282 [May. 



my paper on the geographical distribution of European Rhopalocera (Ent. Trans., 

 3rd series, vol. 1, pp. 481 — -491), I have said, in classifying groups of forms, "A sub- 

 species is a permanent variety, linked to its nearest ally by intermediate forms, 

 but which entirely replaces the type in the localities in which it occurs. A sub- 

 species is not a true species, but, under favourable circumstances, it may become 

 so in time, as the varieties intermediate between itself and the parent or cognate 

 species die out." " Corsica and Sardinia. These islands contain 30 species [of 

 recorded butterflies]. Three of these are peculiar species, and several of the others 

 are sub-species, which are not yet sufficiently developed to be raised to the rank of 

 species, although some of their larvae differ from those of the parent species." 



" Urticw has a Corsican sub-species, Ichnusa, attached to it ; but sUght as the 

 difference between them is, it is correlated in the larva, although an intermediate 

 variety occurs in Italy and Turkey. It would be interesting to know whether the 

 larva of the intermediate variety agrees with cither urficce or Ichnusa." — W. P. Kikby. 



DianthiBcia albimacula, — Permit me to add my testimony to the jjorfect 

 genuineness of Mr. Lacy's caiituro of D. alhimacula. 



I myself observed the insect on the wing, but his was the lucky net to bag it j 

 I saw my friend make the capture, and stood by while he pinned and boxed it. 



I may add, that we have determined to thoroughly hunt up the locality, during 

 the coming season, for the insect in all its stages, and are very sanguine of success. 

 — Henry Stephens, National School, Alverstoke, Gosport, March 2nd, 1865. 



A new locality for Micra ostnna. — It was in the month of July, a few yeai's 

 since, that I captured, on the sand-hills at Pombrey, South Wales, a pretty little 

 insect whose identity I have, until lately, been utterly unable to establish. The 

 spot at which I secured it was rather barren and sandy, in a sheltered situation ; 

 an abundance of dwarf sallow grew in the vicinity, and also, as far as I remember, 

 thistles, bedstraw, wild thyme, and a short kind of grass, from which latter I expect 

 that I disturbed it ; at any rate, the insect was flying low over the baiTen sand 

 ■•vhen I caught it. The day was showery, with occasional gleams of sunshine, 

 during which H. Semele and other butterflies were on the wing. 



During one of these gleams I took the insect, and seeing that it was something 

 I did not know, boxed and pinned it at once. The recollection of the captui-e is 

 very fresh in my mind, owing to the pleasure of the exjiedition and the difficulty 

 I have had in getting the insect named. — JohnT. D. Llewelyn, Ynisygerwn, Neath. 



Tineo! feeding in birds^ nests. — I have seen it recorded soniewherc, that Tinea 

 semifulvella has been bred from birds' nests. Hoping, therefore, to get hold of it, 

 I collected, last winter, a lot of nests of the chaffinch and other birds that use wool 

 and hair, and kept them until the summer. 



I was disappointed of semifulvella, but bred from the nests, besides a few 

 T. rusticella and fuscipunctella, upwards of two hundred T. ganomella (Llapella). 

 Preserving them all was out of the question, and, indeed, it was no easy job to 

 secure them; since they all came out within a week, and when the box was unco- 

 vered, from twenty to fifty specimens at a time running as Tinea can run, put 



