THE entomologist's RECORD. 



saved for reference. I ought, perhaps, to state that I found 

 Poli/oiiiiiiafiia plieretes only on the slopes above the glacier d'Arolla, 

 on the left hand side of the glacier walking towards Mont CoUon, 

 whilst a half-dozen examples of P. euwednn were taken here and there 

 scattered over the slopes towards the Aiguilles Eouges. I have noted 

 here all the butterflies of which I brought away examples, I believe 

 also all that I observed. 



Notes on Laphygma exigua with descriptions of larva and pupa- 



By Paymaster-in-Chief GERVASE F. MATHEW, 

 R.N., F.L.S., F.E.S. 



On September 22nd, 1908, a fine breezy morning, with a fresh 

 wind from the south-east, I captured a male Laphijuina exii/na, which 

 I disturbed from among some masses of Antcr tripoliiiin in a salt- 

 marsh, where I was looking for larvae of CucuUia asteris. There had 

 been a strong wind from the east-south-east and south-east for three 

 days previous to this date, and the marsh Avas swarming with Pi/rMiieis- 

 cardui, Plnsia gamwa, and Stenoptenj.v hijbridalis, whereas, a day or 

 two before this wind set in, when I was in the same locality, none of 

 these insects were noticed. I think this pretty positive proof that they 

 were blown across from the continent, especially as many of the 

 P. cardui were much worn. Probably L. c.viijua was also blown over. 

 The same evening — while sugaring on the coast several miles from 

 this salt-marsh — I took a female L. exit/ua. The male was killed and 

 set, but the female I kept for eggs. On the 24th of the same month, 

 I took two more at sugar, but was not quite certain of their sex, 

 although I felt pretty sure one of them was a female. These three 

 were placed together in a large stone jar, with various stems and leaves 

 of low plants, some tow and pieces of paper, together with a bit of 

 sponge saturated with syrup, for the moths to feed on, and the jar was 

 then covered with muslin. The first eggs were noticed on the morn- 

 ing of October 2nd, a batch having been deposited on the muslin, 

 cover, and I was at once struck with their peculiar appearance, for they 

 looked as if they were clothed with a downy fluff, which seemed to be 

 fixed in an upright position upon them in little tufts. From this date 

 small batches of eggs continued to be deposited nearly every night up 

 to October 14th, at which date the last moth died. Most of the down 

 on the eggs attached to the muslin cover was rubbed oft' by the 

 fluttering moths, but on some of the batches deposited on pieces of 

 paper it remained until the larvae hatched. Mr. Bacot, to whom I 

 sent some of the ova, tells me that he considers thej^ are covered with silk, 

 spun by the parent moth, and not with scales derived from her body, 

 and I should not like to differ from this opinion ; but the batches 

 reminded me, in a small way, of those of Pmthetria di<i})ar. [For a 

 description of the eggs by Mr. A. W. Bacot, ridf Knt. llccnrd, xvi., 

 p. 55.] 



The first lot of eggs began to hatch on October 12th, and the little 

 larvjE commenced at once to devour their egg-shells, and also the scales 

 with which they were covered, and they occupied themselves in this way 

 from twelve to twenty-four hours, before they wandered off to seek for 

 other food. Viewed through a pocket-lens they were of a dark leaden 

 hue, with shining black heads and a few very minute bristles. They 



