168 THE kntomologist's eecoed. 



latent tendencies outward and visible signs to us. Mr. Grote's paper- 

 is altogether a very striking and welcome addition to the subject, and 

 supports the " natural selection " theory entirely. That it was written 

 with another view only makes it the more A^aluablc. 



With regard to the suggestions in the latter part of Mr. Grote's note,, 

 there can be no doubt that in all countries some species are more fixed 

 and less liable to branch off into other sj^ecies than others, and further,, 

 that many species are much more recent than others. Among the Diurni, 

 — ^many of the genera of the Satyr ids and the " blues " (genus Li/ccena) ;. 

 the tritici-cursoria group of Agrotis ; the genus TepJirosia, and others 

 equally pronounced at once occur to one's mind. Successful hybridi- 

 sation is probaljly often due to the alliance of comparatively recent 

 species. Certainly the characters displaj'ed under variation need careful 

 discrimination and classification. We are certainly advancing to the 

 required end, although it ma^' be much more slowly than some of us 

 desire, but perhaps this is really a blessing in disguise. — J. W. Tutt. 



STRAY NOTES ON CERTAIN SPECIES OF BUTTERFLIES.. 



By J. W. TUTT, F.E.S. 



This early season has probably caused a considerable number of 

 collectors -who do not usually turn out much before June, to do so this 

 year. Fine bright weather seems to be the one great necessity of a. 

 really good butterfly year, and as many of the Diiirni were out in 

 abundance last year (1892), there Avas every j)rospect, with such a 

 spring as we have had, of a reall}^ good all-round season among the 

 butterflies this year. So far, the promise of a good season has been 

 fulfilled, and personally, I was, and still am, very pleased at the 

 prospect, as I have returned to the " first love," at least for a season, 

 and am now working out certain points in the life-history of the various- 

 species, and have been, with the kindness of friends, able to get a fairly 

 large amount of material already. I have oljtained all our Papilionidce 

 and Picridce, in their early stages, except Leucophaoia sinapis and the two 

 species of Colias ; of tlie Argi/nnidce, A. papliiu, aglaia and eHjiJirosi/nr, as 

 well as Melikua cinxia and M. aurinia ; of the Vanessidce, all but Ci/nfhui 

 cardni and GrapAa c-albnm (this I believe I can get) ; of the Sati/rid(e,. 

 Hipparchia ja)iira, semele, Arge galatea, Lasioinmata megcera and L. cegeria.^ 

 Several others have reached me, in either the larval or pupal forms, 

 and I have to thank those who have so kindly helped me. Apatnra 

 iris, Limenitis sibi/Ua, Gononteryx rhamni, Thecla betidie, Lyccenn argioluo, 

 are among others I have obtained, but I am still j^articularly in want 

 of Fin-is napi, Lencophasia sinapis, A. selene, A. adippe, and some of 

 the Satyridce and Lycivnidce, the commoner the species, the more likely 

 to be particularly useful. My application has been speciall}^ gTatifjang, 

 as showing how many observers, whose names one rarely sees in the 

 entomological magazines, are really ol)servers, and can lay their hands 

 at once on many species in their early stages. Some thirty years ago, 

 practically notliing was known of the life-histories of our British 

 butterflies ; noAv, most of the species have been thoroughl}^ hunted out 

 and are pretty Avell known. Some of our local species, especially the- 

 northern ones, are less known, e.g., Coenonympha davus, Erehia cassiope,. 



