186 THK KNTOMOLOGIST's KECORD. 



counties, Aberdeen, Argyll, Ayr, Dumbarton, Lanark, Mid-Lothian, 

 Moray, Nairn, Perth, Konfrew, Roxburgh, Stirling, Sutherland and 

 "Wigtown. Thus Ross is apparently a new record. — H.J.T.] 



A Query. — I enclose a larva or worm recently found in a goose- 

 berry-bush. It is certainly not a caterpillar, but I would be greatly 

 obliged if you could identify it for me. — Ibid. 



[The specimen enclosed was a " thread worm," probably belonging 

 to the genus Alernii^, the species of which are parasitical within the 

 Insecta and at certain times make their way out by perforating their 

 hosts, and hide themselves in the moist soil. There they reproduce, 

 and the embryos, born viviparously, pass some time in the ground. 

 They wander in search of an insect host, the caterpillar of a moth or 

 beetle for instance, which they penetrate by means of a sharp stylet 

 that is hidden within the head Avhen not in use. Large numbers of 

 these worms are sometimes found in the soil, and I have seen them on 

 more than one occasion in numbers on the heads of flowers, no doubt 

 in search of hosts. In August, 1907, one of these worms 5Jins. in 

 length emerged from a specimen of Erebia liijea, which a week or two 

 before I had captured and papered on the shores of Lake Lucerne. 

 Dr. Chapman records another from an imago of K. eurycde, and Mr. 

 Jiiger another which emerged from a larva of a CuculUa (Proc. S. Loud. 

 Ent. ami N.H.S., 1907 and 1911).— H.J.T.] 



CURRENT NOTES AND SHORT NOTICES. 



In the April number of the Kntoinoloiiist Mr. Gervase F. Mathew 

 announces a recurrent form of Aictia villiva, at Dovercourt, in which 

 there is a very large apical white blotch extending one-third along the 

 costa and along almost the whole of the outer margin, and including 

 only one or two specks as remains of the usual black area. This 

 form he names ab. ivardi, in honour of its finder Col. Ward, some 

 twenty years ago. A figure of the aberration is given in the text. 

 Mr. Mathew also records and names as ab. unipunctalis a specimen of 

 PijraliH costalia taken in July, 1906, at sugar, in which the usual rosy 

 grey of the wings is replaced by deep maroon, or plum colour, without 

 transverse lines and the large yellow spots on the costa reduced to one 

 minute, dull yellow spot, near the apex. He also calls attention to the 

 variation exhibited by a long series of Gownlontis bidentata, bred from 

 county Cork, which varied from pale straw, through biscuit colour, 

 richer biscuit tone, pale ochreous, golden brown to warm brown, with 

 much diversity in lines and discal spots. 



In the conclusion of his notes in the Hntowolof/ist, on butterfly 

 hunting at Larche, Mr. Rowland-Brown describes the form of the <? 

 of Albidina {Pulijoiniiidtus) phereteft, from the Ornaye Valley, under the 

 name of ab. azurica. The ground colour of the upperside is black, not 

 brown, the discoidal spot on the forewings is large and of the lovely 

 azure hue as on the wings of the male, with the basal area of all four 

 wings heavily scaled with blue of the same brilliancy. At the same 

 time Mr. Rowland-Brown reports an example of Brenthis pales, from 

 the Ornaye Valley, in which the rufous ground of the upperside of the 

 forewings is entirely replaced by creamy white, and he names it as ab. 

 primida. 



