66 the entomologist's record. 



May, 1905. The males of the summer brood are, in my experience, 

 decidedly small as a rule. 



Pyrameis cardui. — Habitat. — An insect with most catholic 

 tastes, occurring often in large numbers, in town and country, 

 in the desert wadis and the open Maryut Steppe, and in the most 

 thickly cultivated parts of the Delta and the Upper Nile Valley. 

 Distribution. — Throughout the Nile Valley, from Alexandria to 

 Assouan, at Khartoum (Graves) ; the Maryut Steppe (Marsden) ; 

 desert wadis, near Helwan (Graves, Guyot) ; Sinai (Guyot) ; 

 Port Said, etc., etc. Variation. — Fresh specimens frequently 

 more flushed with rose on the anterior wings than British P. 

 cardui. In size, they do not differ from British specimens, nor 

 vary much inter se. No aberrations noted. Foodplants. — Besides 

 thistles, the larva occasionally devours cotton plant according 

 to Mr. F. Willcocks, Entomologist to the Khedivial Agricultural 

 Society. Records of emergence, etc. — Alexandria district : June 15th, 

 1903 to June 29th, 1903, April 4th, 1904, September lst-15th, 1904. 

 Cairo district : Fresh, February 8th, 1903, March 22nd, 1903, April 5th, 



1903, August 30th-end of September, 1903 (abundant), October 16th, 

 1903 (abundant), November 11th, 1904. Port Said : June 13th, 1905. 

 Maryut district: Very common, May 5th, 1903, flying in swarms on 

 low slopes of limestone above Sidi Merghab Village. Khartoum: 

 Worn specimens, February 1st- 5th, 1906, in gardens. May be seen, 

 worn or fresh, in any month in the year, but in my experience is, if 

 anything, most abundant in April and May, though I have also seen it 

 in large numbers in June and in October. Desert localities. — Wadi 

 Pushed, near Helwan, very common on thistles, March 17th, 1905, 

 and April 28th, 1905; Wadi Hof, April 22nd, 1903; Mokatam 

 Plateau, October 21st, 1903. 



Pyrameis atalanta. — Habitat : Occurs both at Alexandria and 

 Cairo, but rarely in the latter locality, where I have only taken one 

 specimen, though I have every year seen odd specimens in gardens in 

 the European quarter. It is not very uncommon in gardens, etc., at 

 Alexandria and Ramleh, especially in March, April, and May. Time 

 of appearance. — Cairo : Near Cairo : January 28th, 1903 ; Ezbet el 

 Nahhle, near Cairo, October 18th, 1905 ; Cairo — Kasrel Donbara 

 quarter, seen February, 1904, and October, 1906. Pyrameis atalanta 

 has been more common than usual at Cairo this winter, 1906-7 

 (Willcocks). Alexandria: May 7th, 1903 ; commencement of March 

 to commencement of May, 1904. 



Pararge MEGiERA. — Syria : Habitat. — Occurs throughout the 

 Lebanon region from sea-level to the summits. Variation. — Not very 

 extensive as far as my limited experince goes. The dark band across 

 the centre of the anterior wings is, in July specimens, more heavily 

 powdered with light yellowish-brown scales than is the case with my 

 British specimens, and the underside of the posterior wings has a 

 more ashy-grey appearance. [Of. Staudinger's description of var. 

 lyssa, " alis posterioribus subtus cinerascentibus."] Time of appear- 

 ance. — A few worn specimens seen high up (5000 feet) above Baalbek, 

 May 29th, 1905, and one very worn on the Jebel Baronk above Ain 

 Zahalta, June 3rd. It was fairly common between July 10fch-30th, 



1904, at Ain Zahalta, at altitudes of 3000ft. -4000ft., especially hauntiug 

 dry grassy banks. Dog River, July 8th, 1904. 



