74 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST S RECORD. 



aud the Altai," whilst special races are described from Asia Minor, 

 the Pyrenees, Arapon, and Kurdistan. 



The typical form of this species is found in most parts of Central 

 Europe. Its main feature is the enlargement of the apicnl spot as in 

 Anthrorera piirjitiralis, but, unlike this, the spot is hooked, and the basal 

 aud central spots are quite separate and distinct. We have, however, 

 streaked forms, and the extension of the spots linearly to a small 

 extent is not uncommon. We find, indeed, in our extensive series, a 

 considerable amount of minor variation in various directions. We 

 have already published in our "Notes on the Zygaenidie " pp. 8-12, 

 an account of " Zijuaena acldlleae and its varieties," a papei' that 

 includes also extended notes on iis habits and habitats, and 

 which may now prove of especial interest to our British collectors. 



It may be well to note here Staudinger's summarised notes on the 

 Yarietal forms (with the addition oifiaca, Obth.). These are — 



(a) ab. viciae, Hb. — Spots small, tbe external one rounded. 

 (h) var. (et ab.) helUs, Hb. — Larger, darker ; southern Alpine valleys, and 

 the Altai mountains. 



(c) var. (et ab.) hiturqaata, Men. — The anterior wings yellowish, with a 



narrow black border ; Asia Minor. 



(d) var. trittiis, Otith. — Wings diaphanous ; forewings greyish ; Pyrenees. 



(e) var. arraijonensis. Stand. — Forewings with large red spots, often 



confluent; Aragon. 

 (/') var. (intiochena, Staud. — Smaller; anterior wings with large red spots; 



Antioch. 

 {(/) yfir. pliooiiceci, Staud. — Forewings almost entirely red; Kurdistan. 

 (//) ah-flavd, Obth. — Spots of forewings and hindwings yellow. 



There is no doubt that the first specimen of A. ae/iilleae captured in 

 Bi'itain and suspected as not being quite the species to which it was 

 referred, is that noted in our Nat. Hist, of British Lepiiloptn-a, i., 

 p. 453, where we write: "Argyllshire: Mountains in GL ncoe 

 district. On July 8th, 1898, flying in sun at 3 p.m., about lUOOft. 

 above sea-level, a single very worn specimen of this species {e.rnlans), 

 or one not hitherto recorded as British (Sheldon)." This is practically 

 the same piece of country as that from which Mr. Cockayne's specimens 

 came. We will shortly try and find time to give a short note on its 

 life-history. 



Besides this Argyllshire locality we suspect another British one. 

 This is in Cornwall, and it is noticed in T/ie Natural History of British 

 Lejyifloptera, vol. i., p. 442, as a possible locality of Authrocera 

 purpuralis. We have little doubt that this species and Anihrocera 

 transalpiua (hippociepidis, Hb.) occur in other western valleys of the 

 British Isles, and possibly A. carniolica. All these are locally abundant 

 in Brittany with A. ptirpuralis, and will most likely turn up some day. 

 A. hipjiocrepiilis, Hb., must not be confounded with our now well- 

 known A. hippocrepidis, Stphs., but, like it, it is a very Jilipe)idulae- 

 looking species, though usually much brighter in colour. 



Spring Butterflies in the Rhone Valley. 



By A. S. TETLEY, M.A. 



Having spent part of July and August in two successive years 



among the butterflies in various parts of Switzerland, I was anxious 



to visit that country during the spring months. My opportunity came 



last year at Whitsuntide, and the evening of Wednesday, May 15th, 



