NYMPHALID^. 155 



afterwards they were to be seen drifting into the various 

 bays in the Island of Corfu." In Northern India a migratory 

 swarm has been recorded which occupied ha'f a day in 

 passing. The strange appearance of red spots, which, as a 

 supposed shower of blood, has terrified whole nations, is in 

 all probability caused by the red fluid discharged by vast 

 multitudes of these butterflies after drying their wings. It 

 has been noticed to occur at a time when the whole district 

 was aHve with them. 



[V. Huntera, Fal>., Virginiensis, Drury, has several 

 times been recorded in this country. The first notice was of 

 a specimen taken early in the century, by Captain Blomer, 

 at Withybush, near Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. j\Iore 

 recently Mr. G. C. Bignell recorded one taken near Torpoint, 

 Devon, by Miss C. L. Pole Carew ; another is stated to have 

 been taken in a railway carriage near Wokingham, by 

 Mr. T. D. Gibson-Carmichael, in August 1871, and supposed 

 for some years to be a variety of V. cardui, but ultimately 

 recognised as the Brazilian form of V. Hunfcra. In connec- 

 tion with this capture, it is very pertinently pointed out by 

 Mr. jSIcLachlan, that the Brazilian mail comes vid Southamp- 

 ton, and is forwarded on the same railway. A supposed 

 record at Hitchin was subsequently corrected, the specimen 

 proving to be a variety of V. cardui ; and another, said to 

 have been taken at Christchurch in 187G, when V. cardui 

 was out there in great abundance, may be nothing more. 

 The most obvious and striking distinction by which V. Huntera 

 may be known, is, that on the underside of the hind wings. 

 near the hind margin there are two large ocellated spots in a 

 plain band, instead of a row on the marbled surface, as in 

 V. cardui. Supposing the records of its occurrence to be 

 accurate, the evidence certainly points to its accidental intro- 

 duction, either in the earlier stages with plants, or, much 

 more probably, in a quiescent state, by means of a ship, and 

 no claim for its admission to onr fauna seems to appear, even 

 as a migrant. The insect captured near Loudon by Albiu 



