NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 21 



Lateness of the past Season. — Mr. Harding remarks in 

 the 'Entomologist' (vol. xvii. 185), that after every promise 

 of a remarkably early spring, the bitter east wind of April 

 changed the whole aspect of affairs, whereby the appearance of 

 many species was greatly retarded. Having passed the summer 

 months entomologizing in south-western Spain, I may note that 

 I there observed three butterflies appeared much after the dates 

 assigned in Mr. Kirby's books for their emergence. In the case 

 of Argynnis pandora, a very common and conspicuous butterfly 

 in north-western Spain, as A. aglaia is in Scotland, there could 

 be no inaccuracy of observation, I think, involved. The newly- 

 emerged males I first noticed in the environs of Valladolid, on 

 the 12th of July, and the species was still flying in the Asturian 

 mountain gorges in August. Kirby's book says June and July. — 

 A. H. Swinton ; Binfield House, Waterden Road, Guildford, 

 December 9, 1884. 



[Dr. Lang, in his ' Butterflies of Europe,' also gives June and 

 July as the time of appearance of Argynnis pandora. — J. T. C] 



Economy of Colias edusa. — The life-history of this species 

 has been so far elucidated as to make it clear the deposition 

 of eggs usually takes place about May, the work being performed 

 by hybernated individuals, as in Gonepteryx rhamni. It is 

 possible that in exceptional years a few larvse might be produced 

 in the autumn, which would pupate ere winter, as Mr. Tutt 

 suggests (Entom. xvii. 270). That, from some peculiarity in the 

 species, the hybernators are apt to die off, has been given as the 

 reason why C ediisa is less abundant than G. rhamni, though 

 much like it in some respects. — J. K. S. Clifford ; Cambrian 

 Grove, Gravesend, December 11, 1884. 



Gonepteryx rhamni in Dorsetshire. — I think that Mr. 

 Mansfield (Entom. xvii. 271) is mistaken in thinking that buck- 

 thorn is not a Dorsetshire plant. Both the British species 

 of Rhamni occur in a native state in the county, and the common 

 buckthorn {R. catharticus) is widely distributed, and in some 

 places frequent. — F. Buchanan White; Perth, Dec. 9, 1884. 



Late appearance of Hepialus humuli. — At the end of 

 August I netted what I thought was a Noctua, flying oddly over 

 the grass. To my great surprise it proved to be a female H. 

 humuli. In so hot a season it could hardly be a late emergence, 



