THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



151 



tween tlie Heliconia melpomene of Linnaeus, and the E. thelxiope of Hubner ; 

 and, consequently, that we have here in " the existence of a complete series 

 of connecting links," an actual example in recent forms of transmutation of 

 of species. If a tendency to variation were a circumstance of very rare 

 occurrence among the Lepidoptera, Mr. Bates' discovery would certainly be 

 very valuable as well as interesting, but we have cases in our English Lepi- 

 doptera, in which the extreme varieties are quite as distinct as those men- 

 tioned by Mr. Bates. Take for instance Cerostoma radiatella, Don. In 

 some examples the upper wings are entirely black, in others entirely white ; 

 and there is " a most interesting and complete series of connecting links 

 between the two." In other instances the variation is quite as wonderful, 

 as in the two allied species of Cidaria russata and immanata, and also in the 

 Button Tortrix (Peronea cristana, W.Y.), with its 35 named varieties, and 

 its neighbour the Sham Button (Peronea hastiana) with 21. Among other 

 orders I may mention the wonderfully variable Cuckoo Spit insect (Ptyelus 

 spumaria, Linn.), of which it is difficult to get two alike ; the Lady-bird 

 (Coccinella variabilis, Linn.), the Humble Bee, belonging to the genus 

 Bombus; the Grasshopper (Gompkocelus biguttatus, Charp), with its near 

 neighbour of the genus Rhammatocerus ; and the common Earwig (Forficula 

 auricularia, Linn.), which varies considerably in the size and form of its 

 forceps. Instances of variation in the shape of the wings may be seen in 

 Vanessa C -album and the Notch wing Tortrix (Teras caudana, Fab.) In 

 some specimens of the latter the notch is shallow, in others deep. 



We cannot, of course, expect to find climatal varieties in the limited range 

 of our British Isles, to the same extent as in the vast region of the Amazon ; 

 but still we have indications of such changes, as for instance in Satyrus 

 davus, the depth of colour varying very considerably, according as the speci- 

 mens come from the mountainous districts of the north of England, or the 

 low marshy grounds near Manchester. Melitcea artemis, too, has its Irish 

 and Scotch forms, in Hibernica of Birchall, and Scolica of Buchanan White. 

 In the case of Lyccena medon, we find that in specimens from the south of 

 England the spot on the upper wings is black, when it is the Agestis of 

 Hubner ; in Scotch specimens white, Artaxerxes of Eabricius ; whilst in 

 Durham intermediate forms are found, Salmacis of Stephens. Arctia caja and 

 Abraxas grossulariata I consider to be the dog and the pigeon of English 

 Entomologists, as by far the greater part of the wonderful varieties of those 

 two species, emerge from the pupa state in the breeding cage. 



Some years ago, a specimen of a moth was captured exceedingly dark in 

 colour, which Mr. Curtis considered to be a variety of the Scarlet Tiger 



