108 THE entomologist's record. 



Aphodius tesselatus, Payk., at Birkdale. — -I took a small series 

 of this species on the Birkdale sandhills, on March 21st, by dint of 

 examining large numbers of A. inquinatns. It does not appear to have 

 been taken previously in the Southport district. — Ibid. 



W"ARIATION. 



Possible gynandromorphous specimen of Thymelicus thau.mas. — 

 It may, perhaps, interest your readers to know that, on July 22nd, 

 1900, I took a male example of Hesperia {Thi/iiielicHs) thaionas, Hufn., 

 at Ashton Wold, Oundle, which entirely lacks the cell streak. Has 

 this peculiar form been previously recorded ?— N. C. Rothschild, B.A. 

 March 25th, 1905. 



Melanic Phigalia pedaria in Middlesex. — I took a very fine 

 melanic 3^ Phij/alia pedaria here on February 26th. This is quite a 

 new form for the district. — H. M. Edelsten, F.E.S., Forty Hill, 

 Enfield. March llth, 1905. 



Jg^OTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



Early Lepidoptera. — On the evening of March 19th, I took a 

 specimen of Ainblyptilia acanthodactyla, and on the night of the 22nd, 

 Xylina ornithopiix, one only, at sallow in my own garden. Harwood 

 has taken both at Colchester, and Howard- Vaughan records A. 

 aranthodactyla from Leigh, but they have not apparently occurred else- 

 where in the county. It appears extraordinary, their occurring at 

 Hazeleigh, and my never having come across them all these years.— G. 

 H. Rarnor, M.A., Hazeleigh Rectory, Maiden. — March 23/y/, 1905. 



Soaring habit in Gonepteryx rhamni. What are the pairing 

 HABITS OF THE SPECIES ? — Under " Lepidoptera observed at Basle " 

 (Ent. Record, March 15th), I notice our Editor alludes to the peculiar 

 aerial flight of Crdias hyale when (presumably) courting. Over and 

 over again I have witnessed the same habit in the case of Gonepteryx 

 rhamni, and Avith the same result, that is to say, with no result what- 

 ever. The insects, after a prolonged excursion upwards, return to ^Mother 

 Earth, only to fly oft" in opposite directions, leaving the spectator in 

 wonderment as to all this, apparently, useless fuss. Though I have no 

 better solution to oft'er than the one suggested, I rather doubt its 

 being correct. A butterfly's life is not so long, nor the hours 

 of sunshine too numerous, that it can aftbrd to waste much time 

 in frivolous flirtations. The fluttering action of the ? (distinct 

 from the flight of the <?), under the circumstances, certainly gives 

 one the impression that she is doing her utmost to attract the 

 (J . However, if the performance is a mere demonstration, it 

 is singular that it should be of such constant occurrence, w^hereas 

 the actual pairing is so seldom (at least in my case) observed. 

 G. rhamni appears every spring in my gardens in considerable 

 numbers, the ^ s come out first, and, throughout the season, are 

 greatly in excess of the ? s. (On March 12th I noted three <? s 

 together in one spot.) Some years scarcely a J is to be seen, yet the 

 supply does not appear to vary much from one season to another. 

 May it be that the 2 s keep more in hiding and show less on the 

 wing ? Although I have ample opportunities of observing G. rhamni 

 in all its stages, I am still in ignorance as to this matter of pairing- - 

 when and where does it take place ? There seem to be some mysteries 



