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THE BRITISH NATURALIST. [j ANUARY 



went home wondering how it was we were told at the meeting, 

 that all the progeny from that single British specimen appeared exactly 

 like continental Zatima (it must have been paired with an ordinary form 

 of Lubricipeda) , because it was a single specimen bred in a box, not caught 

 at large, where it might be supposed to have paired with one of 

 its own like. However, as one of my good friends writes me, he has 

 already bred many specimens of it, like producing like, and as he now 

 has a considerable number of pup.*© crossed with the ordinary Lubrici- 

 peda, we — or shall I say I ? — await with great interest the results of this 

 crossing, since in all my experience I never bred a brood of insects in- 

 heriting the characteristics of one or other parent only. Leaving this 

 so-called case to stand on its own merits, we come to ask, has it been a 

 case of " blown over " whilst its reputed homes were at Barnsley, and in 

 Leicestershire; that was hardly likely, but at London and Grimsby it is quite 

 feasible that it might have been carried over in or on a steamboat 

 accidentally, or otherwise, but if so, is it a British insect ? 



I have recently been shown a number of specimens of Polia Xanthamisia 

 (Hb.), all of which were purchased because they were said to have 

 been bred from eggs laid by a female captured in the Isle of Man. They 

 are exactly like P. Xanthamista, (Hb.) in my Continental collection (from 

 the south of France). / have never seen any like these from the Isle of 

 Man ! I have, however, German specimens of Nigrocincta in my Con- 

 tinental collection, which it would be difficult to separate from some 

 Manx specimens of Nigrocincta (Tr.), whilst these Xanthamistic speci- 

 mens are generally larger and broader than I have ever seen P. Nigrocincta 

 to be from the Isle of Man ; and they have a peculiar general appearance, 

 especially in the larger females (which I cannot describe unless I coin a 

 word), as if they were " ephronized." Yes, dusted with very dark scales. 

 I have seen some letters guaranteeing that the moths were bred from 

 eggs deposited by a female captured in the Isle of Man, but no name of 

 the fortunate captor is given ; only the number of eggs laid by that 

 Order (I think, 280,) and the breeder's name. I have a long and 

 most interesting letter from a gentleman who purchased 100 of the eggs 

 for five shillings, thinking they had been deposited by this so-called Manx 

 female. All the specimens of Manx P. Xanthamista (Hb.) shown to 

 me (four in number) are " poorly," that is, irregularly pinned with slender 

 foreign made pins, black, and are not well set, English style. They 

 were bought at one shilling each, a price no one should expect to purchase 

 Manx P. Nigrocincta at. 



Should we call these species " British insects," simply because w r e are 

 told they were produced from eggs laid by a female taken in the 

 Isle of Man (?),when the progeny themselves are so different in appearance j 

 to any Manx species ever bred from eggs or larvae found there ? 



