224 THE entomologist's record. 



alcipJvon, and L. dorilis were obtained. The only blue was Pohjom- 

 matus mnandus, in wretched condition. 



I had the good fortune to notice a female C. rutilas seated on the 

 foodplant. I presumed that she was ovipositing, and such proved to 

 be the case. I watched her while she deposited three eggs, and then, 

 as she was quite fresh, turned her into a specimen. The eggs were all 

 laid on the underside of a leaf of water-dock, close to the midrib. 

 Unfortunatelj', a business trip prevented me from breeding these eggs, 

 but, as a partial second-brood is occasionally reared here in Berlin, it 

 would no doubt have been successful. 



Very little else was about on this July day, a few Eupithecia 

 dtbiliata, Calligenia miniata and Herininia tentacularia. On the 

 scabious heads a few Anthrocera viciae [meliloti) and Anthrocera trifolii, 

 and one A. ephialtes ab. peucedani. Syntomis pJier/ea was also not 

 uncommon. I believe this species was introduced here from southern 

 Europe many years ago, but am not sure. 



Note on the value of the ancillary appendages in determining the 

 specific value of the Hesperiines of the " alveus " group. 



By Dr. J. L. KEVEEDIN. 

 I have recently been led, owing to the diflSculties of naming my 

 Hesperiids, particularly those of the "alceus" group, to study the male 

 genital armature, and I have come to the conclusion that Ram bur had 

 a clearer appreciation of this difficult subject than any of his successors, 

 some of whom, having no knowledge of his work, have added 

 difficulty rather than solved it. Most recent lepidopterists, at least 

 among tho?e known to me, admit Hexperia alveus to specific rank, and 

 look upon carlinae, cirsii, onnpordi, fn'tilluni, and cont/zae, as varieties. 

 The examination of the ancillary appendages shows, however, that 

 alveus, onopordi, and fritiUum are three perfectly distinct species, that 

 carlinae and cirsii have a different armature from those of the preceding, 

 and on the other hand very similar to each other. 1 have not yet 

 been able to obtain coytyzae. The conclusion to which I have been led 

 so far, is that alveus, onopordi, and fritilliim form three species, whilst 

 a fourth is represented by carlinae, of which cirsii is a variety (or vice 

 versa). I may add that these four species form a natural group, which 

 also includes serratulae. Eambur long ago arrived at exactly the same 

 result, except that he made carlinae and cirsii two very closely allied 

 species. What is most interesting is, that already, in 1838, this first- 

 class entomologist, recognising that the characters of form, pattern, 

 and colour, were insufficient to characterise the species of the genus 

 Hesperia, considered that the genital armature would give better 

 specific characters on which to determine them. In his Faune Ent. 

 d'Andcdousie, he described and figured the ancillary appendages of the 

 Hesperiids long before the work of Buchanan-White and Gosse. 

 Unfortunately this work was not finished, and it appears difficult to 

 procure. After having applied in vain to the Swiss and German libraries, 

 I have been able to consult it, thanks to Mr. F. Mabille, a nephew of 

 Rambur. Naturally, at the time of the publication of the work (1838-9), 

 the means of investigation and the instruments available for work 

 were in their infancy, and one is less astonished that he did not discover 

 everything, than inchned to admire how much he did see, with such 



