberdeen — ? , 3^ins. ; Plymouth — 2 , 3r6 ms - \ Dartford — $ , 

 3ms. ; Dublin — $ , 2 1 ^ins. Tugwell says that these caught examples 

 agree in size with French ones, of which the 2 s are 3§ ins., and S s 

 3^-ins. full. Adkin gives further details on this point (Proc. Sth. Lond. 

 Ent.Soc, 1890, p. 75) which much modify Tugwell's statements and con- 

 clusions, and he states that the only inference that can be fairly drawn 

 from these figures is that the insects captured in Britain more nearly 

 approach those of known continental origin than do those bred in 

 this country. We have since tested this by measurement and find 

 that pupae, obtained from the German dealers, give measurements 

 varying from 65mm. ( 3 ) to 90mm. ( 2 ), i.e., almost exactly the extreme 

 measurements of our own British-bred examples. It is true that 

 the majority of the wild caught immigrants are larger, heavier 

 insects than the British-bred progeny resulting from them, but one 

 suspects that this is entirely due to the artificial conditions of their 

 rearing. As to colour-variation, Tugwell records two examples of an 

 aberration bred in January, 1889, from pupae resulting from larvae ob- 

 tained at Deal in September, 1888, in which the usual character- 

 istic dark olive-green markings are replaced by dull grey, and the 

 pale streak that runs from the inner margin to the tip of the 



