NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 293 



was remarkable, as the following dates indicate. P. raped, April 10th, 

 1912 ; May 17th, 1913. P. egeria, April 16th 1912 ; May 15th, 1913. 

 But the emergence of the summer butterflies was not delayed, as 

 for instance, G. typhon, July 1st, 1912 ; July 1st, 1913. A. aglaia, 

 July 14th, 1912 ; July 12th, 1913. I have regarded as the Curragh 

 district the country for about five miles round the barracks, which I 

 may say are built on an exposed ridge, running due east and west, 

 and surrounded on all sides by an undulating grassy plain, which is 

 used by the troops. With the exception of a few small isolated hills, 

 the country for several miles round is perfectly flat and, no doubt, at 

 one time was an extensive morass ; a great number of the bogs have 

 been drained, but there is a good deal of bog still remaining in 

 the near neighbourhood. About two miles east of the Curragh is 

 a small stretch of broken, hilly country covered with furze and 

 bracken, and on the top is a venerable earth-work, known as 

 Knockaulin, covering some acres, and a relic of the far-off days 

 when the native Irish were defending themselves from the incursions 

 of the Danes. This is the best locality, and it was here that I found 

 M. aurinia particularly abundant. This, with G. typhon and P. 

 icarus, is the most interesting butterfly I met with, and from a 

 batch of larvae found on Knockaulin I bred a series which comprised 

 all the described Irish forms, and not a few of the English. Of 

 G. typhon I only caught two last year and a dozen this, all I saw 

 on the one favourable day and in the same acre of bog. They are 

 likewise an interesting lot, as they seem to me to represent not only 

 the Irish but also all the British forms, which is curious in such a 

 small number. To one brought up in the Darwinian tradition it is 

 puzzling how they were ever considered to be anything more than 

 one variable species. The females of P. icarus vary greatly, and the 

 cause of it is difficult to trace. Last year was extremely wet, and 

 they nearly all approximated to the usual form found in England, 

 by the restriction of the blue scaling to the base of the wings ; this 

 year, which has been fine and decidedly warmer, the blue has largely 

 predominated, and in many all four wings are entirely blue, with the 

 exception of a brown edge to the forewings and red lunules to the 

 hind wings. These are particularly handsome. The following is 

 a complete list of the butterflies seen or captured : P. brassiccs, 

 common ; P. rapes, abundant this year ; P. napi, abundant, the 

 summer brood is remarkably fine ; E. cardamines, abundant ; L. 

 sinapis, locally common in many places ; G. rhamni, one only ; 

 V. urticce, common this year; V. io, three only seen; A. paphia, 

 one only; A. aglaia, locally common; M. aurinia, locally abundant; 

 L. egeria, very common everywhere; L. Megcsra, common; H. inaria, 

 abundant ; H. hyperanthus, very common ; C. typhon, scarce ; C. 

 pamphilus, common ; G. phlcsas, not common ; P. icarus, common 

 where found. — N. Mandees (Lt.-Col.) ; Curragh, Co. Kildare. 



Note on Aplecta advena. — There seems to be a considerable 

 difference of opinion amongst the authorities regarding the life-history 

 of this moth. Edward Newman says the larva is " full-fed at the 

 beginning of September." Meyrick gives the life of the larva August 

 to April. Another book in my possession corroborates Meyrick. 

 South says the larva feeds " from July to September," and adds that 



