VARIATION. 
219 
the var. myric(z^ Gn. of Acronycta euphorbia^ F. It seems probable, 
therefore, that some of the numerous forms mentioned by Mr. Tutt are 
varieties, in the Staudingerian sense, or local races, whilst others are 
merely aberrations. With the large amount of material that Mr. Tutt 
has, and his experience in this family, we may hope that some day he 
will point out which of the named forms are to be looked upon as 
varieties, and which as aberrations. More than half of the species have 
yet to be dealt with by Mr. Tutt, but, amongst those already treated 
of, a number of varieties which occur in Scotland are mentioned. 
Probably many others also occur, but as there is no definite statement 
to that effect we will not mention them just now. So far as can be 
gathered from a brief examination of the descriptions, the following 
Scottish varieties are melanochroic or melanic, i.e. they are darker 
(although not necessarily suffused with black) in colour than the type of 
the species : — 
Cymatophoj'a duplaris L. (3 obKura Tutt ; Asphalia flavicornis L. /3 
scotica Stdgr. and 7 rosea Tutt ; Acronycta rumicis L. a salicis Curtis ; 
Leucania lithargyria Esp. 7 ferrago F., I extralinea Tutt, and e fidvescefis 
Tutt; Z. hnpura Hb. a fuligosina Haw.; Z. pattens L. ectypa Hb. 
and 7 rufescens Haw. ; Tapinostola fulva Hb. 7 punicea Tutt, ^ fluxa 
Tr., and ij neurica St. ; Hydrcecia nictitans L. h erythrostigma Haw. and 
e obscura Tutt ; H. inicacea Esp. h brunnea Tutt ; Helotropha leucostigma 
Hb. a albipuncta Tutt ; Xylophasia polyodon L. a obscura Tutt, ft brunnea 
Tutt, 7 infuscata B. White and h cethiops Stdgr. ; X. rurea F. e putris 
Hb. ^ combusta Haw, and i nigro-rubida Tutt ; Mamestra furva Hb, 7 
infernalis Ev. ; Luperina testacea Hb. 7 cinerea Tutt and h nigrescens 
Tutt; Caradrina taraxaci Hb. a sordida Haw. The following varieties 
are paler than the type; — Cymatophora or F. a scotica Tutt and ft 
flavistigmata Tutt; Tapinostola fulva Hb. ft ochracea Tutt and d pallida 
St.; Xylophasia zollikoferi Frey a pallida Tutt; X. rurea F. a argentea 
Tutt, ft ochrea Tutt and h fiavo-rufa Tutt; Miana fasciunciila Haw. ft 
cana Stdgr. Some of the following varieties do not fall into either of the 
above groups, whilst the position (so far as can be learned from the 
description) of others is somewhat doubtful : — Acronycta menyanthidis 
Vw. ft scotica Tutt (pale?); Tapinostola fulva Hb. e pygmina Haw. 
(pale?); Apaniea ganina Hb. a rufescens Tutt, ft intermedia Tutt and a 
remissa Hb. ; Charceas graminis L. a gra?ni}ieus Haw., ft tricuspis Esp., 
7 rufa Tutt and h rufo-costa Tutt. From these lists it will be seen that 
considerably more than half (28 to 18) of the varieties mentioned are 
melanochroic (in the sense in which that term is used), thus supporting 
the statement made above, that in North British specimens there is 
usually a tendency to a darkening of the coloration. We look forward 
with interest to the continuation of Mr. Tutt’s valuable work. — F. 
Buchanan White, M.D., F.L.S., F.E.S. (from the Scottish Naturalist^ 
Oct., 1891). 
PoLiA CHI vars. suffusa and olivacea. — In the Ent. Record, ante, 
p. 200, I think Mr. Mansbridge’s note is rather misleading. First of 
all the hind wings of var. olivacea are not always “white.” The colour 
of the hind wings varies according to sex equally in the type, var. 
olivacea and var. suffusa. Mr. Robson’s var. suffusa has a very distinct 
deep grey ground colour in both sexes. When Mr. Mansbridge says 
that var. suffusa seems almost as common as the type, I feel certain 
