216 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



down open grassy paths ; but the butterfly of the forest was 

 undoubtedly A. imphia (Silver-washed F.), which literally 

 swarmed everywhere. It frequented even the densest parts 

 of the enclosures, where dozens might be seen at a time, 

 resting on the ferns with expanded wings, their bright tawny 

 colour making them conspicuous objects in the midst of the 

 surrounding green. Their favourite plant, however, was the 

 bramble, on a single bush of which over thirty perfect speci- 

 mens were once counted busy sipping the nectar from the 

 blossoms. On another occasion, while collecting in a small 

 pasturage in which grew a most luxuriant crop of tall 

 thistles, the author found Pa^hia in greater abundance 

 than he had yet seen it. On every thistle-head there w^ere 

 two or three striving for possession. While speaking of this 

 species, special attention was drawn to the melanic form 

 known as var. Valezina. This southern form, it was under- 

 stood, had rarely, if ever, been taken in the British Isles 

 except in the New Forest ; and, until recent years, only in 

 very limited numbers even there. It was certainly in con- 

 siderable plenty in July 1880. He himself saw a goodly 

 number on the wing, and was shown over fifty fine speci- 

 mens in the store-boxes of two Oxford students. Several 

 other similar ' takes ' were heard of. Valezina differs from 

 the typical form only in colour, being, in good examples, of 

 a uniform dark smoky green, through which the usual darker 

 markings are distinctly visible. Towards the tip of the 

 anterior wings there are two or three pale, whitish spots. 

 The strange thing about this variety is, that it only occurs 

 among the females — it being understood that not a single 

 Valezina male has yet been seen. Another curious form of 

 A. ])a]phia was observed, namely a specimen in wdiich the 

 two right wings were most perfectly those of the male 

 and the left ones those of the female. This form of Gynan- 

 clromorphism is not so uncommon, however, as some others. 

 There was another inhabitant of the New Forest, which, 

 in some respects at least, was the proud superior even of 

 Paphia. He referred to Limenitis sihylla (White Admiral). 

 The charm of Sihylla lay in its power and grace of flight. 

 Through a long summer day he had with unwearied interest 



