Insects, 5073 



Adaptation of the Colouring of Moths to Autumnal Tints.— I am not aware whether 

 any entomologist has ever been struck by the (as it appears to me) singular adaptation 

 and similarity of colouring, in the autumnal and winter Lepidoptera, to the prevailing 

 tints of Nature during those seasons. Counting from the middle of September, when 

 the leaves begin to turn, till the end of February, we find, I think, among the Bom- 

 byces, Noctuae and Geometrae, about fifty-eight species on the wing. Now, in autumn 

 the hue of Nature is golden ; she passes through all the intermediate stages from 

 pale yellow to a rich deep brown, while in winter she assumes a gray or silvery garb. 

 Taking those fifty-eight species, we find, I think, in their prevailing colours a striking 

 and remarkable similarity to those which Nature assumes at the time of their appearance 

 in the winged state : three species, viz., A. cassinea, T. Crataegi and A. lunosa, I consider 

 doubtful. Seven militate against my theory, viz., P. Populi, C. exoleta and vetusta, 

 C. aprilina, M. Oxyacanthee, A. pyramidea and P. meticulosa. The remaining forty- 

 eight are decidedly in my favour, as any one may perceive who will take the trouble of 

 casting his eyes over the following list. Autumn tints : yellow to rich brown. Autumn 

 species: O. antiqua and gonostigma, P. plumigera, A. litura and pistacina, C.xeram- 

 pelina, D. rubiginea, E. fulvago and trapetzina, the genus Glaea, G. flavago, 0. Lota 

 and macilenta, S. Libatrix, S. Satellitia, S. xauthographa, the whole of the Xanthia?, 

 X. croceago, X. pelrificata, sernibrunnea and rhizolitha (perhaps this belongs more 

 properly to the winter), C. elinguaria, E. erosaria, alniaria, fuscantaria and tiliaria, 

 E. apiciaria and parallellaria, L. defoliaria and aurantiaria, and EJ. pennaria. Winter 

 tints: gray or silvery. Winter insects: H. leucophaearia, progemmaria and rupica- 

 praria, the genus Cheimatobia and A. aescularia : in all forty-eight. I think that an 

 attentive examination of the above will show that I have made out a fair case; and 

 though some of your readers may be disposed to add two or three to the autumnal 

 species, yet even so the vast majority will be found to accord with my view, and it 

 certainly strikes me as a very interesting fact, showing the hand of an Almighty and 

 Allwise Being to be visible in this, as in all the other works of creation. I take this 

 opportunity of asking whether any of the entomological readers of the 'Zoologist' can 

 inform me in whose collection can be found authentic specimens of Valeria oleagina. 

 I have looked carefully over the innumerable records of the captures of rare species 

 contained in the thirteen volumes of the ' Zoologist,' without having found any collector 

 who appears to have been fortunate enough to take this species. It may have been 

 recorded there, but if so it has escaped my notice. I should be much obliged for in- 

 formation on this point. — J. Greene; Brandeston, Woodbridge, Suffolk, March, 1856. 



Lampronia pralatella. — It would appear that this larva has been sought for unsuc- 

 cessfully by some. It is to be found only in very damp places. The first spot I met 

 with it was on the leaves of the wild strawberry, growing close by the foot of the mid- 

 dle water-fall at Aberfeldy, where everything was saturated with spray and the mosses 

 and ferns rejoiced in the wet atmosphere of a tropical Orchid-house : half-way up the 

 bank it had disappeared. The next spot I found it in great abundance on the straw- 

 berry, the Geum and the Spiraea, was where the shelving side of the wood was moist 

 enough to suit Saxifraga aizoides, which was growing there abundantly.— G. Wailes ; 

 March, 1856. 



Nomada borealis. — The notices in the 'Zoologist' and 'Entomologist's Annual' 

 would lead to the inference that the discovery of this species in this vicinity was re- 

 cent, and therefore it may as well be stated that I met with it here about the year 

 1830. It is one of our most abundant Nomadae. That ray specimens remained, like 

 XIV. u 



