284 FIELD naturalists' club. 



SALE OF BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 



THE first portion of the well-known collection of British 

 butterflies and moths formed by the late William Machin, 

 who was a compositor in a London printing firm, was sold by 

 auction on February 2Gth, at the rooms of Mr. J. C. Stevens, 

 King Street, Covent Garden. The collection, formed during a 

 period of fifty-eight years, was chiefly rich in a long series of 

 rare and now extinct British species. The specimens were 

 thoroughly authenticated as British, and as there was a large 

 attendance of buyers, the prices generally were higher than the 

 usual average, varieties especially fetching high rates. Among 

 the earlier lots of butterflies, four specimens of Pieris daplidice, 

 taken in Kent, reached 16s to 18s. each. A bred variety of 

 Argynnis paphia, with confluent spots on the under side, sold, 

 with seventeen other specimens, for £2 2. A variety of Vanessa 

 cardui, taken on Hackney Marshes, fetched £3 10. A fine 

 variety of the purple-emperor (Aputura iris), with 3 T ellow under 

 wings, £3 5. Six specimens of Polyomniatus dispar, "from Mr. 

 Henry Doubleday," fetched from £2 to £5 5. each, according to 

 size and condition, the latter price being for females, the finest 

 males only fetched £4 8. Sixty-three typical " blues," including 

 a specimen of small copper butterfly (P. phlaeas), with the blue 

 spots on the hind wings larger than usual, reached £3 10. 

 Lyccena acis, £2 for a pair, and £2 10. for three specimens. 

 Among the moths a specimen of Sphinx pinastri, from the late 

 Mr. F. Bond, went, with nine Chaerocampa elpenor, for £1 10. 

 Two Sesia seal titjormis, a }'ellow-banded variety of S. culiciformis 

 and eleven others, sold for £2 2. Four S. sphegiformis, labelled 

 "from Tilgate Forest," with six S. chrysidiformis, fetched £2 5. 

 Varieties of the common garden tiger, Arctia caia, were not 

 specially fine, the highest price being £2 2. for three. Laelia 

 ccenosa sold in pairs, at £1 7. 6. to £2 2. Seven specimens of 

 Bombyx trifolii, one being a fine variety bred by the late Mr. 

 Machin, fetched £3 10. A fine series of eight specimens of 

 Lasiocampa ilicifolia, taken at Cannock Chase, £2 5. to £4 5. a 

 pair. A fine female Noctua subrosna sold for £4 10., the six 

 other specimens fetching £4, £4 5. and £5 5. per pair. Cleora 

 viduaria, which has become valuable during the last few years, 

 £1 15. to £3 5. a pair. The thirty-eight drawer mahogany 

 cabinet that contained the collection, sold for nineteen guineas. 

 The total amount realised for the collection of macrolepidoptera, 

 or butterflies and larger moths, being £3G3. We understand 

 that Mr. Machin's still more celebrated collection of British 

 macro-lepidoptera has been purchased as a whole by a well- 

 known London amateur naturalist. — Science Gossip. 



