THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 313 



England and reared on the ordinary food of English chil- 

 dren, should at maturity, in spite of the change of food and 

 climate, still present the characteristics of the black race, we 

 must conclude that the negro and the white man are distinct 

 species and not merely varieties. Now, adhering as I do to 

 the old-fashioned belief that God " hath made of one blood 

 all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth," 

 and considering the undeniable facts of human variation, I 

 know not how a belief in the unity of our race is to be 

 reasonably maintained without the admission that species are 

 almost infinitely variable; and there is an end of all science 

 in the matter if we permit ourselves to consider as indicating 

 "varieties" only, in the human race, differences of colour 

 and structure both large and persistently transmitted, and 

 when the same or even a much less amount of variation 

 occurs amongst the lower animals to claim for it specific 

 rank. White men may not have sprung from black, or tnce 

 versa; Carpophaga may not have produced Capsophila: 

 there is no probability that these varieties or species are, 

 under any circumstances, convertible the one into the other ; 

 more likely in both cases the existing forms have sprung 

 from some more ancient type of a less specialized character. 

 — Edwin Birchall ; August 4, 1869. 



Scarcily of While Bulterjiies in Derbyshire. — I have 

 read your note anent the scarcity of butterflies. I can con- 

 firm it as regards this place. They never abound here, but 

 this year they have almost disappeared. Until this week I 

 do not think 1 have seen twenty of all kinds. In the spring 

 two or three hybernated Atalanta and Rhamni, a few whites, 

 and still fewer tortoise-shells and orange-tips appeared ; then 

 lor some weeks there was literally not one to be seen ; this 

 week they have reappeared, but not abundantly. Last year 

 1 picked up, without any trouble, about sixty larvae of A. 

 Cardamines in the garden, upon the pods of the single 

 rocket ; this year I only saw four of the butterflies at large, 

 and of course the larvae are absent. — [Rev.) Hu(jh A. Stoicell ; 

 BreadsaU Rectory, Derby. 



Scarcily of White Biitterjlies in the New Forest. — Seeing 

 a notice by Mr. Newman respecting the scarcity of our com- 

 mon whites this season near London, 1 thought it might pos- 

 sibly interest some readers to know that 1 have found them 



