NOTES ON NEW AND RARE BRITISH LEriDOFTERA. Oi 



hind- wing absent; a handsome spotted Argynnis Pa^liia ; 

 these three varieties are figured in Newman's Entomologist; 

 dark varieties of A. selene and 31. Artemis; Lyccena (Egon, 

 the sides representing respectively two different forms of the 

 female ; pale small Bomhyx trifolii, bred from Romford Marsh ; 

 L. monacha, with a dark denticulated fascia; dark Lima- 

 codes testudo, with a yellow-brown patch at the inner margin ; 

 black Chelonia caja; a lovely variety of N. dodonea; A. 

 leporina, with one side typical, the other of the var. hrady- 

 porina; black A. megacephala and N. typhcE; C. xeram- 

 jjelina, with the ground colour dull coppery red ; albino (or 

 pretty nearly so) 31. oxyacanthce ; a handsome clouded 

 variety of Euperia fulvago, similar to one taken by Mr. 

 Stainton in 1846; and an immaculate V. maculata. 



Then, in the way of curiosities, one Va?iessa Atalanta 

 bearing the larval head has occurred, while V. urticce has 

 mated with its big relation Polychloros. 



Is Vanessa Antiopa a native or an immigrant ? 



The extraordinary profusion in which V. antiopa has oc- 

 curred during the past season has given rise to various sur- 

 mises as to how it happened that we have been favoured with 

 such a welcome visitation. Of these, the theory put forward 

 by Mr. Stainton is the centre around which the rest revolve; 

 Mr. Stainton's suggestion is, that a flight of these beautiful 

 insects took place last August from Sweden and Norway to 

 our east coast. In support of the idea that this is the correct 

 solution of the mystery, the following facts are adduced : — 

 1. It is well known that migrations of VanessidcB (e. g., P. 

 cardid) do occur. — 2. The bulk of the captures were made 

 on the coast, and that the east coast. — 3. Although many, 

 perhaps most, of the specimens were in remarkably line con- 



