304 THE entomologist's record. 



profusion from aspens growing near Loch An-Eilan. Many of the 

 specimens were slightly immature, and as the species had been taken 

 early in June by Mr. Donisthorpe, near Braemar, there is little doubt 

 that this insect is double brooded. Experiments with Ants' Nests. — ■ 

 Mr. W. C. Crawley exhibited a colony of the ant Lasius nit/er which 

 had accepted as queen a 5 of Lasius umbratus in 1908. Up to this- 

 autumn the only ants which had come to maturity in the nest were 

 pure Lasius nii/er, thus confirming Reichenbach's experiments 

 (Biologische CentralblaU, July 15th, 1902, p. 461), that Lasius ni(/er ^ s 

 are able to produce ^ s parthenogenetically. It was hitherto supposed 

 that ^ s of ants could only lay eggs that produced J s, on the analogy 

 of bees. A similar colony dating from 1896 gave similar results 

 (Science Gossip, May 1900). In connection with Mr. Crawley's exhibit 

 Mr. H. St. J. Donisthorpe exhibited S" s, winged and wingless J s 

 and ^ s of Lasius nit/er and L. uwbratus for comparison. He remarked 

 that umbratus w^as a scarce but widely distributed ant of considerable 

 interest. Mr. Barnes has recorded nine wingless $ s in a nest of 

 Formica sauf/uinea, at Wellington College, and he himself had found 



^ s in some numbers on several occasions with the same ant at 

 Woking. Wasmann has recorded umbratus withniger. It is probable 

 that L. 7nubratus $ is unable to found her own nests, and is a. 

 temporary social parasite on nii/er, Mr. Crawley's observations and 

 experiments go to confirm this. Mr Donisthorpe also exhibited J s, 

 winged and wingless 2 s, and ^ s of Lasius fulifjuwsus, and pointed out 

 that it was now proved that the 5 s of this ant often founded their 

 colonies with ui)d>ratus. He quoted Wasmann, Forel, Eney, Crawley, 

 and his own observations, and stated that Crawley and he intended to- 

 make experiments with these ants next year. In connection with the 



^ s bred in Mr. Crawley's nest from parthenogenetic eggs laid by the 

 nif/er ^ s, he added that Reichenbach had bred 300 ^ s and several 

 dozen 3 s from eggs laid by twelve niger ^ s, from 1899 to 1902. 

 Mrs. Comstock has also reared ^ s in a 5 less nest of L. jiiger var. 

 americanus, in 1902, in America. These facts confute Dzierzon's hypo- 

 thesis, which has been tacitly extended to ants, that parthenogenetic 

 eggs laid by the honey-bee ^ s only produce <? s. This has never been 

 properly demonstrated. Finally, he remarked that it was a pity that 



5 ants had been treated, and expected to behave, like $ bees,, 

 which was not the case, and it had no doubt retarded their proper study. 

 Close Resemblance or Butterflies from South America. — Mr. W. 

 J. Kaye exhibited specimens of Eueides parana (Heliconidae), Actiimte 

 thalia (Acraeidae), and L)ismorphia actinnte from S. Brazil. Comment 

 was made as to the very close resemblance between the first two. The 

 resemblance was greatest on the underside, but the upperside also 

 showed considerable convergence of colouring. The specimen of E.. 

 pavana exhibited had been caught and papered by Mr. Kaye as an 

 example of the common Actinote thalia. The specimen of Dismorjiliia- 

 actinotc caught on the Corcovado at Rio de Janeiro, was shown 

 principally as a mimetic species, for which a sharp look-out was kept,, 

 while the much more convergent Heliconidae had been passed over,, 

 because unsuspected. The Disuwrpliia, while only a partial approach 

 to the Actinote on the upperside, was extremely close on the underside,, 

 with the hindwing brought well over the forewing in an attitude of 

 rest. Aberrant Lepidoptera. — Mr. L. W. Newman exhibited 



