SPURIOUS VARIETIES OF LEPIDOPTERA. 275 
seems to think this specimen may be genuine. I have also had some 
correspondence with Mr. Philip Crowley and other well-known gentlemen, 
and, from the tenor of their letters and other facts named by them, I think 
it is my plain duty to make the above facts public, and shall be very glad if 
it can be shown that my suspicions are unfounded; but if the sender of 
these specimens to me is in any way wronged by above paragraphs, why, it 
is his own fault for making the mis-statements pointed out above. The 
eight specimens above referred to have been sent to the Editor of the 
‘Entomologist. —H. W. Marspen; 387, Midland Road, Gloucester, 
October 22, 1886.” 
The following is from Mr. Philip Crowley, Waddon House, 
Croydon :— 
“Some few weeks since I saw a very pretty specimen of Vanessa 
atalanta for sale at Messrs. Stevens’ Auction Rooms, with the usual white 
spots on the fore wing of a beautiful pale pink colour. Since then I have 
had sent me by post, for approval, a very pretty variety of V. cardui, which 
was said to have been taken last year at Addington. This also had the 
usual white spots on the fore wings of exactly the same pink as the before- 
mentioned atalanta. I examined it, and returned it, with my opinion very 
plainly expressed. Last week I had a specimen of JV. urtice sent me, 
asking if I considered it genuine. In this specimen the usual white spot 
on the wing was of the same blue colour as the other blue spots. This I 
examined under an inch power, and plainly saw very minute specks of blue 
pigment, not only on the white, but also scattered over the black scales 
round the spot. It being evident that some fellow is doing his best to 
deceive collectors with varieties, let me caution them to be very shy of any 
which haye a few spots of an unusual colour. I may add that since I saw 
the before-mentioned specimens I have tried a few experiments, and find it 
a very easy thing to colour the white spots in butterflies either pink, blue, 
or green, or any other colour, so well that detection is almost impossible. I 
would add that the person who tried to do me addressed his letter from 
about two miles from my address.—Puitip CrowLey; Waddon House, 
Croydon, October 9, 1886.” 
Mr. J. Jenner Weir writes to me on the 10th inst. :— 
‘“‘T fear the ruse has succeeded in several instances. I was shown a 
Vanessa urtice last Thursday which has certainly been coloured ; and the 
letter was from the same man, who has also, I find, sent letters to others 
with specimens, including myself.” 
I hope that this attempt to improve upon Nature was rather 
intended to be a practical joke than a deliberate fraud ; in which 
case the fabricator will doubtless return the money received for 
