CURRENT NOTES. 191 



found a few larva? of Ganin'tra /lapiliiinaria on the birches, and a fair 

 number of those of Aiin'uph a}>riliiia in the crevices of oak-trunks. — J. 

 Alderson, 14, Daiibrne Road, Upper Tooting, S.W. Jinw 2n(l, 1910. 

 Pachetra leucoph.ea, etc., in North Kent. — It appears to nie to 

 be worth recording the capture of I'ailntya Ic'icnp/iaea at Haihng 

 yesterday ; it was resting on the trunk of a beech-tree at the top of the 

 downs. I saw very few butterflies, the most interesting were Cclas- 

 tn'na cm/ioluK and Breut/iis t'lip/imsi/ite. — J. Ovenden, Frindsbury Road, 

 Strood." June 9tli, 1910. 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 



A Sexual Habit in Satyrus HEKiMioNE.--In August, 1909, in the 

 Austrian Tirol I observed two specimens of Sati/nm hennionc, a 

 <? and 9 , fly up together from the ground several times and rest 

 on the ground for a considerable time between the flights. They 

 were then carefully watched. The ? was fairly fresh, the 3 

 considerably worn, having large pieces out of all four wings, quite 

 half of the forewings being absent. The butterflies seemed to be 

 evidently playing, there appeared to be no attempt whatever at court- 

 ship. As the two insects circle round each other and settle on the 

 ground, they come face to face, the wings touching over the back. 

 The 2 heriiiioiu' then throws her wings quite forward as she 

 stands facing the 3 ; the latter also throws his forward, then 

 depresses them slightly and follows this up by bringing them up 

 quickly so as to rub the edges of the costa of those of the $ on 

 the underside. The 3 also uses his antennte to strike the antenme 

 of the 2 and appears to do this several times, but, as soon as he 

 gets too close, the ? makes several sharp butts at him, sometimes 

 settling down again, whilst, at other times, this is the signal for both to 

 rise in the air, when they circle round and settle down again. The 2 

 stands quite still during the operation, until the J disturbs her sufiiciently 

 for her to butt at him. This habit appears to have nothing whatever 

 to do with paii'ing and is continued for perhaps five to ten minutes 

 before they fly oft' in dift'erent directions. In the particular case 

 described they were unfortunately disturbed before doing so of their 

 own accord. — A. M. Cochrane, Lewisham. Marcli, 1910. 



(CURRENT NOTES. 



It is with great pleasure that we are able to congratulate !Mr. 

 Selwyn Image, M. A., F.E.S., poet and artist, and one of the IMembers of 

 the Council of the Entomological Society of London, on his appoint- 

 ment to the Slade Professorship of l"'ine Art in the University of Oxford, 

 of which Chair Ruskin was the first occupant. The charming poems that 

 he has so often permitted us to print at Christmastidc or in tho New Year 

 are known to all our readers, whilst his work for the furtberance of Art 

 is recognised by all educated men throughout the country. His last 

 achievement entoniologically and artistically has been the designing of 

 a seal for the Entomological Society of London. 



Dr. I). Sharp separates Melanoiihthahna from Coiticarina, merging 

 the latter however in Corticaria. He places the British species 



