SOME NOTES OF THE NEW FOKBST, 1918. 271 



to see in which enclosures I should find plenty to do, and they 

 told me that (in one of these) they had seen very many " velvety 

 green " insects flying with presumably Z). paphia, and on visit- 

 ing this one I found that the expected valcsina was most 

 abundant, one of which I took having the top left wing slightly 

 " smeared " brown. I must have seen at least 200 that day. 



Of Apatura iris, about twelve were seen, and I think only 

 three were captured (all males), but on the last day, I missed a 

 perfect ? ovipositing on the sallow. 



With regard to D. paphia, I was most fortunate in securing 

 some very fine varieties (some being damaged). In the same 

 enclosure, where valenna was so abundant, I happened to see 

 (well within reach of the net), about 1 yard apart from each 

 other, a male and a female with no spots at all, but with black 

 -streaks all over them. Luckily, I got both in the net at the 

 same stroke. There were also many males (and a few females) 

 having the white " patches " on all four wings, but the commonest 

 of the varieties was the male, with one white spot on the hind wing. 



Towards the end of my visit E. polychloros seemed to get quite 

 plentiful, frequenting the grassy paths by the side of swamps. 



As for Argyvnis cydippe, it was most abundant, especially 

 near the railway line at Brockenhurst, it quite putting paphia 

 in the shade there. 



I also met a friend who told me he had taken some perfect 

 examples of Thecia iv-album, and although he directed me to his 

 spot, I failed to obtain it. 



With regard to aberrations of paphia and sibylla, I find that, 

 having compared specimens with friends that we each took the 

 variety of the former with no spots at all, but black streaks, and 

 as for the coveted "Black" sibylla, seven were taken, of which 

 three apiece fell victims to my friend and me, and the other one 

 (which we both struck at) to another friend. 



I may add that, had it not been for my friend, Mr. J. H. 

 Carpeuter (of Leatherhead), I should never have been on the qui 

 vive so much, for having seen his series of paplda (all from the 

 Forest?), I was then enabled to see what aberrations to look for. 



The last few days being wet, I decided to stay another three 

 days, but I did not gain much by doing so, except that the last 

 insect to be captured was the "Black" sibylla; so I think I 

 was most lucky during my visit, as the first and last insect to 

 be caught was this most coveted variety. I also heard that 

 there were quite a crowd of well-known entomologists after it, 

 but with what success I do not know. 



14, Strathearn Road, 

 Sutton, Surrey, 



July '25th, 1918. 



[We understand that all the above mentioned " Black " sibylla 

 are not true ab. niqrina but modifications of that form. — Ed.] 



