14i2 [June, 



Biorhiza terminalis. — In tlie last Monograph published on the Oak Galls it is 

 stated that the King Charles apple, the gall so much sought after by boys, on May 

 29th, produces not infrequently wingless females. Never having obtained any such 

 from galls collected in South Devon, I should be glad to receive galls of this species 

 from any other part of England not later than the middle of June. — Id. 



Hyetodesia vagans. Fin., near Birmingham. — Mr. Meade, in his new descriptive 

 list of Anthomyidce, says of this species, " I received a pair of typical specimens from 

 M. Schnabl, of Warsaw, but have not seen an English one. I include it in the 

 British list because it has been recorded by Walker and others." Having a small 

 series in my collection which I considered represented this insect, I forwarded a pair 

 to Mr. Meade for examination, and he returns them as quite correct, and very well 

 marked specimens. The flies occur in Sutton Park at the end of May and beginning 

 of June on palings. I have taken two males and five females. It is placed among 

 the reputed species in Mr. Verrall's list, but may now be restored to its original 

 position.— Ralph C. Bradley, Sutton Coldfield : May ^th, 1897. 



Variety of Vanessa urticcB. — A very beautiful variety of Vanessa urticce has 

 just been brought to me for examination by Mr. Walliss Penn-Gaskell, a young 

 gentleman who, to all appearance, has not as yet left behind the " lucky " stage of 

 the young collector. In this specimen the second and third costal black spots are 

 united by a purple-black cloud, the dorsal black spot is enlarged and angulated, 

 almost diamond shaped ; the two small black spots usually placed just outside it are 

 totally absent, and the area in which they should lie is of a deep rich red with but 

 faint trace of any yellow cloud ; the blue spots of the hind margin are moreover 

 pushed inward by an unusual breadth of blackened margin. In the hind-wings 

 this last peculiarity is even more conspicuous, the black border being very broad, 

 and, at the same time, the large black space from the base is so extended that of the 

 usual orange-red space there is but a partial narrow band. Altogether the specimen 

 approaches in colour, and absence of the two small black spots of the fore-wings, to 

 the South European variety Ichnusa ; but differs from it in the far greater extent 

 of black margin and black surface in the hind-wings, in these respects approaching 

 nearer to the variety figured by Noel Humphreys on the illustrated title-page of his 

 " Genera and Species of British Butterflies." Of the present specimen Mr. Penn- 

 Gaskell writes, " It was taken flying over the road leading to Kanmore Common 

 from the Station at Bookham, Surrey, on June 27th, 1896. A good number of or- 

 dinary V. urtica were flying at the time about the flowers in a cottage garden close 

 by."— Chas. G. Baeeett, 39, Linden Grove, Nunhead, S.E. : May lOth, 1897. 



Temperature Experiments and Hybridity. — The very remarkable series of speci- 

 mens illustrating variation caused by temperature, exhibited by Mr. Merrifield and 

 Dr. Standfuss at the Royal Society's Conversazione on May 19th, and also Dr. 

 Standfuss' hybrid Lepidoptera, will be on view for a short time in the Insect Gallery 

 at the British Museum (Nat. Hist.), Cromwell Road. — Eds. 



Baron de Selys-Longchamps. — At the meeting of the Societe Entomologique de 

 France, April 28th, the death of my venerable friend was reported by the President. 

 It is happily untrue ; he is in perfect health. — R. McLachlan, May 2\st, 1897. 



