NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 2B7 



I have encountered this species. A fresh male was taken from a 

 bird-clierry bush in my garden in August, and a female was noted a 

 hundred yards away from the same spot on September 7th. I have 

 failed to detect any in the neighbouring woodlands. — Thymdiciis 

 actceon : having frequently taken actceon in worn condition quite 

 early in the season I made special captures this year from May 

 onwards. During the hot spell which occurred at the end of that 

 month both sexes were flying in about equal numbers ; but not until 

 nearly the end of June did I see the bright golden undersides of the 

 fresh males, while females in good condition were hardly to be found 

 before mid-July. I am strongly of opinion that tbis species must 

 hibernate in great numbers, the dense, tufty grass they frequent offer- 

 ing an excellent winter refuge. — M. J. Mansfield ; Greybank, West 

 Lulworth, Dorset, September, 1918. 



Additions to Lists of Butterflies Collected at Amelie- 

 les-Bains and La Preste.— A careful re-examination of the 

 Lepidoptera collected at La Preste in July, 1917, enables me to 

 add to those already recorded in ' The Entomologist ' {antea, pp. 194-6), 

 MditcBci dictyiiiia, 9 . Nenmohius litcina and Agriades corydon ab. 

 syngrapha. I find, on the other hand, that Glaticopsyche lysimoii 

 must be omitted, having been too hastily included (cjj. antea, p. 197). 

 The extreme variability of Melanargia lachesis both as regards size 

 and as regards coloration calls for a few remarks. I have five 

 examples of this butterfly, which differ from one another in the 

 following respects : No. 1 may be regarded as normal ; its expanse 

 is 2-25 in. ; the markings on the underside of the hind wings are 

 grey outlined in black. No. 2 has an expanse of about 1-88 in. ; 

 the markings in the same position are much paler than on No. 1. 

 No. 3 has an expanse of about 2-5 in. The markings on the under 

 surface of the hind wings are bistre and are faintly outlined in a 

 darker shade of the same colour. No. 4 has an expanse of about 

 2-15 in. On this example only those markings which lie nearest 

 to the costa on the under surface of the hind wings are pale grey, 

 and of the others on the same surface there are only the black 

 outlines, for the centres have entirely disappeared. This example 

 thus approaches ab. cataleuca, Stgr. No. 5 is the example 

 taken at Vernet-les-Bains in August, 1916. The ground-colour is 

 pale straw, and the markings on both sides are dark brown. I have 

 also observed some further peculiarities in the abdominal marks of 

 /. podalirius, var. feisthamelii. On one example (Amelie-les-Bains, 

 August 11th, 1918) the distal half of the dorsal surface of the 

 abdomen is white with the exception of a thick black line down 

 the centre. Finally, some of my examples of Ciipido minimus are 

 without rows of submarginal spots ; another has these rows very 

 clearly marked ; on yet another they are faintly indicated. I do 

 not know if these differences are sexual or varietal. The butterflies 

 captured at Amelie-les-Bains in June which I had not captured 

 previously were Brcnthis dia, A. cydippe (^ (June 27th), Adopcea 

 lineola var. ludovicice ^ (" ake posticai subtus squamis nigris 

 creberrimis consitEe"), and ThymcUciis actceon $. I also captured 

 in June Lcesopis roboris $ , Nomiades scmiargiis $ (a much worn 



