142 the entomologist. 



Probable Effect of Last Season on the Occurrence of Insects. — 

 I believe it will be a matter of general interest if field entomologists 

 will note, during the coming season, the scarcity or otherwise of day- 

 flying moths, butterflies, and dragonflies. Especially with reference 

 to butterflies and dragonflies there seems reason to expect a falling-off 

 in the numbers of species, since the small amount of sunshine, low 

 temperatures, frequent winds and rains must have necessarily inter- 

 fered with their matrimonial alliances. — J. Arkle ; Chester. 



Aberrations of European Butterflies. — I was somewhat surprised 

 in reading Mr. Wheeler's observations {ante, p. 116) on my article, 

 " New Forms and New Varieties of European Butterflies," or rather those 

 in reference to my new variety etrusca of Erehia neoridas. Mr. Wheeler 

 states he is not sure the specimens I figure belong to E. neoridas at 

 at all, saying true neoridas presents two constant characters that my 

 specimens lack, viz. that the fore wings "are usually very truncated," 

 and that "the inner edge of the rust-coloured band, upper side fore 

 wing, is almost as straight and firm as if marked oflf with a ruler." 

 An accurate examination of a series of specimens from the south of 

 France has proved to me that the two characters mentioned by Mr. 

 Wheeler are not constant ; about ten per cent, of the specimens having 

 the rust-coloured band nearly half as narrow in the middle as at the 

 ends, and the borders consequently very concave : as to the shape of 

 the fore wings, some have them much less truncated than the speci- 

 mens I figure. If Tuscan specimens are considered, it is found they 

 vary much more than the French ones, and that the inner edge of 

 rust-coloured band is venj rarely straight. What is still more strange 

 IS that Mr. Wheeler " should have no hesitation in referring all three 

 specimens figured to E. euryale," since the first character that distin- 

 guishes this species and E. ligea from all the others is the chequered 

 white and black fringe ; whilst even in the plate the fringes of my 

 specimens are clearly uniform brown. As to the tooth on inner edge 

 of band on under side of hind wings, it is just as marked in many 

 French specimens of E. neoridas as it is in the one that I figure. I may 

 mention here that one of my specimens of this species from Tuscany 

 has the rust-coloured band on upper side of fore wings so broken up 

 as to look rather like E. cassiojie, and that another has this band 

 replaced by a greenish grey one ; I do not think any other Erehia has 

 bands of this colour. If Mr. Wheeler or other readers of the ' Ento- 

 mologist ' are interested in Tuscan Erehia neoridas, I will willingly 

 send them specimens. — Roger Verity ; 1, Via Leone Decimo, 

 Florence, Italy. 



A Hint to Collectors of Parasitic Hymenoptera. — Examine 

 closely the younger larval instars of various leaf-hoppers, especially of 

 Liburnia and its allies. — G. W. Kirkaldy ; Honolulu. 



Aberration of Argynnis paphia. — When looking over back numbers 

 of this Journal, I came upon a figure in vol. xxvi. p. 97, of an 

 aberration of a female Aryijnnis 'paphia, which has pale spots on the 

 fore wings similar to those found upon its variety valesina, and it struck 

 me that I had a specimen — a male — not unlike it. On comparing it) 



