SCtENTItiC NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. iBl 



subfamily of thg Pieridiilae ? Unless soinothing has been discovered 

 quite recently, Pacudopontia jiarado.ra, Kirby, is the only known 

 species of the genus, and that is probably not a hutterjUj at all. As 

 nothing is known of its mctauiorphosis, and everything about it seems 

 abnormal, it would be interesting to know whether the learned author 

 has been guided in his conclusions by a study of its basal-lleck alone — 

 or has " taken into consideration other characters — affording a test 

 of relationship " with the Rhopalocera. — Hakry Moore, 12, Lower 

 Hoad, Kothorhithe. •hmc Vdth, 1898. 



:ii^OTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



A day's 15UTTERFLY iiuNTiNU IN Pkovence. — A fcw uiiles fruiu 

 Nimes is Kenioulins whence one walks to the Pont du Gard, a fine old 

 Roman aqueduct, that stretches over the river a few miles above the 

 town. Between Remoulius and the Pout du Gard, a wide stretch of 

 waste land on the low hills to the left, had been well spoken of as an 

 excellent collecting grt)und by Messrs. Nicholson and Jones, so when, 

 on April 21 st last, a day had to be spent mainly on matters arcluuological. 

 Dr. Chapman, JNIr. Edwards, and myself pocketed our nets and pill- 

 boxes, intent on kee[)iug an eye open for any entomological specimens 

 that might come in our way. 



It is needless to dwell on tlie natural beauties of the place. Suffice 

 it to say that the delightful Mediterranean flora still holds sway, 

 and blossoming fields were everywhere. We had only some tive hours 

 at our disposal, in which a long walk to the Pout du Gard and back 

 had to be negotiated, aud I was more or less an invalid. Om- walk 

 resulted, however, iu the following captures : Pajnlio podaUrins, large, 

 and in varying condition, some (juitc ragged, aud others (|uite fresh, 

 frecjueutly flew past us, whilst only one P. machaon was observed. Pier is 

 brassicae and P. rapac abundant, and P. napi not common — P. rapae 

 small and jjoorly marked, P. napi of full size, aud with scarcely any 

 })ale markings. But first aud foremost of all tlie butterflies was 

 Go)iopt<.'njx cli'opatra. It was a common sight to see three or four 

 females flying over a single scrubby clump of lihamnns (dafcruns 

 laying their eggs, with several males hovering about. Then Co/ias 

 c'dnnu would dash i)ast, the specimens very small, aud looking as it 

 even here, their winter fare had not quite agreed with them ; a fine 

 ab. hclice, Hb., was also taken by the doctor. One C hi/ale only was 

 seen, but not taken. As to which was the commonest " white," the 

 doctor and I disagi'ce. He insists that the palm must be given to 

 Anthocharis bclia, I as unhesitatingly award it to Pieris dajjlidice. 

 I netted more thau a score of the latter to about two or three specimens 

 of the former; the doctor's uund)ersnuist have been just about reversed. 

 Only a small proportion of either species was fit to set, evidently they 

 were already going over. Flitting commonly among the underwood, 

 (|uite at the base of the little hills, aud in the little lateral valleys, was 

 the charming Piirhlor cup/wiioidrs, and with it its near ally, P. carda- 

 mines. No one can imagine the delightful scusation created by a 

 sight of the first of these two beautiful insects, its sulphur-yellow and 

 bright orange tip rendering it a most cons])icuous object on the wing, 

 and yet at rest, on a Hower-head of Bisciddla lacviijata, the food- 

 plant of its larva, it is practically invisible. Tlic females, on the 



