NEW SPECIES OF CICADID^ FROM SUMATRA. 3 



This is an interesting novelty in that it constitutes what 

 is apparently the first record of a Cosmopsaltrla from Sumatra. 

 From the neighbouring island of Borneo, Mr. Distant records 

 five species (I recognise two more) and two are known from the 

 Malay Peninsula, so the long absence of a record from Sumatra, 

 which has so similar a fauna, is very remarkable ; no doubt 

 many more species await discovery there. Mr. Distant divides 

 the species of this genus into two groups on the opercula. This 

 species comes into the first group on account of the dark- 

 margined opercula. ^Yith C. ida, described by me from Sara- 

 wak in 1911, it can be distinguished from the other species of 

 this section by the plain, unspotted tegmina. From C. ida it 

 differs in the larger size and different markings of the head, 

 pronotum, and mesonotum, and different shape of the opercula. 

 C. sitmatrana seems to be nearest to this Bornean species, but 

 not, I think, near enough to be considered a geographical race. 

 [It is also allied to C. alticola, Dist. from Borneo. — W. L. D.] 



SOME NOTES ON THE LIFE HISTORY OF 

 GONEPTERYX CLEOPATRA. 



By Capt. E. Bagwell-Purefoy, F.E.S. 



During the summer of 1902 we received several dozen pupae 

 of Gonepteryx cleopatra from the south of France, and turned out 

 the resulting butterflies in Tipperary, Ireland. The two lessons 

 we learnt by this somewhat imperfect experiment were, firstly, 

 that some, at any rate, of these butterflies paired and laid almost 

 at once ; and, secondly, that the resulting larvae would feed up 

 satisfactorily on all species of PJiamniis that we offered them 

 with the sole exception of R. f rang ida. This last appeared to 

 poison them, and they seldom survived on it for more than three 

 days. 



When, in 1907, a large butterfly enclosure in Kent became 

 available for experiments of this kind, we determined to try and 

 gather some definite information concerning the life history and 

 habits of this beautiful species ; and, having stocked the garden 

 with them in 1908, we have been successful in keeping the breed 

 going ever since. 



During these nine years we have carried out various experi- 

 ments and made copious notes on the species, and as these point 

 to conclusions not generally known or accepted, it would, perhaps, 

 be as well to set them out briefly Jiere. 



To cleopatra, I think, has generally been attributed the 

 same life history as rhamni, but our observations go to prove 

 a wide divergence, especially where the pairing habits are con- 

 cerned. These pairing habits, the longevity of the females, and 

 the. occasional lying over of the .pupa are the chief points now 

 to be discussed. 



