U THE YOUNG 



Fuligula cristata, Steph. Tufted 

 Duck, met with but rarely on the Trent. 



Fuligula glacialis, Penn. The Long- 

 tailed Duck has occurred once near 

 Twyford. 



Family COBJANBIDiE 



Podiceps cristatus. The Great Crested 

 Grebe has been shot at Milton, on the Mill 

 Dam. 



Podiceps cornutus, Lath. Sclavonian 

 Grebe, shot at Newton Solney. 



Podiceps minor, Lath. Little Grebe, of 

 frequent occurrence on the Trent, and 

 Repton Park Pool. 



Colymbus glacialis, Linn. Great 

 Northern Diver, very rare, shot on the 

 Trent in 1863. 



Family LARID^E. 



Sterna hirundo, Linn. Common Tern, 

 common in boisterous weather on the Trent. 



Sterna arctica, Ternmo. The Artie 

 Tern is occasionally seen, 



Larus tridactylus, Linn. Kittiwake 

 Gull has been shot on the Trent. 



Larus canus, Linn. The Common Gull 

 is often met with on the Trent and Derwent 

 in boisterous weather. 



Thalassidroma Leachii. Forked Tail 

 Petrel, one was caught in Markeaton Park 

 by a dog, November 29th, 1882, and is now 

 in the Museum here. 



This concludes the list of the district as 

 far as I have been able to ascertain. 

 Repton Wood is situated about six miles 

 from Derby, and is very extensive, covering 

 many acres of land ; it was at one time 

 open to the Naturalist, but is now strictly 

 closed, notice boards in every direction 

 warning trespassers they will be persecuted. 

 The Trent is six miles from Derby, and is a 

 fine river, from which many rare specimens 

 have been obtained. In concluding this 

 list I have to thank Mr. Walton for much 

 valuable information. 



NATUEALIST. 



ON THE VARIATION OF 

 LEPIDOPTERA. 



By John E. Robson. 



Among the many interesting branches of 

 study found by the collector of Lepidoptera, 

 none are more interesting or of greater 

 scientific importance than that of variation. 

 The researches of Darwin and the establish- 

 ment of the law of the survival of the fittest 

 have made variation a subject of first import- 

 ance. From the study of the variation of 

 animals in a state of nature very much may 

 be learnt, and for this purpose the lepidoptera 

 are specially important and interesting. 

 Our knowledge on the subject is yet in its 

 infancy, but as I am writing specially for 

 beginners, more advanced readers will ex- 

 cuse me if I enter into matters already 

 known. My former articles on this subject 

 have brought me much friendly criticism, 

 and from the comments and suggestions of 

 friends and readers I have derived many 

 valuable hints and much information. I 

 hope the same assistance will be bestowed 

 now. 



For a long time enormous prices have 

 been paid by wealthy collectors for speci- 

 mens of Lepidoptera showing marked de- 

 partures from the normal type, and most of 

 the best examples have passed into their 

 hands. The rage for these extreme forms 

 seems now to be rather dying out, and more 

 attention is being paid to what are called 

 local races. The importance of local races 

 has always been insisted on in these pages, 

 and though I do not for a moment suppose 

 that they are receiving more consideration 

 because their claims have been advocated 

 here, it is still a satisfaction to find other 

 people beginning to think as we do. The 

 young collector, whose knowledge is con- 

 fined to his own collection, may chance to 

 find a specimen differing so greatly from 

 others he has taken, and yet so like them in 



