188 THK KNTOMOLOGIST. 



appeared. Still more remarkable then is the extraordinary 

 abundance of what are usually termed " hibernated butter- 

 flies." So they may be; but when I carefully examine the 

 reports I almost conclude that from some unknown or 

 unobserved cause many of these examples have passed the 

 winter in the pupa state, and appeared in the earlv sunshine 

 of this season. Vanessa Atalanta, V. Urticce and V. lo ap- 

 pear to have been common in most localities, while Pyrameis 

 cardiii seems to have been more common this June than it 

 has been in autumn for many years past. I had the pleasure 

 of counting one day this week, and after six o'clock in the 

 evening, seventy-five specimens during a walk of five miles 

 on the Essex coast. Vanessa Antiopa has beeu recorded 

 once, as observed near Scarborough. The most remarkable 

 appearance this season is that of CoUasEdusa. This butterfly 

 has been seen in greater or less numbers dining June all over 

 the kingdom, from Central Scotland to Land's End ; and is 

 reported from some places where its occurrence has never pre- 

 viously been recorded. Most of our correspondents remark 

 upon the exceeding freshness af the specimens captured, and 

 some speak of an exceptional rosy purple tinge suffused over the 

 ordinary yellow. From these observations, and from the fine 

 ciliae of several specimens kindly sent alive to me by various 

 correspondents, 1 am tempted to think that they had only 

 very recently emerged. I scarcely consider it right to call 

 this species double-brooded, for I do not think it has passed 

 through its various metamorphoses this spring, but only 

 remained over winter in the pupa state. The question 

 raised by this abnormal development is well worthy of 

 further discussion. A very large number of communications 

 on this subject have been sent to the 'Entomologist,' from 

 which the following is a selection, as illustrating the 

 geographical distribution of Colias Ediisa this spring. Our 

 correspondents' reports are condensed, as it would be 

 impossible to find space for them all. 



Surrey.— Abundant at New Maldon, first observed June 

 3rd; H. T. Dobson, jun. Redhill, June 4th, very bright in 

 colour; Sydney Webb. Forest Hill, June 7tl), fine speci- 

 mens; H. Ramsay Cox. Barnes, large numbers, includiug 

 \av. Helice ; F.M.Philips. Woking, large numbers; H. 

 Goss. Norbiton, observed in such numbers as to cause 



