188 THE entomologist's record. 



Abundance of Cupido jiinijius. — It would appear that Citpidu 

 mini)iii(s, in common with many other species of butterflies, is very 

 abundant this year. On the afternoon of June 10th, in one of the hot 

 gleams of sunshine that broke through the rain-showers of that day, 

 the species was seen in considerable numbers by the roadside and on 

 the downs behind Winchester, and a few minutes' search discovered 

 plenty of eggs on the flower-heads of Ant/njllis rulncraiia. Pub/uin- 

 iiiatiis icarus, and Cuenuniimplta paiiiphiliis were also common, but the 

 rain prevented any further observation as to w'hat other species were 

 about. — J. W. TuTT. 



Pi'EAMEis CARDUi AT Beachy Head. — It would appear that, other 

 things being favourable, we may have another Pynnneis caidiii year. 

 At least, specimens have evidently arrived, two examples, somewhat 

 pale in colour, but otherwise wing-perfect, were flying swiftly in the 

 sun, and in spite of a high wind, round the old lighthouse at Beachy 

 Head, on the afternoon of June 18th, occasionally settling on the 

 flowers of Lotui> cormciilatuf; that abound just there. — James Bell. 



:iaOTES ON LIFE-HISTORIES, LARY^, &c. 



Egglaying of Nemeobius lucina.- — Perhaps it may be of interest to 

 record that, on June 10th, near here, I found 53 ova of Nemeobius 

 lucina on one leaf and 22 on another leaf. Each batch had the ova 

 placed closed together in irregular rows. In all other cases the ova 

 were found in much smaller numbers on each leaf, sometimes tw^o 

 adjoining or singly. The ova were found in a wood in the Woodham 

 Ferris district, Essex. A large number of leaves from diti'erent parts 

 of the wood were collected. I discovered the ova while picking the 

 leaves in a small clearing where the primrose plants were few, and I 

 think that all those on which I obtained ova w^ere in clearings. The 

 ground on which the wood is situated is flat and the soil fairly heavy. 

 There was no cowslip, only primrose. Some of the eggs hatched on 

 the 11th inst., and soine are still (June 16th) unhatched. All were 

 on the underside of the leaf, and the large batches were laid near the 

 tip of the leaf. The Kev. G. H. Eaynor, who was collecting with me, 

 wrote me that he had found 11 on one leaf, which was a record for 

 him. — E. E. Bextall, F.E.S., The Towers, Heybridge, Essex. June 

 IGth, 1909. [Is it possible that the large batches are those of another 

 species? — Ed.] 



Pupation of Dryas paphia. — June 19th, 1909. The larva having 

 been suspended for some days, and remaining, as far as I could see, per- 

 fectly quiescent, the only change observed had been the gradual swelling 

 of the thoracic segments ; at 8 p.m. on this day, the skin on the back 

 of the thorax split, the opening not extending beyond the thoracic 

 segments. By a series of peristaltic motions, the larval skin was 

 worked backwards ; by 8.8 p.m. the process was completed. A series 

 of vigorous wriggles succeeded, and at 8.10 the cast larval skin fell into 

 my hand which I had extended in the expectation of the newly exposed 

 pupte falhng from its anchorage ; at 8.12 p.m. the whole process w^as 

 completed, and the pupa became still. The colour pale clay. The 

 silver spots not quite evident. The double dorsal line of the larva 

 quite plainly visible. — C. R. N. Burrows, F.E.S., The Vicarage, 

 Mucking, Essex. June 15th, 1909. 



The colour-change of the pup.e of Chrysophanus dispar var. 

 RUTiLus. — The beautiful vivid green of the larva of this species is now too 



