gg Insecta. 



233) Mauders, N., Birds eating butteiflies. In: Entomologist, Bd. 46, Heft 10, 

 S. 292, 11(13. 



This i8 a l)rief note recordin^- the writer's observations in his small garden in Ire- 

 land. For two years he bas watched carefuUy for instances of birds eating buttertlies, 

 but has only seen two instances of this, although he has observed 35 species of birds 

 in or flying over the garden and 8 of these spiecies have nested in it. In one case a 

 chaffinch was seen to capture a Pieris bvassicae, and though driven off it returned and 

 finished its nieal: in the other case a young robin captured a Pieris rapae: on both oc- 

 casions it was raining heavily, and the butterflies had been disturbed and could fly but 

 feebly on account of the raiu. H. Scott (Cambridge). 



234) Jacol)S, J. J., Notes on Lepidoptera from Gibraltar and the sur- 

 rounding country. In: Ent. Mo. Mag., Bd. XXIV, Heft 5, S. 117—120, 

 Heft 6, S. 121—12.% 1913. 



In the course of these notes an interesting Observation is recorded on a 

 moth with an apterous ?, Orgyia trigotcphras Boisd. The cocoon of the $ is quite 

 different from that of the cf, being of tougher texture and having a neat little 

 hole left at the anal end. The 5 never leaves the cocoon at all, and apparently 

 takes no food: copulation takes place through the hole in the cocoon, and the 

 eggs are laid inside the cocoon round the anal end of the female's body; they 

 are packed in layers, with loose hairs from the body of the $ between each 

 layer. Some notes on local distribution of species are also given (pp. 121 — 122), 

 and mention is made of two species abundant in the locality about 35 years ago, 

 but which have now almost disappeared from it. H. Scott (Cambridge). 



235) Lamborn, W. A., Cocoons of moths from the Lagos district [Nigeria]. 

 In: Proc. Ent. Soc. London, S. V— VII, 1913. 



The Lymantrid motli Euproctis lanaria Holl. makes a very remarkable cocoon. The 

 pupa itself is hidden in the lower part, close to the leaf on which the cocoon is made: 

 above this lower, or true, cocoon the larva spins a spherical, thin-walled, cocoon-like 

 fabric which remains perfectly empty. This false upper cocoon might deceive enemies 

 into believing the cocoon to be empty. Another author, Chapman, is quoted as giving 

 instances of how this curious structure might be evolved. One moth (P. anriflua L.) 

 when going into hibernation spins a cocoon, then casts its skin and spins a second co 

 coon, leaviug the cast skin in the outer one. In Orgyia aurolinibata the interior of the 

 cocoon of the ^ is furnished with a longitudinal parfcition: one Chamber is occupied by 

 the pupa, while the newly-emerged moth leaves this aud enters the second (and hitherto 

 empty) portion. In Hastula hyerana the larvae usually make an outer hammock in which 

 the real cocoon is slung: this is necessary to make a place in which the real cocoon can 

 lie properly, but in some cases the outer hammock is itself cocoon-like. From some such 

 fornis the more elaborate structure of Euproctis lanaria might be evolved. 



H. Scott (Cambridge). 



236) Loilg-staff, G. B., The butterflies of the White Nile: a study in 

 Geographical Distribution. In: Trans. Ent. Soc. London, Heft 1, S. 11 — 57, 

 Taf. 2, 1913. 



This paper commences with a bibliography, followed by a section on the 

 geographical area dealt with. This area falls within a strip of country about 650 

 miles long by 140 miles wide, though the distance by river from Khartum to 

 Gondokoro (the most southerly point dealt with) is over 1100 miles. Except for 

 small hills of igneous rock at a few points, the country is level. The author de- 

 scribes the curious, and frequently thorny, nature of the Vegetation: various 

 species of Acacia are found throughout the area. In the most southern part 

 g-reat candelabra-like Euphorbiaceae occur. Various shrubs of the order Cappa- 

 ridaceae are found, and are fed upon by larvae of Pierinae. The uniform nature 

 of the country and the somewhat monotonous Vegetation doubtless largely ex- 

 plain the restricted butterfly fauna: but it must be remembered that the wet- 

 season fauna is very little known. 



