62 
THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
T. Quercus, D. Capsincola, 
N. Lucina, A. Advena, 
T. Crataegi, S. Cinctalis. 
If any collector would like a beautiful 
bred specimen (foreign, of course) of 
Sphinx Pinastri, he is very welcome to 
it. — Rev. J. Greene, 32, Lower Pem- 
broke Street, Dublin. 
Duplicate Lepicloptera. — I have about 
thirty good Hepialus Velleda and a few 
bred and well set Hyp. Dispar, $ , as 
also a considerable quantity of Lepi- 
doptera not in first rate condition, to ex- 
change. Any persons wanting some had 
better write first stating what they have 
to send. — Thomas Hayton Langcake, 
Beeston Hill, near Leeds ; Nov. 9. 
Dasycampa Rubiyinea. — We have taken 
thirteen D. Rubiginea at ivy blossom, the 
majority of which fell to my share ; in 
fact I have the lion’s portion, but I 
walked a distance of eight and a half 
miles every night, thirty-four limes ; but, 
however, on three of these we took the 
above, which well rewarded us. I shall 
thank correspondents who have boxes of 
mine to return them within a day or two 
after the receipt of this number of the ‘ In- 
telligencer,’ especially one at Brighton, to 
whom I forwarded a box full of specimens 
last March. — E. S. Nokcombe, 5, Salu- 
tary Mount, Heavilree. 
Duplicates. — I have a score of fine du- 
plicates of Diloba Cieruleocephala, which 
I will send to those requiring it on receipt 
of a small box. Entomologists wishiug 
for this insect, but unable to pay return 
postage, can have their boxes franked by 
stating such to be the case. — Edwahd 
Morton, Ripon; Nov. 14. 
HYBRID INSECTS. 
TO TIIE EDITOR OF THE ‘INTELLI- 
GENCER.’ 
Sir, — Lately I have been much occu- 
pied with the question of the possibility 
of hybrids among insects, and being much 
interested in the subject, should be glad 
if you would ventilate it a little in your 
valuable periodical. 
It has hitherto been generally adopted 
that the notion of hybrids should be 
entirely ignored by entomological writers, 
because if hybrids were once admitted it 
was thought all specific precision would 
be lost, and we should have been involved 
in a chaos of hybrid forms. Among en- 
tomological describers, Gravenhorst ap- 
pears, in his ‘ Ichneumonidte,’ as the sole 
author who admits hybrids. 
If we refer to what takes place in other 
animals, we find — 
1. That certain allied species will pro- 
duce hybrids. 
2. That these hybrids have always a 
definite form. 
3. That these hybrids are either un- 
fertile, or in the first or second genera- 
tion revert to the original species. 
Now if we apply these rules to Ento- 
mology, the hybridism of insects loses all 
difficulty, and in many species it is a 
subject which strongly invites further 
investigation. 
Why should we not find that some 
nearly allied species will always show 
a tendency to produce hybrids ; that 
these hybrids will always present the 
same type of form and colour; and 
that these hybrids will net propagate, 
but will always revert to the original 
species ? 
Naturally, as in the higher orders of 
animals, the number of species of insects 
which produce hybrids will not be con- 
siderable. 
II 1 were asked what groups of insects 
we should be most likely to find hybrids, 
I should suggest those in which the 
sexual instincts are most strongly de- 
veloped; thus, among the Lepidopteru, 
the Crepuscularia and Noctuina , — for in- 
stance, Zygoma ; among Neuroptcra, the 
Ltbellulte ; and among Coleoptera, Can- 
tharis, 6ic. 
