196 
THE entomologist’s RECORD. 
is precisely the same in a state of nature when certain species 
are subjected to a rapid change of environment. They suddenly 
develop new colours, or their typical colours become greatly 
intensified. The closer the conditions of existence approximate 
to the zone in which a species was evolved, the more strictly 
typical will the colours develop. It is not so much a question 
of the origin of a species, as the conditions under which its 
colours were evolved, that interests us here. Yet I contend 
that heredity plays an important part with many species in 
developing peculiar forms of variation. For several seasons I 
have been experimenting with Chrysophanus boldenarum, with a 
view to ascertaining how far the colours of the imagines could 
be affected by varying degrees of dry and moist atmosphere. 
The species has varied greatly of late years in our district 
owing to the long continuance of dry seasons {Record, vol. i., 
p. 122 ; ii., p. 32), and with a desire to cause a reversion of the 
paler colours developed, I instituted some experiments by rear- 
ing the larvae from the eggs under cool, moist conditions, and 
so far with good results. In the autumn (September) of 1889, 
v/e netted a good number of both sexes, and placed them in 
suitable houses to pair. In a few days we obtained about a 
dozen eggs which were deposited on the under sides of the 
leaves of their foodplant {Lagenophora petiolata). These, with 
many others which we subsequently obtained, were put into 
cool wet pots, and in due time emerged ; we kept them under 
the cool shade of a thick pine tree, and kept their food and the 
soil and atmosphere in the pots as moist and cool as possible. 
On the zinc lids of the pots we placed small pieces of wood, 
over this was put a thick covering of calico kept constantly wet. 
By this method a cool atmosphere was generated in and over 
the pots ; under the treatment a few larvae died at various 
stages of growth, but more so during the first moult. The 
remainder, which fed up and pupated perfectly, duly emerged 
in the imago state in perfect condition. The contrast between 
the bred examples of both sexes, and specimens captured this 
season in a state of nature for comparison is very striking. The 
intense deep black of the males with the almost total suppres- 
sion of the discal series of orange spots in the bred examples, 
and the pale ground colour with the abnormally marked series 
of purple and orange spots of examples taken this season on 
the sandy river flats, are cases which add considerably to our 
knowledge of the causes of the origin and development of local 
races and varieties. The bred specimens are the larger and 
