NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 73 



expect hybernated lepidopterous insects to be tempted from tbeir winter 

 retreat. — A. J. Field ; 43, Medina Road, Finsbury Park, N, 



Vanessa urtic^e in February. — On Feb. 18th and Feb. 19th I saw a 

 Vanessa urticce on the wing at this unusual time for butterflies. — R. J. 

 Carthew ; Woodbridge Abbey, Suffolk. 



Aberration of Pyrameis cardui. — I have received from Mr. A. 

 Sidney OUiff, of Sidney, New South Wales, a copy of a paper he read 

 before the Linnean Society of New South Wales, " On two instances 

 of Colour variation in Butterflies." In this communication he draws 

 attention to a remarkable aberration of Pyrameis cardui, which had been 

 taken at Bombala, New South Wales, by Mr. G. Masters. Mr. Olliff 

 gives to this specimen the varietal name of P. suffusa, and states that 

 it " bears a remarkable resemblance in the markings of the upper side to a 

 variety bred by Mr. J. A. Clark, irom a Jarva found on the banks of the 

 river Lea, near London, whicli was figured in the ' Entomologist ' for 

 April, 1880. 1 have myself an aberration of P. cardui, taken at Graham's 

 Town, South Africa, exactly like that figured in tlie ' Entomologist,' which 

 I exhibited at the meeting of the Soutli London Entomological and 

 Natural History Society, on October 7th, 1886 (Vide ' Abstract of Pro- 

 ceedings for the Year 1886,' p. 60). It would therefore appear that this 

 extraordinary aberration of P. cardui, of that bizarre character which 

 I should have deemed not likely to have occurred more than once, has now 

 been found in Europe, Africa, and Australia. — J. Jenner Weir; Beckenham, 

 February 4, 1889. 



Thecla w-album in Oxfordshire. — Relating to Mr. Clarke's notice 

 of the capture of Thecla w-album in Oxfordshire (Entom. 47), I may 

 notice that this species was taken in the neighbourhood of Banbury on 

 August 7th, 1882, when I netted a worn specimen in the road leading from 

 Bloxham to Bloxham Grove. I mentioned this to Mr. Beesley of Banbury, 

 •who said he remembered another being caught in the same neighbourhood. — 

 J. F. Perry ; Oscott Cottage, Birmingham, February 9, 1889. 



Deilephii.a GALii IN SCOTLAND. — Amongst the numerous reports of 

 the occurrence of P. galii last season, I have not observed any from this 

 district. A specimen was taken inside one of the buildings connected with 

 the Glasgow Exhibition, having doubtless flown in at the open door 

 attracted by the electric light. It is now in the possession of Mr. E. C. 

 Eggleton, of the Kelvingrove Museum. — T. J. Henderson ; 24, Florence 

 Place, Glasgow. 



Sphinx ligustri on Laurestinus. — I paid a short visit to Great 

 Malvern late in October. Very few insects were observed upon the wing, 

 but among them were several specimens of Vanessa c-album, which appeared 

 quite fresh. The larvae of Sphinx ligustri had been very plentiful upon 

 laurestinus, a shrub upon which I have never taken it before. At this late 

 date they were still found commonly, and one specimen did not pupate till 

 the first week of November. The larvae of Odontopera bidentata were 

 found in abundance chiefly upon the same food-plant. — Alfred T. 

 Mitchell; 5, Clayton Terrace, Gunnersbury, W., January 12, 1889. 



ZYGiENA LONiCER^, VAR. — Amongst several very interesting varieties 

 of Z. lonicerce which I bred last season, I obtained one with the top and 



