334 BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 



B. M. coll. is an even more markedly dark variegated individual. 

 Bartel notes (Pal. Gross-Sc/imelt., ii., p. 40) that, " according to 

 Alpheraky, the $ s of this species reach, in southern Russia, a 

 wing-expanse of 1 i5mm.-ii6mm., which are, however, surpassed 

 by Austrian and Hungarian examples, some from Vienna measuring 

 122mm. ; on the other hand, Treitschke records (Die Schmett., x., 

 pt. 1, p. 139) that he bred one in autumn from a backward larva, 

 which was not larger than Hyles euphorbiae, and was, moreover, 

 whitish-grey in colour — Bartel also adds that a ? , not larger than 

 a medium-sized specimen of Hyloicus pinastri, was bred from a 

 larva found on Zygophyllnm fabago in the Mugan-Steppe (west of the 

 Caspian Sea), and which was similar in appearance to a larva of 

 Deilephila zygophylli, otherwise the specimen was quite typical. 

 Steinert mentions (7m, v., p. 396) an aberration, in which, on the 

 upper side of the thorax, there was a large bell-shaped spot. The 

 specimen was captured in the Kotzschenbroda district near Dresden. 

 A light-grey, very sharply marked, form of the species, of only 

 moderate size is reported as occurring at Gravosa (Dalmatia) and 

 in the Riviera (at Nervi). Alpheraky further gives an aberration of the 

 $ from the Lob-nor district (Central Asia) which is noteworthy on 

 account of its very pale colour and very weak markings, and also 

 differing especially from all examples from the most varied localities 

 in having a yellowish tinge. A further very interesting aberration is 

 described in detail by Bonjour (Bull. Soc. Ouest France, vi., 

 p. 29, 1896). It was caught at Nantes, on August 8th, 1895, 

 and may be regarded as a transition to an albinistic form. The 

 more or less bright red spots on the sides of the abdomen are here 

 pale yellow in colour ; the uppermost of them, on the first segment, 

 is dark yellow and very small, the black colour bounding it is, on 

 the other hand, as in the typical form ; a yellowish tinge also extends 

 over the middle of the forewings. A $ aberration which was in 

 the possession of Ochsenheimer (Die Schmett., iv., p. 182) was 

 tinged with rose-red, instead of white-grey, both on the whole body 

 and also the fore- and hindwings. Caradja, in his Fauna of Roumania, 

 mentions a quite dark example, looking as if sprinkled over with soot, 

 which he caught at Grumazesti. A similar specimen has also been re- 

 corded as caught in Berlin. Examples from tropical Asia and Africa are 

 usually smaller and have paler red spots on the sides of the abdomen." 

 Gauckler records (/litis. Zeits. fur Ent., iv., p. 74) that, on October 

 27th, 1898, he reared a specimen with the inner margin of the fore- 

 wings almost without scales, the red hairs of the abdomen also being 

 absent ; examination showed that these scales had fully developed in 

 the ordinary course but had stuck to the inside of the pupa-case, and 

 he thinks that a similar peculiarity may be the explanation of like 

 examples in other species. Distant notes (Ins. Transv., p. 73) that the 

 South African specimens are much smaller than the European, having on 

 an average, only about two-thirds of the wing expanse. As extremes 

 in size we would call those of more than i2omm.=ab. major, n. ab., and 

 those less than 75mm. = ab. minor, n. ab. Roughly our European, 

 Asiatic and African specimens appear to fall into the following groups : 



(1) Forewings uniform ashy-grey with the transverse markings only most faintly 

 indicated : a distinct wavy black apical line ; two linear black discal streaks. Hind- 

 wings moderately marked, sometimes slightly suflused— ab. unicolor, n. ab. 



