CAPTURES AND FIELD REPORTS. 143 



however, I found it to differ in some respects from the figure, mj' 

 specimen having four smaller spots, one on each wing. Those on the 

 fore wings are identical as regards position with the most prominent 

 white markings of valesina, except that they are much smaller, round, 

 and indented, like the eft'ect produced by pressing the head of a pin 

 upon paper. On the lower wings the spots, which coincide with those 

 on the upper wings, have not the latter peculiarity. Still, the aberra- 

 tion strikes one as having been produced by something which had 

 pressed heavily upon the wing-cases of the pupa of the insect. Mr. 

 Frohawk {I.e.) tells us that specimens of A. paphia, mostly males, 

 frequently have the white spots on each wing, as in this case, others 

 on one wing only ; whilst in other instances the primaries only are 

 spotted. He adds that they seem to be found nowhere else but in the 

 New Forest, whence I secured my example. Now, as there seems to 

 my mind little doubt that the aberration of the latter was caused by 

 accidental pressure upon part of the wing-cases of the pupa, may it 

 not be possible that the occurrences of these spots in A. paphia, as 

 well as of many of the other irregular forms of coloration in Lepido- 

 ptera generally, owe their origin to a like cause ? If so, then the 

 question arises, why should the aberration in the case of A. paphia be 

 almost, if not altogether, confined to the New Forest ? — F. G. Bellamy ; 

 Ringwood, April 11th, 1904. 



Aberrations of Butterflies. — In reply to Mr. Verity's queries 

 (ante, p. 59), I have one female of Lycana icarus var. melanotoxa, taken 

 on June 17th, 1895, and one example of the same sex, taken on 

 September 12th, 1894. Both specimens are from Riddlesdowu in 

 Surrey, and that last mentioned also has the basi-costal spots of the 

 hind wings confluent and strigated, and the superior basal spot of the 

 fore wings geminate. Also three males taken in Malta on May 17th, 

 1902, June 14th, 1902, and July 19th, 1901. It is particularly to be 

 noticed that these are all male specimens. Of FAirymus croceus (Colias 

 edusa) ab. minor, Failla, I have two males, one taken in Malta on 

 June 2ud, 1902, and the other at Plateali,in Greece, on February 7th, 

 1901. — Thos. Bainbrigge Fletcher; H.M.S. ' Impregnable,' Devon- 

 port, April 8th, 1904. 



CAPTURES AND FIELD REPORTS. 



Notes from Westcliff-on-Sea and District. — The season last year 

 was a most wretched one here, as elsewhere, but, notwithstanding the 

 almost continuous rains, I met with a few interesting species of Lepi- 

 doptera when the weather was kind enough to allow one an opportunity 

 of doing a little field-work. 



During April and May Pygara pifjra (reclusa) emerged freely in my 

 breeding-cages from larvae found on aspen and sallow in September, 

 1902, near Eastwood. From other larva; found at the same time and 

 place, and also on the same food-plants, were bred odd specimens of 

 Dicraniua bifida and Xotodonta ziczac ; also a short series of Eucusmia 

 «?it<i(Zaea and half-a-dozen specimens of the scarce " knothorn," Ne- 

 phoptenjx hostilis, Steph., the latter from larvno found on aspen only. 



