BUTTERFLIES AT WIMBLEDON. 41 



species taken are generally common in England, still I thought a few 

 notes, with special reference to the more interesting aberrations of those 

 taken, might he of some interest. Butterflies are rather poorly 

 represented in this district, Augiades sylvanus and Adopaea tiara heing 

 the only two species of " skippers " taken, and neither of these commonly. 

 Rumicia phlaeas has heen very common, especially during August, 1906. 

 The specimens show a good deal of variation in size, colour, and size 

 of dark markings. One specimen (June 3rd, 1906) measures just over 

 22mm., and one (also June 3rd, 1906) measures just 32mm. Specimens 

 of ab. intermedia, Tutt, and ab. caeruleopunetata, Buhl, were taken. 

 The size of the copper-coloured marginal hand on the hindwings is 

 very variable, heing, in some specimens, reduced to a narrow band with 

 fairly large wedge-shaped projections. The size of the spots on the 

 forewings of the specimens taken in August, 1906, are particularly 

 large but not so dark as usual, and the veins are marked in dark, and 

 several specimens are suffused with dark grey, especially towards the 

 base of the forewings (ab. initio,, Tutt), and some have distinct tails 

 (ab. initia-caudata, Tutt), as have some of the unsuflused specimens. 

 Some of the specimens taken in August, 1906, are very similar to ones 

 obtained by Mr. Merrifield by subjecting the pupa? to a temperature of 

 80° to 90°, hence I assume the hot summer was the cause of this 

 variation.* The only " blues " I have taken here are Celastrind argiolus 

 (not common) and Polyommatus icarus (common). The males of I'. 

 icarus are fairly constant in colour, all being lilac-blue, but one 

 specimen (August 5th, 1906) has a distinct trace of a marginal row of 

 black spots on the upperside of the hindwings (ab. celina, Oberth.). 

 In size the males vary from 26mm. (August 5th, 1906) to 32-6mm. 

 (August 13th, 1906). The underside of the males vary from the usual 

 blue-grey to a rich brown. The colour of the females are more variable, 

 two (August 8th, 1906) being entirely brown on the uppersides with 

 orange marginal spots (ab. iphis, Baumh.), and one (August 6th, 1906) 

 is almost completely lilac- blue, but ab. caerulea, Fuchs, appears to be 

 the usual form. Two males (August 13th, 1906) have but one basal 

 spot on each forewing (ab. iphis, Meig.), whilst one female (August 6th, 

 1906) has the left underside typical and the right one like ab. iphis, 

 Meig. In size the females are rather constant, only varving from 

 25mm. (August 8th, 1906) to 30mm. (August 11th, 1906). Of the 

 "whites" taken nearly all belonged to the first brood, Pieris brassicae 

 being the rarest of the three and P. rapae the commonest. Those 

 rapae taken in May and early June, consisting of var. metra, St., but 

 the females taken in 1906 were of a distinctly yellower shade than 

 those taken in 1905. Two females (September 2nd, 1906) of the 

 summer brood are almost indistinguishable from the spring brood. 

 Gonepteryx rhamni is fairly common in this district. 1 have never 

 taken any of the "fritillaries" in or near Wimbledon, but believe Dryas 

 paphia is to be taken occasionally on "the common." Of the Vanessids 

 I have not taken either Vanessa in or Eugonia polychloros here. 

 Aglais urticae is common and variable in size, varying from 53mm. 

 (September 10th, 1906) to 37mm. (June 30th, 1906, bred) (ab.pygmaea, 

 Riihl), but this small specimen is one of a bred series which was 

 accidentally more or less starved. The size of the two central spots 



* See Trans. Ent. Soc, Lond., 1893, pp. 55 to 67 and pi. iv., fig. 1 and la. 



