•190 fJ'^iy' 



Polyommatus dispar v. rutilus m England. — I was not aware, until hearing a 

 day or two ago from my friend Mr. Barrett, that the continental form of P. dispar 

 was supposed never to have been taken in this country, as I have known for many 

 years that my father took both ordinary dispar and v. rutilus some time between 1825 

 and 1834. My father tells me he captured all his specimens himself (eight in number), 

 all of which are in my collection, viz., five S and three ? . One male is typical rutilus, 

 another almost typical, but with slightly larger spots, whilst a third is midway 

 between dispar and rutilus, the remaining two are true dispar ; of the females, one 

 is fairly typical rutilus, another is on the upper-side like the darker specimens occa- 

 sionally taken on the continent, viz., with larger spots on the upper wings, but the 

 spots beneath are decidedly larger than any of my v. rutilus, whilst the third is true 

 dispar. There is no doubt of these being truly endemic specimens, as my father 

 (who, with his brothers, were keen collectors in their early years) remembers them, 

 and he says he never bought an insect in his life. I suppose, moreover, that very 

 few rutilus would find their way over here as long as sixty years ago, still less into 

 the quite unknown collections of boys under twenty years of age. My father has 

 never been on the continent at all. — GsoKaE T. Bethune-Baker, Edgbaston : 

 June \Uh, 1892. 



[Two of the specimens in question are before me. They are clearly of the var. 

 rutilus -the spots much smaller and tlie under-side less blue. Mr. Baker, Sen., 

 recollects their capture, and as British specimens they are of extreme interest. — 

 C. Gt. B.]. 



Reported occurrence of Papilio Podalirius in Sussex. — The following is an 

 extract from a letter just received from Mr. Charles E. Morris, of 4, Oriental Place, 

 Brighton : — " I am sure you will be interested when I tell you that whilst working 

 Eobin's Post Lane, Polegate, yesterday (June 13th), upon some cowdung in the road 

 I came across a very fine female P. Podalirius. I instantly identified it, being most 

 familiar with the insect, having caught many three years ago in Switzerland and 

 Northern Italy. I had at least five or six strikes at this one, but somehow, through 

 excitement or surprise, failed to obtain it. The tails were intact, the ground colour 

 much whiter than usual (possibly bleached), but otherwise in good condition. It 

 was a very large one, undoubtedly a female. I noticed quantities of the food plant 

 in the locality. How it came there I cannot tell. I need hardly tell you I followed 

 it as far as I could, trespassing through more than one hop field ; for several moments 

 it rather toyed with my net, and then went over the hedge." — H. Gross, The Avenue, 

 Surbiton Hill : June I7fh, 1892. 



[The fact that large numbers of the pupae of P. Podalirius are imported into 

 this country, and that some of the resultant butterflies may accidentally escape, or 

 be intentionally set free, should not be lost sight of. The pale colour seems to in- 

 dicate the var. Feisthamelii, which is the more southern form. — Eds.]. 



Aporia cratcegi. — The Dover Descriptive Pictorial published last year contains 

 articles by Membei'S of the local Field Club upon the Archaeology, Greology, and 

 Entomology of the neighbourhood. In the latter article A. cratcpgi is stated to 

 occur annually near Sandwich, and I know personally that, with the exception of 



