1024 The Zoologist— December, 1867. 



Aristolochis : it is usually of a brownish yellow colour, with many longitudinal black 

 lines, and six rows of spines, orange-coloured. The pupa is not uulike that of 

 Cassandra. This species passes the winter in the pupa stale, and appears on the wing 

 in May. I have found it near Grasse in May ( also, not uncommonly, near Hyeres. 

 Its flight is not so sluggish as that of Cassandra : il is partial to localities where the 

 beautiful rose-coloured Cistus (Helianlhcmum album) grows. There is one hill in 

 particular near Hyeres upon which this plant is found in remarkable profusion, and 

 here Medecicasta may be seen in some plenty. I have observed that this insect 

 seldom flies after 2 or 3 p. m., while Cassandra is partial to the afternoon sunshine, 

 and may be seen on the wing until 4 p. m. or even later. There is a variety of this 

 species figured, under the name of Thais Honnoralii, by Boisduval (Spec. Gen. des 

 Lepid. plate 1 B, fig. 4), which appears only to be found in the neighbourhood of 

 Digne: it is smaller than the type; the crimson spots are much enlarged upon the 

 lower wings, and upou the upper wings are much more numerous (and also larger) 

 than in the type; the second and third costal bands are very small. This variety is 

 exceedingly rare, and specimens fetch about £1 each in the Paris dealers' shops; I have 

 been told, however, by an old French entomologist, that they have been known to 

 fabricate this variety, by selecting small individuals of Medecicasta and dexterously 

 colouring them by means of crimson scales borrowed from other specimens, the black 

 scales of the second and third costal bands being neatly removed and their place sup- 

 plied by yellow scales. I have followed most authors in giving Honnoralii as a 

 variety of Medecicasta : if, however, this be the case, it is rather curious that it should 

 only have occurred in one loca ity out of several in which Medecicasta abounds. The 

 statement, moreover, that it has been reared from a larva identical with that of Mede- 

 cicasta must be, 1 think, received with caution. I knew a French collector who had 

 at one time two thousand arvae of Medecicasta, and not one produced Honnoratii. 



7. T. Rumina. This species is pretty closely allied to the preceding. It is, how- 

 ever, somewhat smaller, and frequently of a darker yellow, but this difference is by no 

 means constant. The best distinctive marks perhaps are as follows: — a white sub- 

 diaphanous spot near the apex of the fore wings (occasionally absent), the absence of a 

 crimson patch on the lower edge of the fore wings, and the much greater extension of 

 the black marks near the outer edge. The outline of the fore wings is also different from 

 that of Medecicasta, the curve of the costa especially. The larva: of Rumina are 

 grayish, with small longitudinal black markings and six rows of short reddish spines. 

 The pupa is ash-coloured, in form similar to that of Cassandra. This species is 

 chiefly found in Southern Spain, Portugal and North Africa : it has, however, occurred 

 (very rarely) near Hyeres, and it is said near Cannes also. April and May seem to bo 

 the months for its appearance in the perfect state. It is subject to considerable 

 variation, and I am not certain whether the specimens from Cannes are not in reality 

 varieties of Medecicasta." 



New Part of ' Transactions.' 



A new part of the ' Transactions' (third series, vol. iv. part 2), published in August, 

 being the fourth part issued for 1867, and containing a continuation of Mr. Baly's 

 " Pbytophaga Malayana," was on the table.— J. W. D. 



LONDON J E, NEWMAN, TJRINIEB, DEV0NSHE3E STEEET, BISHOPSQATE. 



-T 



