CAPTURES AND FIELD REPORTS. 213 



which I identify as Polydrosiis micans. My first impression of a 

 startling difference between the male and female of micans was 

 momentary only, but the possibility of a hybrid between two such 

 dissimilar species appeared to warrant further investigation, and the 

 two pairs were accordingly placed in separate glass-tubes and taken 

 home. On my arrival home I found that one pair had separated, and 

 the male had apparently lost all interest in his companion ; but in 

 the other tube attempts at copulation continued from 7.30 to 

 11.30 p.m. uninterruptedly, but at the end of that time I shook the 

 tube up, which separated the insects, and no further attempts v^'ere 

 apparently made. In the morning the two were at different ends of 

 the tube, each apparently ignoring the presence of the other. I am 

 satisfied from a careful examination through a strong lens whilst the 

 attempts were being made that copulation did not actually occur. 

 The male organ was for the greater part of its length too inflexible to 

 allow of the penetration of the female organ of the different species, 

 the angle was not right. Save for this, the violent and repeated 

 efforts of the male could only have ended one way. If two insects 

 sexually ripe but of difi^erent species are isolated together, the 

 abnormal may occur, but it did strike me as very strange that 

 attempts of this sort should be made right out in the open, where 

 one would have thought the females of the green Polydrosus would 

 have far out-numbered the females of micans. — C. G. Doughty; 

 27, South Molton Street, W., and Eghams Farm, Beaconsfield, 

 June 22nd, 1909. 



[It is frequently noticed that Coleoptera of two distinct species 

 are in the position of copula without copulation subsequently oc- 

 curring. — D. S.] 



CAPTURES AND FIELD EEPOETS. 



Abundance of Pieris brassice. — During the last three weeks 

 of May Pieris hrassica daily increased in numbers until the end of 

 the month, when in this part of south-east Essex a perfect swarm 

 occurred, but nearly all that I observed were males, it was only 

 during the last few days of May that the females appeared in any 

 number; until then I had not seen half a dozen, while the males 

 were flying in hundreds. Pieris rapa was equally prolific, but the 

 sexes of more equal proportion. — F. W. Frohawk ; July, 1909. 



Proportionate Number of Sexes of Thanaos tages. — Although 

 the males of most or all species of butterflies appear on the wing 

 some days before the females, I think the following note is worthy of 

 record, considering the date of observation and the fact that I noticed 

 the species flying over the same spot six days previously. On May 

 21st last I captured forty-five T. tages over a small patch of rough 

 ground about fifty yards long by ten yards wide ; out of this com- 

 paratively large number only one was a female, which deposited a 

 quantity of eggs. Last year, on the evening of June 10th, in the 

 corner of an adjoining field, I found this butterfly in such abundance 

 at rest on the heads of grasses that in some instances there were as 



