32 
THE ENTOMOT.OGIST’s RECORD. 
versa, was of general application. With regard to this, Mr. 
Smith now writes : — ‘‘ The last three exceedingly hot and dry 
seasons in succession in New Zealand, which have been more 
severely felt on the plains of Canterbury, have been productive 
of remarkable colour variation in some species of lepidoptera, 
the variation in all cases developing in the form of much paler 
colours. The variation of Chrysophanus boldenarum was recorded 
by Mr. R. W. Fereday, of Christchurch, N.Z., twelve years ago, 
who published two papers on “ The Genus Chrysophanus in New 
Zealand” {Transactions N. Z. Institute, vols. ix. and x.). Mr. 
Fereday, in the papers referred to, figured the type of the 
species together with several well-marked varieties, and gave 
an interesting account at the time of the known habits of the 
genus, in the same volume (x.). Mr. A. G. Butler published a 
valuable paper on N. Z. Rhopalocera. Mr. Butler’s paper 
was also accompanied with figures and descriptions of both 
sexes of all the known species. The figures given by Mr. 
Butler, although smaller than the majority of specimens, are 
typical of the species. Apart, however, from the types and 
varieties figured by these gentlemen, there are many other 
well-marked varieties occurring, besides a very striking and 
general variation not equalled by any other species in the 
genus. Although C. boldenarum is in ordinary seasons a very 
variable species, it has never previously varied to the extent it 
has done in the present season. I have already referred to its 
variation in a melanic direction in humid seasons {Entom., 
xxii., 38). But last season, and more so in the present one, 
the variation is in the opposite direction, several of the female 
specimens exhibiting a decided tendency to gynandromor- 
phism, and the males an abnormal arrangement and develop- 
ment of paler colours. The cause of these phenomena is, I 
think, easily understood. For three years there has been an 
exceedingly light rainfall on the Canterbury plains, and that, 
at long intervals, while the weather has been exceedingly hot 
and dry, and was accompanied for several months this season 
with hot north-west winds, the blighting effects of which are 
well known and dreaded by the settlers. It would therefore 
appear clear that the absence of moisture in all stages of 
development during several generations of the species, is the 
chief factor in developing the pale phase of variation. These 
remarks apply with equal force to numerous other species of 
both diurnal and nocturnal lepidoptera I have collected here 
this season, as all species (some of course more than others) 
