290 THE entobiologist's record, 



Mr. Edmonds of Windsor, whose experiments Avitli this species 

 ■were conducted for several years with a view to obtaining varieties, 

 and were not specially noted from my standpoint, nevertheless gives 

 me some interesting information. It apjiears that if he obtained the 

 larvfe small enough (probably al)ont 3rd skin) al)Out 35 per cent. Avere 

 Forwards. He attributes this result to his method of feeding, but I 

 think thei'e is no doubt that, whatever the feeding may have to do Avith 

 the variation of the moth, this proportion of Forwards is due to his 

 rearing the larva? at a higher temperature than I did in my experiment. 



The crucial experiment in this matter -was undertaken by Mr. 

 Merrifield, Avho reared a portion of a brood at a temperature of 80°. 

 This portion presented 150 Forwards to 50 of other forms, whilst my 

 portion only yielded the ordinary 5 per cent. 



My Forwards completed a cycle in about three months, Mr. 

 Merrifield's, at 80°, did so in t^vo months, so that whilst mine yielded 

 nearly four broods in a j'car, Mr. Merrifield's would have gi^-en six. 



These Forwards then are clearly a response to a higher temperature 

 and may be taken as an attempt to produce a summer brood should the 

 summer be warm enough. Here we are met Avith the cpiestion — are 

 these ForAvards to be found at large ? Well, many persons, including 

 so acute an obserA-er as Mr. Barrett, tell me that they liaA-e ncA'er seen 

 them and douljt their existence. On the other hand, since I haA-e made 

 enquiries I haA-e heard of scA-eral haA'ing been seen ; I haA'e met Avith 

 one myself, and scA^eral instances liaA'c been recorded in the magazines. 

 It is also to be remembered that cata, though a common larA-a, does not 

 present itself, unless specially looked for, in anything like the niimber 

 that actually exists. It is no doubt probable also that the ForAvards 

 naturally are much fcAver than CA-en in my experiments, as they haA'e 

 the low night temperature to affect them. 



(To he continued). 



STRAY NOTES ON CERTAIN SPECIES OF BUTTERFLIES. 



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



Chrysalides of Melita'idi. — The pupa? of our three British species of 

 Melita;a are xovy closely allied, being plump and witli the head rounded. 

 I had so-called pupfe of maturna sent me from Niirnberg, but these 

 produced typical imagines of cin.via. There could be no doubt from the 

 pupEe that they Avere cinxia, and I Avaited anxiously to see Avliether two 

 closely allied species had such similar pupa? that I was ixnable to detect 

 any difference. 



Chrys(dides of Argi/nnidi. — There would appear to be tAvo A-ery dis- 

 tinct groups of pupa? in our British sj)ecies of Argijnnis, one with the head 

 Avell developed into lateral projections, the other Avith the head blunt 

 and tlie anal segment turned back very consideral)ly. Of those I haA-e 

 been able to examine, Argynnis impliia and A. evphrosyne belong to tlie 

 first group, A. aglaia and A. adippe to the second. The pupa of A. 

 niohe also belongs to the blunt-headed group. The pupa of A. agla/a 

 is the most extreme in this direction and is Aery peculiarly doubled 

 liack on itself so that the cremaster comes quite close to the tips of 

 the antennfe. 



