G 
mongrels) paired inter sc, and the larvae duly hatched. You will 
observe that the true X. ochsenheimeri shows considerable sexual 
dimorphism, the male being smaller than the female, the sixth spot 
(or lower of the outer pair of spots) being almost obsolete, with a 
distinct concavity on the outer margin of the hind-wing, -which is 
largely accentuated by the widening of the rather broad black margin 
at this area. The females show the same peculiarities, but less 
markedly than the males. You will also notice that the males of the 
cross exhibit very markedly the characters of the male of ochsenheimeri, 
the sixth spot, in all but two of the male specimens, being much 
reduced, and in a majority of the specimens the hind-wing is like that 
of ochsenheimeri. On the other hand, the females, with two exceptions, 
are strikingly Jilipendulae, and the hind-wing character is almost 
entirely lost.” Insects from the Cheshire coast, Bidston, etc.— 
Mr. Tutt exhibited some Lepidoptera from the Cheshire coast, 
Bidston, etc., and said :—“ The insects, which I exhibit for Mr. H. B. 
Prince, were captured on Wallasey sand-hills. The following par¬ 
ticulars about the specimens may be interesting : Nyssia zonaria.— 
These insects are remarkably uniform at first sight, and yet, when 
carefully examined, exhibit considerable variation. In some specimens 
the darker areas of the wings are but faintly developed, and the 
specimens have a very pallid and unicolorous appearance. At the 
opposite extreme, the transverse basal line is continued up to the costa, 
and the space between this and the next transverse line is filled in 
with dark grey shading, forming a more or less distinct transverse 
band. In other specimens the basal transverse line is almost, or 
quite, obsolete, and leaves the whole area, from the discoidal lunule 
to the base of the wing, with only the two dark longitudinal neurational 
markings. On the hind-wings there is an equal range of variation, 
the paler having scarcely any trace of the three transverse bands, 
which are very distinctly marked in the darkest specimens. The 
apterous females show no marked variation. Triphaena orbona 
(comes). — A moderately variable series, with nothing approaching the 
range of variation found among the Scotch specimens. Of the colour 
aberrations, you will observe the ab. adsequa, Tr. (pale grey), ab. prisea, 
Tutt (dark grey), ab. ochrca, Tutt (pale ochreous), and ab. rufo-ochrea 
(pale ochreous, tinted with red). For descriptions of these forms vide, 
licit. Noctuae and their Varieties, vol. ii.,pp. 9G-99. At the same time it 
will be observed that two or three specimens closely approach the 
ab. connuba, Hb., and the ab. subsequa, Haw. This is probably the usual 
range reached in our Southern and Midland English counties. 
Noctua xanthor/rapha . — Among these we get the usual range of 
variation, extending from the pale grey ab. cohaesa of Herrich-Schaffer, 
the typical xanthnprapha, Fab., the pale reddish-grey ab. rufescens, and 
an approach to ab. obscura, without reaching the range to which the 
Scotch specimens often reach. Triphaena pronuba . — The range in this 
series comprises some of the more usual forms. There is the pale 
grey type, the ab. ochrea, Tutt (greyish-ochreous form), the ab. 
brunnea, Tutt, and the ab. ochrea-brunnea, Tutt. Altogether the series 
tends to the darker aberrations. Mellinia cireellaris. — The series of 
this species is composed of about half each of the greyish-ochreous 
type (cireellaris), and the redder ab. ferrnpinea of Esper. The suffused 
ab. macilehta, Hb., is not represented. Orthosia lota. —These are a 
