4 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



of some kind ?" I asked. " No," was the reply ; " their function 

 is unknown, but they are said to communicate with the exterior 

 of the wing." If we turn to the illustrations generally found in 

 books on cryptogamic botany, we will probably find figures 

 representing the conjugation of certain fungi, that bear so close 

 a resemblance to these "mother-cells," that I am tempted to 

 regard the latter as the sexual organs of the fungi found on the 

 wings of certain butterflies. The conjugating cells of Erysiphe 

 and Eurotiuni are cases in point; but all this is conjectural. 



In the last sentence of Prof. Smith's paragraph (Entom. xxix. 

 314) he remarks, "except for their greater delicacy of structure, 

 these androconia do not differ from the other wing-scales." On a 

 previous occasion (Entom. xxix. 230) I pointed out that certain 

 differences do exist ; but if we compare the fungi with admittedly 

 androconial scales as, for instance, those of Callidryas JioreUa 

 (Entom. xxix. 302), we shall find that there is not even a trace 

 of similitude between them. 



In conclusion, I beg leave to offer my best thanks to Prof. 

 Smith for his courteous remarks. 



Explanation of the Figuees. 



Fig. 1. — Sketch of Mr. Scudder's fig. 42 (pi. 46), representing 

 the "androconia of Laertuis philenor;" this object is shown upside 

 down ; its asymmetry is probably due to pressure. 



Fig. 2. — Basal portion (for comparison with the above) of the 

 Pieris ciiiatJiina fmigus ; at. stem ; p. paraphyses. 



Fig. 3.— The P. agatldna fungus, from which the entire stem has 

 fallen out. 



Fig. 4. — Fungus of P. af/athina ; pe. peridium ; p. paraphyses ; 

 b. border or coping ; r. rod-like structures on upper part of peridium ; 

 St. stem, extending the whole length of the peridium ; sj). sporocarp ; 

 s. black spot on the apex. 



NOTES ON THE BUTTERFLIES OF SICILY. 

 By Margaret E. Fountaine. 



Having had some idea of spending the summer in Sicily, 

 with a view to collecting butterflies when I heard that I should 

 probably be the first English lepidopterist who had ever visited 

 the island, and also that a certain amount of danger might be 

 incurred thereby from brigands, &c., any hesitation I might 

 previously have had, before making up my mind, was quite at 

 an end ; I decided to go. 



It was about 4 a.m., and a glorious summer morning, on the 

 10th of May last, wlien I first beheld the mountains round 



