NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 41 



Portland remains unshaken, though I should welcome the sight of an 

 example from Brandon or elsewhere. Can anyone inform me where 

 the specimens that gave rise to the Brandon or Ranworth records are 

 to be found ? In justice to Mr. Arkle, it must bo added, that he was 

 misled m the matter by an experienced lepidopterist, who definitely 

 pronounced the Barmouth individual, when it was submitted to him 

 for identification, to be Scoparia frequmtella vav. portlamlica. — Eustace 

 R. Bankes ; Norden, Corfe Castle, December 21st, 1905. 



The Variation of the Larva and Pupa of Vanessa hippomene, 

 Hiib. — Through the great kindness of Monsieur Georges Autelme, I 

 received three full-grown larvae of this rare insect — rare at any rate in 

 this island, and now almost extinct. I hope at some future time to 

 give full details regarding its life history and distribution, but for the 

 moment 1 wish to direct attention more particularly to the very 

 remarkable variation which the larvae and pup^e undergo when exposed 

 to or partially deprived of sunlight. The larvfe were found when full- 

 grown on the food-plant, which was growing under the shelter of some 

 trees, and only received the direct rays of the sun for a portion of the 

 day only. They difi'ered appreciably, but their colour generally was 

 pale grey with black lines, more particularly on the segments and 

 along the line of the spiracles, and with conspicuous yellow spots, 

 from which arose the branched yellow spines with black tips. The 

 general coloration reminded one forcibly of the larva of the figure-of- 

 eight moth [Diloba ccEruleocephala). They were placed in an ordinary 

 breeding-cage, in a shady but by no means dark verandah, and 

 pupated the following day, close together at the top of the cage. 

 Though I had never seen the pupae before, still they all struck me as 

 being remarkably dark, being of deep umber-brow^n with a few spots 

 of deep gold. By a lucky chance I found an egg of the insect on one 

 of the leaves sent with the larvfe, and this I reared in the same cage 

 and in the same position as the former. This larva was in all its 

 stages a dark grey black, darker than the larva of T'. urtica; and almost 

 as dark as T'. io ; the usual yellow spots could just be distinguished as 

 deep ochreous or almost chocolate-coloured dots ; the spines were 

 much reduced in size, and instead of being pale yellow were obscure 

 salmon-pink. The larva when full-fed was a third less in length than 

 the others, though abundantly supplied with food, and I was, conse- 

 quently, considerably surprised one morning to find it suspended. I 

 brought the cage into bright sunlight, and surrounded the larva with 

 white foolscap paper, and, as I anticipated, the resulting pupa was 

 pale brown, with numerous spots and splashes of pale gold and silver. 

 The butterfly differed in no way from the others. Professor Poulton, 

 unless I am greatly mistaken, has demonstrated the susceptibility of 

 the larva and pupa of T'. iirticce to altered conditions ; but I am not 

 aware of any Vanessid varying to such an extent as T'. hippomene, 

 either under natural or artificial conditions. As far as I can recollect, 

 the larva of 1'. urtica, varies but slightly. Possibly all tropical 

 Vanessids vary to the same extent as T'. hippomene, but I do know that 

 such variations, if they exist, have been recorded. I may add, that 

 the larva which hatched October 8th pupated November 5th, and 

 emerged November 16th, a rate of growth which must cause envy 



ENTOM. — FEBRUARY, 1906. E 



