NOTES ON VANESSA ANTIUPA. 177 



Walker, in their ineuiurable tour in tlie South of France in the 

 summer of IS-'JO. 



I have only seen two specimens of V. autiopa alive — one that 

 I failed to capture in the Black Forest in the summer of 1857, 

 and really do not recollect the colour of its borders ; the other I 

 caught on ivy blossoms on a low wall on the hill-side above 

 Menaggio, Lake of Como, in the summer of 1872. This one has 

 yellow borders, but somewhat faded compared with my other 

 specimens, and is otherwise not in first-rate condition. Not 

 being familiar with this insect in a living state, I failed to 

 recognise it until I had taken it out of the net, having been under 

 the impression that I had succeeded in capturing one of the large 

 Satyrids, Miiiois proserjnna or M. hermione, for example. 



I have two specimens, beyond all question British, with white 

 borders, of which the history is as follows: — Both are from the 

 grounds of Arnos Grove, Southgate, and are the worse for wear, 

 possibly from not having passed through the hands of an entomo- 

 logist in the first instance. One was captured flying by or across 

 the New Eiver, I believe by someone fishing at the time. The 

 other was caught by a boy or boys of the school at the bottom of 

 the Cottage Walk, Arnos Grove, and given by the schoolmaster 

 to my father. I cannot speak positively as to the date, whether 

 1820 or 1830, but am fully persuaded that it was at least, if not 

 more than, fifty years ago. 



When staying at the house of a relative, Little Heath, Potter's 

 Bar, I was given to understand that some haymakers had noticed 

 some large buttei flies while they were at work, and on proceeding 

 to question them on the subject, was told that the said insects 

 (F. ant'wixi ?) had "a sulphureous band all round them." 



I believe that the yellow borders are far more frequent than 

 the white, and also that the butterfly was far commoner in this 

 country towards the end of the last century than it is at present. 



It may be remarked, in conclusion, that V. antiopa is more 

 variable in size than any other of our English Vanessas. Large 

 specimens probably exceed in size any of tlie Vanessid£e, except 

 such monarchs of the race as the African Junonia cmacai'diiy 

 Salmacis amarantha, and the like. 



Dun Mallard, Cricklewood, N.W., June 1, 1887. 



ENTOM. — JULY, 1887. 2 A 



