iNB ''Of^ 
JOURNAL OF VARIATION. 
No. 9. VoL. II. October 1st, 1891. 
HEREDITY IN LEPIDOPTERA. 
By W. W. SMITH. 
February number of the Record contains the 
yil! ^^port (p. 313) of a Meeting of the City of London 
Entomological and Natural History Society, held 
on February 5th. The paper read at the meet- 
ing by Mr. J. W. Tutt on “ The Geometrid Genera, 
Melaniliia, Melanippe and their Allies,” would be of much 
interest to at least one section of entomologists, and 
judging from the meagre report, I can form only a vague 
opinion of the importance attached to the reading of the 
paper and the discussion of the subject. Mr. Tutt appears to 
have dealt with the evolution of colours on the wings, more 
especially with reference to the bands and wavy lines more or 
less complete in certain species of the group. The persistent 
tendency of some species in many different groups to vary, and 
in some cases to develop special colours, is well known to 
entomologists. But so few have investigated the natural 
causes or aspect of the subject that its perfect elucidation will 
remain for some time a great desideratum. Since Mr. South 
wrote some years ago on The effects of certain meteorological 
conditions on the habits and economy of Lepidoptera,” the 
subject has received the attention of many able observers. 
Some have studied its effects on the evolution of colours, and 
each year adds new facts towards a solution of the interesting 
problem. Owing to a long absence from England, I now know 
very little of the species of the group chosen by Mr. Tutt for 
their special bearing on the subject of his paper. But the 
advantage of having a good series from different parts of the 
British Islands, collected in different years, and accompanied 
