274 THE entomologist's record. 



Leptidia sinaph. The normal size of L. sinapii^ is 38mm. There were 

 fewer than usual of these delicate little fairies flattering about on the 

 Stafa bogs, though their food plants were very richly represented there, 

 the clumps being taller and finer than the year before. No underfeeding 

 was possible. Nevertheless I found that the majority were rather small, 

 e.g., I took on July 16th a L. fiinaiih measuring 30mm., on the 17th 

 one measuring 29mm., and on the 19th one measuring 30mm. These 

 three I have placed in my drawer of L. sinajrifi, with the name iiiinor 

 (n. ab.). By no means all the L. sinapia were small, for on the 19th, 

 passing through the woods on the way to the bogs, I picked up a freshly 

 emerged male having the fine wing development of 43mm. 



Another point worthy of notice is the insufficient colour supply. 

 Cases of albinism or partial albinism were comparatively common. I 

 found several kinds of Erebia with white hindwings, and one with all 

 wings very pale. The genus Colias frequently gave me pale forms, not 

 only in the mountains, where we are used to finding weak colouring 

 in certain Khodocerids, but also in the plains. Here at Stafa last year 

 C. ediisa was a very brightly coloured insect, this year the colouring 

 was dull, and the abs. hclice and pallida were fairly common (until this 

 year I have not seen a single specimen of these abs. here). In C. hyale 

 the predominating form was ab. obsoleta, weakly spotted on underside, 

 and in two cases (I only examined about thirty) having the discoidal 

 spot of upper wing largely centred with dirt;/ white, the white which 

 shows a want in colour supply. A far larger percentage of blues than 

 usual were deficient in spots, and this was particularly noticeable in 

 places that were well exposed to the sun. As I mentioned to Dr. 

 Chapman (p. 244), on the hot slopes at the foot of the Miihlebach Thai 

 (canton Glarus) the iorm ohi^tdeta oi Af/riades coridnn was very common, 

 being 40% of the Avhole number netted. Last year I think I may state 

 that the average number of A. cnridon ab. nhmleta taken in the same 

 canton did not surpass \%. 



Should other collectors have made similar observations as myself 

 this year, we may perhaps draw some conclusions as to how far the 

 extraordinary heat is responsible for the hurried evolution, that is shown 

 in the dwarf and weakly coloured or spotted forms.— P. A. H. Muschamp, 

 F.E.S., Stafa. September, 1911. 



The Worm and the Butterfly.- — A friend of mine, Mr. Crickmay, 

 noticed one day this summer a white butterfly, which had settled on 

 the lawn, to be in difficulties. Being of an enquiring turn of mind 

 he made investigations to ascertain the cause of the trouble. He 

 discovered that an earthworm had seized the butterfly by the hind- 

 wings and was attempting to drag it down into its burrow. I imagine 

 that the lawn had been sprinkled and the wet grass had attracted to 

 its surface the butterfly from above and worm from beneath. The 

 latter taking the closed hindwings of the butterfly for a leaf, had 

 attempted to gain possession. I have not previously heard of such an 

 occurrence. — Alfred Sich, F.E.S., Corney House, Chiswick, W. 

 Aui)H&t mth, 1911. 



:^OTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



Aberrations of Polyommatus icarus and Rumicia phl^as. — I 

 have just returned from a fortnight's collecting in the neighbourhood 

 of Little Missenden, Bucks, and have paid special attention to the 



