sctentific notes and obsekvations. 37 



Notes on the time of appearance of some butterflies at 

 Hy^res.— Recently I spent a couple of clays with Mr. Merrifielcl, and 

 among other things discussed was the time of appearance of many 

 species of butterflies in Southern Europe. From his correspondence 

 with a gentleman of Hyeres he gave me the following information : — 

 " Guiu'pterijx cleopatra flies at Hyeres in March, and lays its eggs at the 

 end of Alarch and in April." By April 25th (1896), 120 eggs had been 

 obtained, and in sending them to Mr. Merrifield the collector writes : — 

 " Some of them will no doubt have become larvsp by the time they 

 reach you. It is not so easy to get the J cleopatra to lay as some other 

 butterflies. The eggs sent were laid by a number of different females, 

 and some of the eggs I found myself out of doors. The second 

 brood of this butterfly dift'ers considerably from the first, especially the 

 males, which are much brighter on the underside." " Pararge eyeria 

 is on the wing in the middle of February, and the specimens of the 

 brood are probably a little more like the English form than those of 

 the later ones. Colias edum appears here in March ; larvae may be 

 found now (Nov. 1st, 1895), and in the spring, Pieris dapiidice. — The 

 early spring form, bdlidice, is already (Feb. 17th) flying ; the butter- 

 flies from the eggs of these should emerge in INlay, but they will very 

 often, I have found, remain much longer in the pupal state, even till 

 the next spring. Anthocharis belia occurs in April. I have had pupi:B 

 from the spring brood of A. belia for two years, after which they 

 emerged in April as the type form. Charaxes jasiiis pupates in 

 February, from the middle to the end of the month. Aporia cra- 

 tae(/i. — The imago of this species is now flying (April 25th, 1896)." — 



J. W. TUTT. 



:ii^OTES ON LIFE-HISTORIES, LARV^, &c. 



Notes on the early stages of Epinephele ianira. — Ova received 

 from Mr. J. W. Tutt, July 15th, 1896. %7.— With longer axis vertical, 

 oviform, except that the upper (smaller) end is flat, as though it had 

 been cut clean ofi'. Roughly ribbed, the flat top has a slight lip or 

 ridge round its outer margin ; a slightly raised surface in centre of 

 flat top has a honey-comb appearance. The larva eats an irregularly 

 shaped slit just below the top, and forces its way out. Neidij- 

 hatched larva. — July 17th, 1896, 1st skin. — Head. — Rather large, 

 rounded, green in colour, bearing long, stiff, thorny black hairs. 

 Body. — -Tapers toAvards anus, and slightly towards head. Scutellum, 

 indistinct. Has a dark clear green medio-dorsal stripe, and also faint 

 irregular dark stripes on the sub-dorsal and lateral areas. Segments, 

 distinct. Tubercles, tall and soft-looking, bearing one hair only ; 

 trapezoidals placed almost as if at the points of a square. Hairs, white, 

 long and thorny ; some bend forwards, others backwards. Posterior 

 trapezoidals smaller than anterior, and bearing smaller hairs (one hair 

 arising from the right anterior trapezoidal on 3rd abdominal segment 

 is black, with the exception of a white tip'-'-'). The spiracles are 

 mounted on short black stalks. It is a very sluggish larva, and 

 rolls in a ring if disturbed. 



August 9th, 1896, 2;i(^ skin. — Colour, bright green, with a faint 

 darker medio-dorsal line. In all other respects, as to structure, shape, 



* Possibly an aberration exhibited by this particular larva only. — A.B. 



