68 



The Naturalist. 



lepidoptera which have come under my notice, I have not seen one 

 albino, using that term in the same sense in which we use it in the 

 vertebrate animals. The nearest approach is a white Grossulariata in 

 Mr. Gregson's collection, and that is only white because of the 

 absence of the usual black spots, the white is extended and the black 

 diminished, and the white is not substituted for some other colour as 

 is the case in true albinos. 



It has been suggested that carbon in the form of smoke, &c., does 

 its share in the production of melanic varieties by being taken in 

 along with the food plant of the larvse, and this is not improbable in 

 some cases, as some of the dark varieties like the black Betularia 

 in manufacturing districts, and the dark Biundularia in Delamere 

 Forest, are near to large smoky towns, and others like the dark forms 

 we get from Scotland are near or on the peat bogs where carbon 

 exists in another form. Still, I think, all dark varieties cannot be 

 referred to this cause, as, for instance, the dark Paphia in the New 

 Forest. Some insects are subject to suffusion, as in Edusa and Hyale, 

 where the black border is sometimes suffused as far as the central 

 spot, and Mr. Edwards, the American entomologist, thinks that this 

 is often caused by long subjection of the pupse to severe cold ; and 

 from my experience of the past year there seems to be something 

 in this. Last winter, as most of us well know, was very severe — not 

 only cold, but cold continued for a very long time, and the season 

 (which should have been summer) which followed was remarkable for 

 the quantity of varieties it produced. 



But as yet we cannot tell what is the " exciting cause " in the 

 production of some of those extraordinary freaks which we sometimes 

 see, like a Gaja in Mr. Webb's collection, one side of which is quite 

 ordinary and the other side almost uniform dark brown. But, as I 

 said at the commencement, we want each one to record the results 

 of his observations in this line. 



Primrose Hill, Huddersfield. 



THE HYMENOPTERA OF LANCASHIRE & CHESHIRE. 



By Benjn. Cooke. 



The following list is offered as a contribution to the Hymenoptera of 

 Cheshire and that portion of the county of Lancashire lying to the 

 south of Lancaster — the portion of the county lying to the north of 

 Lancaster belonging properly to the Lake district. 



