368 REMARKABLE VARIETY OF VANESSA URTIC.E. 



ricea, mutabili vestitus : elytra attenuata, lanugine atropurpurea vestita: 

 abdomen late asneum : pro- et mesofemora rubra, apice nigra ; metafe- 

 momm dimidium basalem rubrum, apicalem nigrum. (Corp. long. 1*7 

 unc. lat. '45 unc.) i 



Antennae black : head glossy golden green, the space be- 

 tween the antennce is considerably elevated and longitudi- 

 nally striated, the space between the eyes is depressed : pro- 

 thorax golden green, and partially clothed with a velvetty 

 down, the colour of which is a rich, changeable, black-purple : 

 elytra attenuated towards the apex, of a velvetty black-purple 

 colour : the under side of the insect is a bright metallic green ; 

 the pro- and mewfemora are red, with the extreme apex black; 

 the metafemora have the basal half red, the apical half black; 

 the tihiiJB and tarsi are entirely black. 



Inhabits Navigator's Island. This splendid insect was 

 presented by His Grace the Duke of Northumberland, to the 

 collection of the British Museum. 



Notice of a remarkable variety o/" Vanessa Urticae taken at 

 Coventry. — As several instances of remarkable varieties in in- 

 sects have been recorded in former volumes of the * Maga- 

 zine of Natural History,' I trust I need make no apology on 

 the present occasion, for craving a small space in your pages, 

 to notice a very beautiful and extraordinary variety of Va- 

 nessa Urticce [Sup, PL xv.], which was taken during a dry 

 season in the month of August, about five or six years ago, 

 by Mr. Gee, in his garden at Coventry, and is now in his 

 possession. This insect presents an appearance so widely 

 different from that of the ordinary specimens of Vanessa 

 Urticce, that at first sight, it might readily be mistaken for a 

 distinct species. Indeed, the gentleman who first drew my 

 attention to it, himself an entomologist, observed to me that 

 it was unlike anything he had ever seen before, so much so, 

 that he knew not what to call it. There is, however, gene- 

 rally, about these unusual varieties, a certain indescribable 

 something, which enables a practised eye to detect the spe- 

 cies to which they belong. The present insect, in spite of 

 its dissimilarity, I feel no hesitation in at once referring to 

 Vanessa Urticce. The specimen, I should add, was in the 

 freshest and most perfect condition when captured, having 

 apparently but just emerged from the chrysalis. The accom- 

 panying coloured plate, w^hich is an accurate representation 

 of the insect, will give a more correct idea of it, than could 

 be conveyed by the most lengthened verbal description, — W. 

 T. Bree.—Allesley Rectory, May 21, 1840, 



