38 THE entomologist's record. 



central France. I took it about the middle of August at Hyeres this 

 year in Avoody places near the golf links, at a time when P. ra/iae was 

 very common in all the open fields and along the roads, but one never 

 came across P. vianni far from the shelter of trees. Eecently I have 

 found its larva on Iberis liui folia near the well-known Costebelle quarries 

 (November 8th). The plants were growing in the shelter of trees. 

 The species is noted also from the Marseilles district as Pieris rapae, 

 var. nianni (2 exemplaires pris aux abords du Palais Longchamp en Mai 

 1905, Dr. Siepi). It probably occurs in most parts of Southern and 

 Central France, but it is no doubt often confused with P. rapae. 



Its flight is rather weaker and slower than that of P. rapae, but in 

 spite of that, it is not altca;/.'i an easy insect to take, for instance in such 

 spots as the steep Vernet locality above mentioned. It is very fond of 

 the flowers of the scabious, OrUianum, and others. Like P. rapae, this 

 species has several broods during the year, evolution being rapid in 

 summer time (rather less than a month from egs^ to perfect insect), 

 but much slower in autumn, when ova, laid at the beginning of August 

 at Vernet, did not produce pupae until mid-October and later ; these 

 pupfe are of the grey form and will probably not hatch until late 

 winter. The broods overlap in summer, so one can, at any time, find 

 perfect insects on the wing, thougTi there are times when fresh 

 specimens are scarce. A brood was in full swing the first week in 

 August, and another one at the end of that month and beginning of 

 September, but the insect became scarcer and scarcer as the month 

 advanced, particularly after the cold weather experienced during the 

 second week. 



I watched several females in the act of egglaying on August 4th in 

 the Gorge du Cady. The day was a fine, hot one, and the time between 

 11 a.m. and noon. The female selects, with great care, the plant on 

 which she lays her Qgg, generally examining a number before she finds 

 a satisfactory one. The egg is deposited on the underside of the leaf, 

 and almost invariably in a very sheltered position, on a branch under 

 a rock or in the shade of a bush into which she has to work her way. 

 Plants growing in deep crevices of rock or partly under big stones 

 where the sun does not reach them, are very often selected. I have 

 known of one female who laid her egg without giving much time to the 

 selection of the plant and its position. This was during a short spell 

 •of sunshine on a cloudy day, and she was evidently in a hurry to get 

 the operation over before clouds again covered the sun. The plant 

 was in an exposed situation and the egg was on the upperside of a 

 leaf, but the leaf was parti}' turned over. Whilst egglaying, the 

 female hangs on the leaf and, curving her body, quickly fixes the egg- 

 to the underside. Eggs are sometimes, but rarely, laid on the stem 

 near the growing point. They are always laid singly, the female 

 flying ofl' in search of another plant after each operation, but she will 

 sometimes return to the same plant again. The female will lay well 

 in captivity if the cage in which she is imprisoned with the fresh plant 

 be a fairly spacious one and exposed to sunlight and fresh air. It is 

 well to put in a few flowers, such as thistles and scabious, on which 

 she will feed before commencing to lay and during the intervals. The 

 plant should be sprinkled with water, as she will need drink from time 

 to time when the sun is shining on the cage. She rests occasionally 



