XLI 



Durham intermediate forms, the Salmacis of Stephens are found. In 

 the case of Chortobius davits, the depth of colour varies considerably, 

 according as the specimen was from the mountainous districts of the 

 North of England, or the low marshy grounds near Manchester. 

 Meliteea avtemis too, has its Irish and Scotch forms, in Hibernica of 

 Birchall, and Scotica of Buchanan White. Now can such cases be 

 taken as a transmutation of species, or is there any such thing in nature 

 as transmutation of species ? It is quite certain that climate, soil, and 

 food plant do produce varietal changes, and that hybrids can be pro- 

 duced such as the dog ; but I think it is equally certain that if it 

 were so, that such allied species as the rook and the crow would not 

 exist amongst birds, nor brassier and rapes amongst butterflies. 

 Neither would there be such allied species amongst moths as Peronea 

 cristana, with its thirty-five named varieties, and Peronea hastiana 

 with its twenty-one. Although both these species are closely allied, 

 and both vary very greatly, yet they have never been known to run, 

 the one into the other, or the one to produce the other. 



In bringing this introduction to an end, I must remind my readers 

 that I do not lay much claim to originality, for I have borrowed most 

 largely from Buckler's Larvae, published by the Ray Society, from 

 the Young Naturalist, Newman's Butterflies, Stainton's Manual, and 

 from other authors acknowledged in the body of the work. There is 

 much more that might have been said on the earlier stages of butter- 

 flies, but as it may be read up in any work on British Butterflies, I 

 have no wish to enlarge the introduction to undue proportions, and 

 must conclude by thanking the Editor of the Young Naturalist for 

 his kindness and courtesy in allowing the History of our British 

 Butterflies to take up so large a portion of his magazine, and for 

 allowing it to be spread over so long a period. 



C. W. Dale. 



Glanvilles Woolton, Dorset, 

 20th December, 1889. 



