17 
smo <y conditions. Our familiar friend grossulariata can stand abso- 
u e y anything, in fact, it would seem the more confined and smoky 
e garden the larger the number of grossulariata there are to be 
ount. Although this insect thrives so well under dirty conditions, 
t .re appears to be no pronounced effort on the part of the insect to 
assimilate in colour to its environment in the perfect state, but in the 
anal state it undoubtedly does. I have frequently seen the larvae 
trom my own garden almost entirely black, and in great contrast to 
larvie beaten from blackthorn, where the atmosphere is pure and the 
bushes tree from soot. Another insect which has made itself entirely 
at home in the neighbourhood of houses is rhomboidaria. In this 
case the species, generally speaking, is much darker than country-bred 
ones, undoubtedly having been able to adapt itself to circumstances. 
Abrupt-aria is also making a brave effort to do the same, but I think it 
is generally conceded that melanic forms of abruptaria are more 
c elicate to breed than those of the type. This, I believe, would apply 
o a good many other species, and it would seem that the more delicate 
species die out in smoky districts, and those of more robust constitu¬ 
tions do their best to adapt themselves to environment. 
It is still a very debatable question as to the actual cause of 
melanism, but we are mostly agreed that when a species first shows 
signs of melanism, these examples most frequently occur in or around 
oui towns. A year or two ago I took one or two elinguaria in my 
garden with an unmistakable tendency to darken, and niy friend, Mr. 
. * ^ Winter, has in his cabinet a specimen of Zeuzera aesculi, taken 
in the north of London, with all the wings of a smoky colour, which 
may be looked upon as a case of protective resemblance, as undoubtedly 
it would be less conspicuous on a tree trunk, which is discoloured by 
London smoke, than an ordinary typical specimen would be in a 
similar position. 
As my collecting extends over some considerable number of years, 
I thought, perhaps, I might be allowed to give some account of one or 
two of the bygone collecting localities, where some of the early British 
Entomologists iisecl to frequent, with such good results. The principal 
spot in my mind is Hammersmith Marshes, and as I have frequently 
been asked where they used to exist, I hope I may be pardoned for in¬ 
troducing the subject. I imagine most of us have read, more particu¬ 
larly in Newman s book, the rich list of insects which used to occur in 
these marshes, and although their best days had gone even before I was 
able to do any serious collecting, I saw enough of them to be able to 
tell what a grand spot it must have been in its palmy days. 
The extent of these marshes, as I knew them, extended on the East 
from the Railway where now stands Addison Road Station (then only 
a goods line with no passenger traffic) to Shepherds Bush Road on the 
west, and Blyth Lane on the south. This space consisted principally 
of osier beds intersected with dykes or ditches of various width, and in 
most cases full of reeds and bullrushes. There was one large pond 
thickly surrounded with bullrushes, and the insect and pond iife was 
most luxuriant. We have only to look through Newman’s British Moths 
to see the number of wainscots that were to be had in that Entomo¬ 
logical Paradise, including such species as obsoleta, ulvae, and gemini- 
puncta. The Lepidopterist was not alone in his happiness, as the ponds 
were alive with every sort of aquatic insects, and the dragonflies were 
