CURRENT NOTES. 145 



One of the last of the strenuous band of recorders of the local fauna 

 of Hastings during the latter part of the nineteenth century has just 

 passed away in the death of the genial rector of Guestling, the Rev. 

 E. N. Blomfield. 'Tis nearly a quarter of a century since, in company 

 with Mr. A. Ford, we spent a very happy day at the rectory and listened 

 to reminiscences of hunting days, and saw specimens of local interest, 

 including Envanessa antUypa, taken in his own parish by his own hands. 

 Active to the last, he kept up his correspondence with workers of many 

 orders, and was ever ready to impart to others his knowledge of aught 

 that was local. Even after he had reached his eightieth year he was 

 more than once present at the Verrall supper in London, and seemed 

 to have changed but little since the time when we first met him in his 

 beautiful home near Hastings. 



We have received as a separatum an account of a trip made in May 

 and June, 1913, to Albarracin, Central Spain, by Mr. W. G. Sheldon, 

 who, in company with Mr. A. H. Jones, spent some six weeks there. 

 The author paid particular attention to the variation of the Rhopalocera, 

 and has diagnosed and named the following new forms. A number of 

 Aylals urticae were bred and found to be a large race with average 

 wing expanse of 60mm., comparable in richness of ground colour to 

 var. ichnnsa of Corsica, with a very wide band on the hindwings, and 

 almost total suppression of pale patches in the tawny bands on the 

 forewings. To this the name var. teruelensis is given. Krebia epistyyne 

 was not uncommon locally and was smaller than the French race, aver- 

 agmg only 46mm. in expanse of wing, and having a narrow, dark anal 

 border to the forewing and lighter tip, while the ocelli on all the wings 

 are well emphasised. The undersides are grey rather than brown. 

 This Spanish form Mr. Sheldon calls var. viriathax. A very strongly 

 marked form of Epinephele bjcaon, with ocelli on the forewings much 

 enlarged with black shading, especially the lower one, is named ab. 

 boopis. These three new forms are very clearly portrayed on the plate 

 which accompanies the letterpress. A fine series of the beautiful 

 Melitaea desfontainii was obtained, as well as many other choice and 

 local species and forms. 



Mr. H. H. Brindley, of St. John's College, Cambridge, is still 

 continuing his investigations into the bionomics of Forjicula 

 auricularia. Two articles have recently appeared in the Proceedini/a of 

 the Cainbr'uhje Philusopldcal Society, " The Proportions of the Sexes of 

 For/icula aarictdaria in the Scilly Islands," and " Notes on the 

 Breeding of Forpcida auricularia." In the former paper the author 

 says that " The present study of the earwigs of the Scilly Isles, as a 

 whole, does no more than bring to light the facts recited, but they 

 suggest that the group is a favourable and ea.sily accessible locality for 

 a full investigation as to sex-inheritance, influence of parasites and of 

 environmental conditions." The latter paper gives an account of the 

 rearing of the species, for the first time in captivity, from the egg to 

 maturity. 



In the Scottish Naturalist for March, Mr. Wm. Evans has com- 

 menced an article, which will no doubt be of much interest and 

 usefulness, on the " Lepidoptera (Moths) and other insects at Scottish 

 Lighthouses, chiefly in the Forth area." The writer has paid a very 

 kmdly tribute to our late editor, Mr. J. W. Tutt, from whose " able 



