220 
THE entomologist’s RECORD. 
that he is referring to the sexes, and calls the females var. suffusa. 
Bradford is the great centre for var. suffusa. I have a fairly long series 
from Mr. Mansbridge’s locality, Leed>, but the specimens are practi- 
cally lyi)ical, the females slii^htly darker grey than the males, but not 
the peculiar dark grey in both sexes required to form var. suffusa. I 
may be wrong, but I do not think Mr. Mansbridge refers to Mr. 
Robson’s variety when he speaks of var. suffusa. — J. W. Tutt. 
October, 1891. 
Dark vars. of Cymatophora duplaris. — I think it will be found 
that the C. duplaris on Cannock Chase are all, more or less, black. I 
have bred a beautiful specimen this year from the only larva I had, and 
my friend, Mr. G. Baker, has done the same, both being nearly black. 
— Charles F. Thornewill, The Soho, Burton-on-Trent. September, 
1891 [It would be interesting if Mr. Thornewill would inform us 
whether he gets the type or var. obscura, or both {vide British Noctuce 
and their Varieties, i., pp. 4-5). — Ed.] 
Thyatira batis (Type). — On looking over a series of Thyatira batis 
taken here in 1887, I find three specimens with the light spots entirely 
devoid of rose-colour, and notice the same in a specimen I took in 
South Devon last July. All the examples mentioned are in fresh 
condition. Among the full-fed larvae of S 7 ?ierinthus tilicB that I pick up 
pretty commonly here, I notice that the green colour of the larva while, 
feeding, is generally replaced by a dull livid bluish-brown, violet, or even 
dusky rose-colour, after the larva has descended the tree and is seeking 
a place for pupation. Probably Mr. Anderson’s larva {Ent. Rec., vol. ii., 
p. 200) was in this stage when found, and had doubtless been of the 
usual light green colour previously. — R. M. Prideaux, Clifton, Bristol. 
Variation in and abundance of Melit^a artemis ne^r Carlisle. 
— In the middle of April last my nephew kindly went for me to Orton 
Moss, six miles from Carlisle, to obtain some larvae of the above, of 
which he returned with between 400 and 500 (mostly small, but less 
likely to be ichneumoned on that account), gathered with handsful of 
the dead leaves. When he revisited the spot for food (Devil’s Bit 
Scabious, :>cabiosa succisa) the day was dull, and larvae were only to be 
seen when odd ones crept up to bask in the occasional gleams of sun ; 
constant visits were necessary for fresh food, until a kind and practical 
friend gave me “the tip” to try honeysuckle which they took to and 
fed up well, although plenty of ichneumons emerged later on. Another 
visit early in May for more revealed the fact, that owing to the invasion of 
a flock of starlings with a few cuckoos, there was scarcely one to be found. 
Out of a hundred pinned by my nephew, quite fifty were varieties, in 
fact there were not more than a dozen of the typical artemis, and 
some of them are “ gems.” One is transparent black with a blood-red 
spot on each wing, another without any scales at all, another with the 
left underwing pink like Euchelia jacobcece, two or three with a bright 
chain of canary-coloured spots, one similar to a small dull Colias edusa, 
and several again with broad deep black borders, and others more like 
small Hipparchias than “ Fritillaries.” I have altogether a row and a 
half of vars., and I may add there were very few of the varieties 
developed. I should like some opinion as to the “disease” and “ pig- 
ment ” theories. The larvae were kept in a tub under a shed, out of 
doors. — J. B, Hodgkinson. September, 1891. 
