NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 41 



might add the larvao were kept indoors and out of the sun, so 

 probably this had sometliing to do with slow growth. Altogether I 

 bred a nice long series, but with little or no variation. — A. J. Exeter; 

 Watling Street, Dartford, Kent, October 17th, 1913. 



CoLiAS EDUSA IN MIDDLESEX. — In previous Edustt years I have 

 usually observed one or two examples here in August or September. 

 But this season the "clouded yellow" has not put in an appearance. 

 However, my cousin. Dr. E. P. Cox, of Ealing, informs me that in 

 August several visited his garden; and he reports it also to have 

 been not uncommon at Shipley, in Sussex, and at Torquay. — H. 

 Eowland-Brown ; Harrow Weald, December 15th, 1913. 



Notes on Colias elusa, &c., in Essex. — I first noticed C. edusa 

 here on August 20th. The next day I visited a small field of lucerne 

 about ten minutes' walk from my house. On the way a bright looking 

 female edusa passed me in the road, but my net was in my pocket. 

 On reaching the field not a specimen of edusa was to be seen, but 

 after waiting for nearly an hour, a male flew by and settled on one 

 of the lucerne flowers and was captured, and in the course of half an 

 hour I saw three more, and caught two of them — both males. There 

 was a fair amount of bloom on the lucerne, and it was a warm bright 

 afternoon, but butterflies w^ere very scarce. I only noticed single 

 examples of Pyrameis atala7ita, P. cardui, Va^iessa io, a few fresh 

 V. urticcB, and one or two each of Coenonympha yamphilus, Lyccuna 

 icarus, Chrysophanus pJilcsas, and Adopcea lineola. Pararge megara 

 was the most numerous, and there were a few Pieris rapes and 

 P. napi which were noticeable on account of their small size. Two 

 of the napi I caught are, I think, the smallest I ever saw, measur- 

 ing barely 1^ in. across the wings. A few Plusia gamma were 

 buzzing about amongst the flowers, and one or two Nomophila 

 noctuella {S. hybridalis) were disturbed from the herbage. On 

 August 25th I saw a large femgtle edusa flying along the high road. 

 The next day I went to Walton-on-the-Naze, as I thought that might 

 be a more likely neighboiirhood, and I particularly wanted to get a 

 female C. edusa for eggs. On arriving at Walton I walked out to the 

 eastward of the town, by the footpath on the top of the cliffs, and 

 when about half way to the Naze saw a bright-looking female flying 

 about willow herb some distance below me, but she would not come 

 within reach, nor could I get down to her. Further on I was pleased 

 to see, on my left, a large clover field one mass of bloom — indeed, I 

 smelt it long before I saw it. Here I thought I should surely find 

 all the edusa in the neighbourhood congregated, but was disappointed, 

 for when I got into the field, nothing was to be seen but a few rapce, 

 napi, &c. I stopped there for more than an hour, sat under a hedge, 

 eat my lunch, and smoked a pipe, but no edusa would come. It was 

 gloriously hot and bright — just the day for them. After this I 

 walked a little further along the coast, beyond the Naze, and then 

 turned back, as it was time to go to the station for my train home — • 

 and I had hardly done so when a male edusa came dashing along and 

 was secured. On the 28th I saw another male at Dovercourt, and 

 this was the last. 



