NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 231 



where collectors congregate with the same regularity as the 

 men who go each year to the New Forest. I should think that 

 since the late Mr. W. de Vismes Kane died the number of active 

 collectors in Ireland — to say nothing of English visitors — who 

 have published their observations on the native lepidoptera 

 might be counted on the fingers. It is hardly remarkable under 

 the circumstances, therefore, that not until this year of Grace 

 ha,s Anthrocera achiilece been confirmed in its habitats as an indi- 

 genous species. Lack of initiative on the part of collectors has 

 also been supplemented in the past by a curious insularity. 

 Indeed, it is not improbable that our latest British " Burnet " 

 was netted long ago and, owing to the captor's ignorance of 

 continental species, discarded as worthless from the collector's 

 point of view, or for the same reason overlooked altogether. 



Harrow Weald ; 



September, 1918. 



NOTES AND OBSEEVATIONS. 



The Eeaeing, and Pupation op Papilio alexanor. — Just now 

 and for the past three weeks larvse of P. alexanor have been plentiful 

 here with larvae of P. machaon in all stages on Pimjnnella saxifragar'- 

 A very curious fact — this plant was scarcely in evidence last year, 

 and ergo no larvse in the immediate district, at least I could find 

 neither plants nor larvaB, and the plants were insufficient to induce 

 the females of P. alexanor to lay thereon. This often happens with 

 Galactites tomentosa at Cannes — a kind of thistle which come in 

 crowds about every two years, and is very sparse in between. 

 P. alexanor is a great trouble when pupating, and disturbs those 

 already in situ to do so. It is impossible to place many together. 

 As it is so conspicuous I could not have overlooked it last year 

 although the imagines were not rare. A great many are ichneumoned, 

 which pest appears to kill off the larvae during the third instar. 

 I have captured two kinds of ichneumons at work on them and 

 many pupse. I expect to have about 50 sound pupae, and could take 

 150 if I knew where to rear them. — C. E. Morris ; St. Etienne-de- 

 Tinee, Alpes Maritimes, August 20th, 1919. 



Mr. Morris's note on the local exclusiveness of P. alexanor and 

 its food-plant at St. Etienne is interesting, and the food-plant is 



* Mr. Morris tells me (in litt.) that this plant was identified by two expert 

 botanists staying at St. Etienne this season. The disassociation of P. alexanor 

 from Seseli viontannvi is, I think, unusual in the Basses-Alpes and Alpes- 

 Maritimes. Tutt, probably sjjeaking from his experiences of the species at Digne 

 (' British Butterflies,' vol. iii, p. 35), says that it is restricted to S. montanum, " and 

 appears to attack no other plant." He does not seem to have been aware, how- 

 ever, that in Ri]Dpert's original description the food plant is given as S. clioica (sic), 

 while Milli^re reports that the larvae were abundant on several species of Umbelli- 

 ferffi, though he did not collect them, at Celles-les-Bains, Ardeche (' Icon. Chen. 

 Lepid.,' t. i, p. 167 ; nov. ser. t. v, 1859). Incidentally, this is the only reliable 

 notice I have of the regular occurrence of alexanor west of the Ehone. (H. E.-B.) 



