104 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



containing such insects as Lythria purpiiraria, Sterrha sacraria, among 

 others, it was not apparent whether the bidding was influenced by a 

 desire to possess the " plums" in the lot, or only the commoner things 

 therein, e.g., lot 247, '' carhunaria (6), conspicuata (5), euphorbiata (7), 

 pupuraria (2), sacraria (2, one taken by Mr. Eogers at Plymouth, 1858, 

 and one from Mr. Hellens, of Exeter, bred in 1867), and others," 13/-. 

 Lot 249, '^pinetaria (4), conspicuata {5), euphorbiata (7), sacraria {^, one 

 taken by Mr. Bouchard at Sutton, Surrey, Aug. 1864, and one from 

 Mr. J. B. Hodgkinson, taken in Lancashire, 1864)," 20/-. Lot 250, 

 ^^ yinetaria (6), euphorbiata (4), jmrptiraria (3), taken by D. T. Button, 

 Gravesend, in 1867," 9/-. It would appear, however, from these prices 

 that purpuraria was not greatly in demand. Four specimens of Aplasia 

 ononana, " taken by Mr. Biffard in the Warren, Folkestone, July, 1866," 

 were disposed of at 6/- and 14/- a couple. Six Eupithecia consitfnata and 

 forty-eight others sold for 12/-; another lot of " pugs," including four 

 stevensata, went for 9/- ; but the next lot, which contained eleven coyi- 

 signata as well as four stevensata, found a purchaser at 27/6 ; and two 

 other lots, in each of which there were five examples of stevensata, were 

 knocked down at 45/- and 26/-. Two lots of Eupithecia, among which 

 were several good species, including eight specimens of extensaria in 

 each lot, went for 18/- and 24/. Lot 274, comprising three examples 

 of an undetermined species of Eupithecia and three innotata, sold for 

 37/6. Phibalapterijx polygrammata, of which there were twenty speci- 

 mens, were disposed of in lots of four, at from 35/- to 55/- per lot ; 

 the total sum realised for the series was JEIO 15s., and this gives an 

 average of 10/9 per specimen. One hundred and ninety-four speci- 

 mens of Pyralidina, including six Diasemia literalis, were disposed of 

 for 10/- ; and another lot of one hundred and twenty-six specimens, 

 including nine D. literalis and eleven Nascia cilialis, went for 15/-. 

 D. ramburiaUs, of which there were four specimens, sold at 10/6 a 

 brace ; and a pair of Botijs lupulinalis produced 10/-. Another example 

 of the last named went with a lot of other nice species for 7/- ; and a 

 fourth example, together with a hundred and one specimens of other 

 species, sold for 15/-. Two specimens of Antiyastra catalaunalis 

 did not run up the price much of the respective lots in which they 

 were included, as one with sixty-two other decent " Pyrales " went for 

 8/- ; and the other, attended by seventy-two nice things, fetched 9/-. 

 The same remark applies to Margarodes imionalis, of which there were 

 four examples. Botys repandalis, discovered and bred in this country 

 by Mr. Burney, realised from 20/- to 26/- each ; there were only 

 seven specimens in the series. — R. S. 



Vanessa atalanta and V. cardui. — With reference to Mr. Arkle's 

 note (Entom. xxvi. 356) on V. atalanta in Florida, I may mention that 

 I found this species fairly plentiful in 1887 at Charleston, S. Carolina, 

 where the larva fed on Lamium (dead-nettle), which grows in marshy 

 places. The perfect insect is somewhat smaller than the British, but 

 when placed side by side no difference in colouring can be observed. I 

 also found V. cardui at the same place, and since I have been in South 

 Africa have met with it everywhere ; it simply swarms at Johannesburg, 

 but is somewhat smaller than the British insect, one specimen which I 

 bred measuring 1 j^ inch in expanse of wings. In the absence of its. 



