240 the entomologist's record. 



Centranthus ruber in my garden. Of the pupae obtained from eggs 

 deposited by her, fifteen produced imagines in August of the same year. 

 The other pupae lay over the winter and emerged in May and June, 

 1907. Among these latter appeared, on June 10th, a beautiful aberra- 

 tion which, occurring in a species so little liable to variation, may 

 perhaps be deemed worthy of a separate name. For this I have fixed 

 upon lacteomarginata, because the whole subterminal area (posterior 

 to the green central band) is entirely devoid of green, being of a dull 

 creamy-brown except for two small black, horizontal, wedge-shaped 

 marks, situated a little inside the outer margin, and about a third of 

 the way down it from the apex. This specimen was killed with 

 chloroform — an agent I have invariably used of late years in dealing 

 with delicate insects, on which I feel sure both ammonia and cyanide 

 of potassium have a deleterious effect, — (Rev.) G. H. Raynok, Haze- 

 leigh Rectory, Maldon. August 21th, 1907. 



^OTES ON LIFE-HISTORIES, LARVAE, &c. 



Egglaying of Emmelesia blandiata. — -There were thousands of 

 individuals of this species flying just before and just after the sun went 

 off the flower-covered banks, a little way above Goschenen, on the after- 

 noon of July 29th, 1907. They flew very gently directly above the 

 herbage, and the females, standing fairly high on the plants, deposited 

 their pale eggs on the upperside of the leaves of the eyebright, just 

 showing its earliest white flowers. I at first thought the moths 

 selected only the upper-sides of the leaves, but, as eggs were found in 

 very varying situations, I came to the conclusion that any position on 

 the upper part of the plant was chosen provided only that, at the 

 time, it was fairly well hidden, so that eggs were pushed in upon 

 the stem, or among the young leaves at the apex, as well as on the 

 leaves themselves. The eggs became more conspicuous as the plant 

 grew, but their change of colour made them considerably less so. 

 The species appeared to be very abundant right through the district. — 



J. W. TUTT. 



On the Pairing of Polyommatus icarus (alexis). — I found 

 Polyommatus icarus common to-day, the males very constant, the 

 females showing a good deal of variation both of upper and under- 

 sides. The species swarmed on the site of the old West Cumberland 

 Iron Works. The old tip-heaps are carpeted with restharrow, Lotus 

 comiculatus, Silene, etc. Some of the males were worn, but the 

 females were fine. The latter, when calling, seem to be very restless, 

 and I noticed a single instance of copulation taking place during flight. 

 I saw a female rise, and was watching it, when up came four males ; 

 they all made for the female, and one succeeded in joining itself 

 when about a yard from the ground. The actual contact I could not 

 see, as all were in a heap. The females are very lively, and lead the 

 males a merry dance before allowing sexual contact. Not once did a 

 male get in copula without several attempts and much fidgetting and 

 flying of the female. — Geo. Wilkinson, 241, Moss Bay Road, Working- 

 ton. July 15th, 1907. [This mode of pairing is so unusual a habit 

 among butterflies that one feels that further observation and informa- 

 tion is desirable. — Ed.] . 



