1(5 Jj • [December, 



the handle. I liave namocl this curious species Pleistodontes imperialis. The same 

 species has since been obtained from an evergreen Ficus, said to be the F. austrais. 

 — Sidney S. Sattndees, Gatestone, Upper Norwood : Iso-cemler \Wh, 1882. 



Notes on the Lepidoptera of Heligoland. — The little British island of Heligoland, 

 in the North Sea, has of late acquired more notoriety from scientific than from poli- 

 tical considerations. It has proved to be a sort of half-way house at which tlie 

 migrations, &e., of European birds can be studied with advantage, and from this 

 cause it has been visited by many of the most noted European Ornithologists ; 

 moreover, it has a resident Naturalist in the person of Herr Griitke, who has done 

 much, by his industrious observations, to draw attention to the peculiar ornithological 

 conditions of the islet. Its fame in this induced Baron de Selys-Longchamps to visit 

 it in September, 1880, and being also an Entomologist, he naturally sought and ob- 

 tained such entomological information as was available. The ornithological results 

 of his visit have been published in the Bulletin de la Societe Zoologique de France, 

 vol. vii (1882). To this paper he appends his entomological notes {Lepidoptera), and 

 as these are likely to be overlooked by Entomologists, in consequence of the medium 

 of publication, we think it well to call attention to them here. Butterflies (as well 

 as birds) are often migratory, and who knows but that some " undoubtedly British " 

 examples — say of Vanessa Antiopa — may have called in at Heligoland e» passant ! 

 The extent of our small possession may be realized by Baron de Selys' own words. 

 He says : "J'ai fait le tour complet de I'ile en une heure environ;" and he adds, 

 " Je ne vis que fort peu d'insectes (il est vrai que la saison etait trop avancee), seule- 

 ment quelques Vanessa nrticce, Pieris rupee, et les Lihellula vtdgata et scotica. Je 

 me demande ou vivent Ics larves aquatiques des Odonates, car il n'y a ni marecages, 

 ni ruisseaux, et Ton n'a d'autre eau dans I'ile que celle des citerncs et d'un puits." 



But Herr Gatke possesses a collection of the Lepidoptera of the island, and in 

 it Baron de Selys noticed the following : 



*Papilio Machaon and Podalirius ; Aporia cratcegi ; Pieris *rapce, *««_;;*, and 

 *hrassicce : Leueophasia sinapis ; Colias Palceno, Hyale, StXid. Edtisa ; *Oonopteryx 

 rhamni ; Polyommatus phlaas and Hippothoe ; Lyccena Acis, Arion, and Alexis ; 

 Apatura Iris; Limenitis Sibylla; Vanessa polycMoros, *urticcB, *Io, Antiopa 

 *c-album, *Atalanta, m\(\.*cardm ; Argynnis Dia, Lathonia, Aglaia, and Paphia ; 

 Melitcsa Didyma ; *Satyrtis Semele ; Melanargia Oalatea ; Pararge Moera, 3Ie- 

 gara, and JRgeria ; Cmnonympha Pamphiltis, Davns, and Iphis ? ; Epinephile 

 Janira, Tithonus, and hyperanthus ; Hesperia comma. 



Those species to which an asterisk is attached are found nearly every year ; the 

 others are only found occasionally (" tres accidentellement "). 



The following Sphingida were also noticed, viz. : Sphinx ligusfn', convolvuli, 

 and pinastri ; Deilephila galii, eiiphorbicB, Elpenor, porcelhis, and celerio ; Sme- 

 rinthus ocellatus, populi, and tilice ; Macroglossa stellatarutn ; Zygcena Minos. 



Amongst the Bomlyces was observed the variety of Spilosoma lubricipeda 

 known in British Collections as radiata, which appears to have become nearly ex- 

 tinct in England. 



On two occasions Herr Giitke has taken Margarodes unionalis in his garden, 

 reminding one of its occasional sporadic occurrence in England. 



