﻿DESCRIPTION OF EGG OF VANESSA POLYCHLOROS. 



225 



odd specimen he has been kind enough to add to mine. All five 

 were exhibited at a recent meeting of the South London Society. 

 As August and September are the best months for the species, 

 a magnified figure of the male accompanies this record, as 

 well as a table for the purpose of naked-eye recognition in the 

 field, since the species may easily be confused at first sight with 

 the far commoner M. brachi/ptera. A third much larger 

 species, M. albopunctata ( = grisea), occurs in damp spots on 

 cliff sides, but it is not likely to be mistaken for either of the 

 other two. 



M. hrachyptera. 



1. Size slightly smaller. 



2. Colour dark, usually marked 

 with green. 



3. Pronotum — flat dorsal part 

 rather narrower. 



4. Pronotum — posterior margin of 

 lateral flap pale. 



5. Elytra pointed. 



6. 2 Ovipositor long, scarcely 

 angled at base, upper edge of 

 blade curved. 



M. 7'oeseUi. 



1. Size slightly larger. 



2. Colour somewhat ruddy, with- 

 out green markings. 



3. Pronotum — flat dorsal part 

 rather broader. 



4. Pronotum — total margin of 

 lateral flap pale. 



5. Elytra rounded or even truncate. 



6. ? Ovipositor about two-thirds 

 that of M. hrachyptera, with a 

 sharp bend at base, upper edge 

 of blade more nearly straight. 



7. (? Cerci more prominent, tooth 

 nearer tip of inner edge. 



The male figured was taken on the Essex coast by Mr. B. S. 

 Harwood, September 3rd, 1903. 



Kingston-on-Thames : July, 1912. 



7. S Cerci less prominent, tooth 

 near middle of inner edge. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE EGG OP VANESSA 

 POLYCHLOROS. 



By F. W. Frohawk, M.B.O.U., F.E.S. 



Apparently there is no reliable description of the colouring 

 of the egg of Vanessa polychloros published, and respecting all 

 the works on British butterflies I have referred to very little is 

 to be found, and that is unreliable. Tutt says (' British Butter- 

 flies,' p. 341) : — " The fiction derived from a figure by Sepp, 

 published nearly one hundred and forty years ago, that the eggs 



