164 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Entomological Notes and Captures. 



Vanessa IcJinusa in North Lancashire. — Mr. Gregson 

 (Entom. iii. 129), refening incidentally to specimens of Va- 

 nessa Urticee from Havvkshead, North Lancashire, without 

 the two outer discal spots (said to be always present), desires 

 lepidopierists to call these " var. Tchnusa, Bon., the said 

 form being common to Sardinia." Now, I am sure Mr. 

 Gregson will kindly excuse me when I say that if ever the 

 tvuly southern form, V. Ichnusa, should occur in this country, 

 its capture and breeding in this island would imply a great 

 deal more than the mere addition of a variety of V. Urtica? to 

 the British catalogue. Besides, Mr. W. F. Kirby reminds us 

 that, slight as is the difference between UrticsB and Ichnusa, 

 it is correlated in the larva (Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 3rd 

 series, vol. i. p. 488) ; and Mr. Gregson would therefore 

 benefit our knowledge of V. Uriicae and its varieties if he 

 would try and breed his so-called Ichnusa from the egg, and 

 point out any diflferences between such larvje and the normal 

 ones of V. Urticae. The true Ichnusa of Bonelli has as yet 

 only been found in Corsica (Mann), and, as Mr. Gregson 

 justly observes, in Sardinia too (Monti Genargentu Giuliani) ; 

 and whether we consider it only as a highly-coloured southern 

 type of Urticae, or admit its specific claim, however weak it 

 may be, it is certain that the present range of this butterfly 

 is restricted to Mediterranean latitudes, as only there those 

 climatal and other agencies are still combined which may 

 have compelled the denizen of a more northern zone to 

 assume, in the course of ages, the fiery red garb of the 

 present Ichnusa. The high importance of insect-geography 

 is now becoming more and more appreciated throughout the 

 world ; and lest some unlucky ibreigner, who perchance may 

 be only superficially acquainted with the lej)idopterous riches 

 of Great Britain, should attach a meaning to Mr. Gregson's 

 words which probably they were not intended to convey, I 

 have ventured to publish this note, feeling confident that none 

 will be readier kindly to bear with my remarks than those 

 who are themselves actively engaged in mapping out the 

 range of any insect, be it in the field or in the study. — Albert 

 Midler ; Peiiye, S.E., October 2, 1866. 



Arctia Juliginosa double -brooded. — 1 have this season been 



