282 THE E'NTOlWOLO'GIST. 



the black bars on hind wings. Mr. Sabine, who has kindly lent 

 the specimen for figuring, states that it was captured by Mr. 

 Barlow, whilst he was netting a few L. bellargus for a friend in 

 London. This aberration is parallel with one of L. icarus figured 

 by Newman, Brit. Butt. p. 128. 



Richard South. 



NOTE ON THE OVIPOSITION OF PARNASSIUS APOLLO. 

 By T. a. Chapman, M.D. 



The keel or pouch of female Parnassius seems now to be well 

 understood as a structure added by the male during pairing, but 

 what its use is seems to be still quite unknown. At least, I can 

 find no satisfactory observation or suggestion on the matter. 

 One surmises that it must be of some use in ovipositing. I 

 made a point on several occasions this summer of watching 

 apollo to detect the mode of oviposition, if possible. I only 

 succeeded in seeing one egg laid, and that I could not find on 

 searching. The way in which it was deposited was, however, 

 very suggestive. The butterfly alighted on a dead stalk, some 

 six or seven inches above the earth, not on or very near any 

 Sedum, and then ejected an egg in such a forcible way that it 

 fell, perhaps, an inch and a half away from the spot immediately 

 beneath the insect. A solitary observation is, perhaps, too small 

 a basis to theorise on ; but, as the egg lies unhatched all winter, 

 the object would be to send it with some force, so that it would 

 get into some sheltered corner. The mode by which the jerk is 

 communicated would probably be by the egg being pressed 

 against the pouch, the elasticity of which would give it a jerk 

 when it slipped free. The egg has a flat base, by which it 

 probably becomes attached when that surface touches any 

 object. 



In searching for any account of the oviposition of Parnassius, 

 I find perfunctory allusions to it, implying that there is nothing 

 unusual in method of egg laying. The fullest reference I find in 

 W. H. Edwards's account of P. smintheus, where several different 

 observers note the butterfly as laying freely on various objects, 

 and especially on anything in preference to the food- plant. He 

 quotes two observers who saw the butterfly laying eggs, and who 

 note nothing peculiar about it. It may be, therefore, perhaps, 

 that my observation was of an unusual occurrence — it suggests 

 the desirability of further observations. 



Betula, Eeigate : Sept. 1900. 



