110 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



find there a very close approximation to dictynna. All the first 

 brood males in my possession might well be taken on the upper 

 side for small specimens of var. mehadiensis, though of course 

 the under side is totally different ; two of the females of this 

 brood might equally well pass as the same variety of athalia, 

 but the others are much more obsoletely marked. The second 

 brood is much more varied. I have specimens taken at the 

 same time and place as heavily marked as aurelia, and more 

 lightly on the fore wing than imrthenie ; at the same time they 

 have, in series, a facies so remarkably and unmistakably their 

 own that it would seem impossible to confuse them with any 

 other species, if we remember that the britomartis of German 

 authors (and of Kirby, who confessedly founds his 'European 

 Butterflies and Moths ' on their writings) has no recognizable 

 connection with Assmann's original description, nor with his 

 type specimens. The variation of the under side is principally 

 in two directions — intensity of markings and depth of colour. 

 There is considerable range in the latter respect in the fore wing, 

 and in both light and dark bands of the hind wing, the light 

 varying in both sexes from cream or ivory to silvery-white, and 

 the dark from light orange-brown to very deep cinnamon. 

 There is also considerable variety in the emphasis given to the 

 " dictynna-s\)ois,'' which are sometimes very strikingly deve- 

 loped and sometimes almost rudimentary, as also in the com- 

 parative breadth of the un. s. h. w. bands and in the proportion 

 of the two parts of the outer and central bands to each other. 

 The outstanding characteristic of the latter, viz. the position of 

 the third and fourth spots of the outer division, thrust as it were 

 out of line, is, however, always present, and often most marked. 



(To be continued.) 



ON THE HYMENOPTEROUS PARASITES OF COCGIDiE. 

 By Claude Moeley, F.Z.S., F.E.S. 



(Concluded from p. 96.) 



83. Coccus alni, Ratz.* 

 Ratzeburg states (Ichn. d. Forst ii. 146) : I bred male and 

 female Encyrtus inincti])es from the berry-like Coccus alni on 

 alder twigs, and (iii. 189) Hr. Reissig has bred this pretty para- 

 site again. La'er {I. c. iii. 193) he says Hr. Reissig bred male 

 and female Encyrtus sericans from a Coccus on alder. 



84. Coccus camhii, Ratz.* 

 The same author, after querying its parasitism upon another 

 Chalcid (i. 295), tells us distinctly that Pteromalus audouinii was 

 bred (ii. 191) by Hr. Reissig from Coccus camhii. 



