NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 69 



than it was in the old herbahst's day, still shelters a nice growth of 

 Solidago, on which larvte of Eupcecilia subroseana and Grapliolitha 

 cemidana — two rather local Tortrices — are to be found.— F. G. 

 Whittle; 7, Marine Avenue, Southend-on-Sea. 



Thera simulata Hb. at Wolsingham. — Eeferring to Dr. J. W. 

 Heslop Harrison's notes, antea, pp. 38-41, as to this species at 

 Wolsingham, the following extract from my diary may be of interest. 

 "June 18th, 1881, at Wolsingham. Thera simulata larvss, full 

 fed and very abundant, emerged later in great numbers, whereas 

 larvEe got earlier in previous years did badly." I can quite well 

 remember that my old friend, the late John Sang of Darlington, was 

 with me upon the occasion, and that along with larv£e of simulata we 

 beat out "countless numbers of Eiqnthecia sobrinata larvae as well. 

 Neither favoured the larger bushes, but seemed to frequent the 

 smaller stunted bushes by preference. Wolsingham was a very 

 favourite locality of Mr. Sang's for collecting and he made frequent 

 excursions there. — J. Gardner; Laurel Lodge, Hart, West Hartlepool. 



Big Prices at Stevens' x\uction Eooms. — On Tuesday, February 

 11th, the modern collection of British Lepidoptera formed by Mr. 

 G. B. Oliver, was brought under the hammer, and the various lots 

 realised exceptionally high prices, anything in the nature of a good 

 variety selling readily, and in many cases at far above anything pre- 

 viously thought reasonable. Thus Argynnis aglaia, "a magnificent 

 black dusted dwarf female," made £5 5s. ; and a series of eighteen 

 specimens including "several nice forms" with tvfenty typical A. 

 adippe, £8 5s. A. pajjhia, a female heavily marked with black, £14, 

 and another with " coalesced markings," £5 10s. Melitcea aurinia 

 [artemis], a unicolorous specimen, brought £5 ; another somewhat 

 similar, £5 10s. ; and a fasciated pair, £4 5s. Polygonia, c-albuvi, one 

 with rich chocolate underwings, sold for £3 5s. ; and a similar, but 

 hardly so intensified, example made £2 5s. Among a large number 

 of more or less interesting forms of Aglais urtica four var. alba 

 ranged from £3 10s. to £3 15s. each ; and various forms of the var. 

 with " blackened costcB " and distorted markings from- £5 to £6 Qs. 

 Vanessa io, a fine example of the "blind" form, made £8; and an 

 intermediate, £5. Another £5 lot included a pale-banded Pyrayneis 

 atalanta ; and two nice vars. of Pararge cegeria in which the light 

 markings were much extended fetched £5 10s. A remarkable under- 

 side form of Zephyrus betulcB sold for £6 16s. 6d. ; a pair of Thecla prioni 

 in which the orange mark was sexually reversed, £4 ; and a Ckryso- 

 phanus phlaas, " minus copper band on hind wings," £2. Agriades 

 bellargus (adoiiis) " slatey-grey " males ranged from £2 to £3 3s. 

 a female underside with spotting obsolete on fore wings and striated 

 hind wings ran up to £15 15s. Among a large number of A. corydon, 

 a tawny female made £5 5s.; a very complete obsoleta male underside, 

 also £5 5s. ; and one with all wings striated, again £5 5s. ; while for 

 a remarkable specimen in which the left wings w'ere var. syngrapha 

 and the right wings peppered and streaked with blue and brown, £13 

 was paid. Two strongly marked pairs of Lyccena arion sold for 



