66 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



that of Mr. Bertliold Neumoegen, of New York, who has spent a fortune 

 in his search for rare specimens. Butterflies have the same market quota- 

 tions as rare stamps. Professional dealers issue catalogues, in which 

 one fiuds the names, with prices affixed. These prices vary from a few 

 pence to £25. But fine ' types,' beautiful and rare ' varieties,' and 

 ' uniques,' are practically priceless. For example, one of the gems of 

 the Neumoegen collection is the wonderful Painlio neximoegenl. This in- 

 sect, the only one of its kind ever captured, was taken in the Island of 

 Sumbawa, south-east of Java. Eeceived in a shipment from his col- 

 lector, Mr. Neumoegen at once concluded that it was new to science. 

 He sent it to Europe, risking its loss, and experts there decided that he 

 was right. Honrath, the celebrated entomologist, begged the privilege 

 of describing it, and named it in honour of its discoverer. It has figured 

 recently in the annals of the Berlin Entomological Society. It is of a 

 wonderful metallic green. Special expeditions have been sent to the 

 locality several times since, in the hope of finding another, but this 

 one still remains unique. Asked its value, Mr. Neumoegen answered : 

 ' Who can say ? It is the only one in the world. Suppose you offer 

 me £'50, which I certainly would refuse, I could say to you, "I will 

 give you £100 for its mate," and you could never fill my order. Then 

 it is worth £100, is it not? But it is worth more, for money cannot 

 buy it.' Mr. Neumoegen is a stockbroker on Wall Street." The above 

 appeared in ' To-Day,' Dec. 9th, 1893. — J. Ahkle ; Chester. 



Pupation of Epinephele ianika. — Dr. T. A. Chapman [ante, p. 23), 

 remarking upon the probable cause of the bleached patches on the 

 wings of butterflies, states that " ianira pupates in a flimsy cocoon 

 low down towards the roots of the grass." This is so contrary to the 

 mode of pupating of this species that I should like to know if Dr. 

 Chapman has ever found pupa of E. ianira in a cocoon ? The pupa 

 of this butterfly is merely suspended by the anal extremity to a pad 

 of silk spun upon a stem of grass, and is not enclosed in any kind of 

 cocoon whatever. — F. W. Fkohawk ; 39, Dornton Koad, Balham. 



Variety of Chrysophanus (Polyommatus) phlceas. — On Sept. 18th, 

 1893, I captured, at Hereford, a white variety of Polyommatus iMceas, 

 All the parts which are usually copper-colour are silvery white, with a 

 very slight tinge of cream at the base of the wings. — H. W. 

 Blathwayt ; Frome Bank, Bromyard, Jan. 16th, 1894. [The speci- 

 men is referable to the uncommon form of C. phlceas var. schmidtii, 

 mentioned Entom. xxvi. p. 305. — Ed.] 



Acherontia atropos. — With reference to the subject of his note 

 {ante, p. 19), Mr. J. B. Williamson will probably be interested to learn 

 that four nearly full-fed larvae of A. atropos were found here between 

 the 9tli and 15th of July last, in situations exactly similar to that 

 described by him. Against the front walls, and close beside the doors 

 of three adjoining cottages, in one of the streets, some plants of 

 Lycium harbarum, the " tea-tree," are trained, and on these the larvae 

 were feeding. One larva, which I sent away, was a nice brown 

 variety, resembling in general appearance and pattern that figured in 

 Buckler's ' Larvae of British Butterflies and Moths,' vol. ii. plate xxi. 



