THE LIFE-HISTOBY ON LAMPIDES BOETICUS, LINN. 18J> 



find newly- formed leaves on the earlj^ shoots of their foodplant at 

 the end of May and beginning of June, and they feed rapidly 

 whilst the young leaves are available. The larvte resulting from the 

 eggs of the second-brood and those of the single-brooded species, 

 however, do not find young leaves in August, and, probably for this 

 reason, they go into hybernation in dry leaves and s\ich like hiding- 

 places at once (c//., Dn/ai^ papJiia, Hrentim auiathuaia), or the larv;e 

 hybernate in the egg-shell (<'.//., Ar(innnis adippe, A. niohe). Old leaves 

 are never used for food. 



In recording the foodplants of particular species of Argynnids, 

 much greater care should be paid to the special violet species that is 

 really used for food. Not all violet species are used by the difierent 

 Argynnid species with the same pleasure, e.ii., Brenthis awatlwna will 

 not eat Viola viirabilis, but only V. ailratica: a brood of Brenthia dia 

 would not eat V. mirahilU: Anij/iinis adippe taken wild refused V. hirta. 

 The last-named species of violet is also despised by other Argynnid 

 larva?. 



The Life=history of Lampides boeticus, Linn. 



•By (Rev.) F. E. LOWE, M.A., F.E.S. 

 We suppose that hundreds of entomologists are full of gratitude to 

 Mr. Tutt for his Xatinal Hifttori/ of Britif^h Butter flies, and look forward 

 eagerly to the frequent instalments which issue with such astonishing- 

 rapidity from his fertile pen, though it is to be feared that there are 

 still some collectors who are not yet alive to the absolute necessity of 

 providing themselves with this great work, and mastering its chief 

 contents, if they desire to be, in any real sense, serious students of 

 entomology. Sometimes, undoubtedly it will lead them beyond their 

 present capacity to digest the food prepared for them. But those 

 collectors, and we speak from experience, who live at a distance from 

 the " Hub of the Universe," and cannot enjoy frequent and intimate con- 

 sultations with their " brothers of the net," or obtain, almost next 

 door, the opinion and assistance of our specialists, will find here all 

 that is known, or wisely surmised, of each genus and species, as it is 

 exhaustively dealt with by the author. We most of us have some one 

 family or species of butterflies which chance or predilection has made 

 our special favourite. Sometimes it happens that this peculiar interest 

 arises from circumstances having thrown in our way an unique oppor- 

 tunity of observing the habits of a little-known insect. Mr. Tutt's 

 book should teach many of us how grievously we have neglected our 

 opportunity, and show us how to make better use of our eyes and 

 note-book if chance favours us again. In our own case, these wise 

 reflections have reference to Lain})ideK boeticus, and admiration for the 

 amount of information that Mr. Tutt has now put at the disposal of 

 students. In the year of the great immigration of this species 

 into the Channel Islands, 1899, having had the exceptional ex- 

 perience of seeing this species abundant in our own garden, it 

 Avas natural to hunt up all available information as to its habits. 

 The result was most disappointing, practically )iil. English authors 

 knew nothing about it. Far from libi-aries, the writings of 

 continental naturalists were unattainable, and had they been, thp 

 result would not have proved more satisfactory. How different would 



