86 THE entomologist's RECORD. 



justified in assuming that no such specimens had come to his notice. 

 His description, however, in addition to repeating the description from 

 his British Biitterfiies (1B96, p. 167), quoted bj Mr. Pickett, says, 

 " Irregularity in the blue sraliiui is a not uncommon feature, specimens 

 with one or even all, the wings irregularly and asymmetrically marked 

 with blue scales, are frequently observed," which is surely wide enough 

 to cover the present form, even if that form was not present to the 

 writer's mind. 



However this may be. Dr. Cockayne has clearly proved these 

 Eoyston specimens to be distinct from what we formerly knew as 

 .ineq}(aliii, in strKctiire, apart altogether from markiivi, and this may or 

 may not justify Mr. Pickett's action in applying a varietal name. 

 This depends upon whether a form which differs from the normal in 

 possessing sexual characters of the other sex, is properly called an 

 " aberration," and is a question I do not feel competent tc discuss. Tutt 

 admits {Nat. Hist, nf t/ir Brit. Butts., iv., 13) a suspicion that his 

 ineijHalis are gynandromorphic in some degree, though it does not 

 appear that he ever investigated them microscopically. 



I do not wish to use the columns of the hhit. lief, for the purpose 

 of criticising the work of a fellow-worker (the paper would be more 

 appreciated by the general entomological public if others exercised the 

 same discretion), but I should like Mr. Pickett to give us a detailed 

 description of ab. rnijstonensis, and particularly to say if the name 

 includes : — 



{a) The male specimen referred to in the Eut. Bee, xxvi., p. 60. 



(h) Specimens with the blue scaling on the lanjer side. (One was 

 recently exhibited by Dr. Cockayne at a meeting of the London 

 Natural History Society.) 



(c) The small stjiiinietrical specimen with blue scaling on all four 

 wings {Ent. Bee, xxvi., p. 275). 



(d) The asymmetrical forms with no blue scaling. (Ibid.) 



(e) The specimens I recorded {ibid., p. 272) in which there are 

 ■" blue sprinkled " areas, though the wings are symmetrical as far as 

 size is concerned. 



If Mr. Pickett will clear up these points the specialist of the future 

 will at any rate know what he has to deal with, and not have to guess 

 at the meaning of the name. At present one is referred from one 

 paper to another, but arrives at no conclusion. — Harold B. Williams, 

 82, Filev Avenue, Stoke Newington, N. 



:g{^OTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



Thaumatopcea processioxea, L. (Processionary Moth). — On our 

 arrival at Pallanza, Lago Maggiore, February 11th, 1914, we came 

 across a band of Processionary caterpillars, evidently going out, or 

 returning from, feeding. They formed a line the shape of a right- 

 angle across the path in the garden of Hotel Castagnola (south 

 aspect). It was then about 2.30 p.m. — sunny, but cold, and snow lay 

 in patches in the shade. 



The next morning, which was damp and showery, we again saw a 

 few — possibly the end of another "procession." At the moment it 

 was fine, although it rained shortly afterwards. 



The vegetation in the garden itself was distinctly tropical — but, as 



