CURRENT NOTES. 75 



fact that the sura total of actual knowledge of more than two 

 dozen British lepidopterists, certainly including three or four of the 

 best-informed field-lepidopterists in the country, amounted to so 

 little that it really seemed amazing that, of actual simple details, such 

 as, where the egg of each British species is naturally laid, Avhat the 

 newly-hatched larvae are like, where the newly-hatched larvae and 

 larvffi in the early instars feed, and how these habits differ from 

 those of the later instars, practically nothing was known of even 

 such common species as ^E(./eria tipuliformis, ^5?. ci/iiipifnriiiis, .35. 

 viyopiforwis, .£'. iclineutnoniformis, .E, ctdiciformis, or even the much- 

 bred .i]. chrysidiformis, and .E. mnscifonuis. Of course, something was 

 known of Trochiliuni hemheciforme, in the egg and later larval (and 

 pupal) stages, and even of most of those named above in the late larval 

 and pupal stages, but of the early life-histories in nature, most of the 

 members present expressed profound ignorance. 



The value of a really good collection of British insects was well- 

 illustrated by the sale of the first part of the "Maddison" collection at 

 Stevens' sale rooms, on February '23rd and 24th. To outsiders, some 

 of the prices will seem remarkable, and even to those who know some- 

 thing of the value of good British insects, the prices will prove 

 interesting. Aberrations of Gonepteiijx rhanini, £Q 10s., £2 15s., 

 £1 15s.; of Dryas iiaplna, £8; Avfiynim aylaia, £9 10s.; lirentliis 

 eiip/irosyne £9 ; Melitaea nthalia, £9 ; Fjiivanessa aiitiapa, £7 ; Kityoiiia 

 polychloro.i, £7 10s. ; Aylais iirticae, £3 6s., £4 10s., £1 5s., £1 Is. 

 each ; Vanesaa in, £2 ; Pyraiiieis atalanta, £2 and £5 each ; Apatura 

 irift, £7 and £3 each ; Liinenitis dbylla, £1 15s., £1 Is., £1 Is. each ; £2, 

 £1 12s. 6d. for two; Epinephele tithonu^ £8 10s., and £2 each; Epine- 

 phele ianira, £6, £2 2s. each ; Chn/wphaniis dispar, £5, £5, £2 6s., 

 £4 15s., £8 15., £2 15s., £4 5s., £1 Ss., £3 5s. each for males, £4 5s., 

 £4 5s., £5 10s., £2 15s., £4 5s., £3 10s. each for females; Humicia 

 phlaeas £1 10s., £2 2s., £2, etc. ; Ayriadex corydon, £1 15s., £1 10s., 

 £1, £1 10s. per pair; PolyoijiiiiatiiH u-arits, gynandromorphs, £2., 

 £1 15s., £1 7s. 6d., £1, £1 10s. each; an underside aberration, £2; 

 another, £1 12s. Gd. ; (Jyanin's sewiaryiin, £1, £1 10s., £1 8s., £1 10s., 

 and 10s. per pair ; Flebeiiis aeyon, four gynandromorphs, £8 5s. ; 

 Cdaatrina aryi(diis ab. fiiibtiiaradiata, £1 12s. 6d. The whole of the 

 butterflies produced just about £860, a record, one supposes, for a 

 collection of British butterflies alone. 



The price brought by the Arctia caia in Mr. Maddison's collection 

 are worth notmg — Lot 385 (16 specimens), 5s. ; lot 386 (9), 6s ; lot 

 387 (3), 5s. ; lot 388 (2), 6s.; lot 889 (3), 8s. ; lots 390 and 891 (15), 

 10s. ; lot 392 (1), £1 15s. ; lot 393 (1), 16s. ; lot 394 (1), £1 Is. ; lot 

 395 (1), 15s. ; lot 396 (9), 7s.; lot 897 (11), 10s. ; lot 898 (8), 18s. ; 

 lot 399 (1), £5 10s. ; lot 400 (1), £8 15s. ; lot 401 (1), 10s. 6d. ; lot 

 402 (8), 12s.; lot 403 (3), 10s.; lot 404 (8), 14s.; lot 405 (1), £2 15s.; 

 lot 406 (3), 10s. ; lot 407 (8), 12s. ; lot 408 (12), 10s. ; lot 409 (12), 

 10s.; lot 410 (5), lis.; lot 411 (5), 17s.; lot 412 (7), 6s.; lot 418 (1), 

 £2 2s. ; lot 414 (1), £18 ; lot 415 (2), 12s. ; lot 417 (2), 22s. ; lot 418 

 (1), £6 ; lot 419 (1), £1 ; lot 420 (1), 123. ; lot 421 (12), 10s. ; lot 422 

 (6), 9s. ; lot 423 (5), 6s. ; lot 424 (1), £2 2s.; lot 425 (1), £3 10s.; lot 

 426 (2), £1 Is. Of these, the mo.^^t remarkable, and possibly valuable, 

 specimen scientitically, was one in lot 410 (with five wings) from 

 Gregson's collection, and figured by Mosley, the lot going, as noted 

 above, for lis. The series produced £64 Os. 6d. 



