142 THE ENTOMOLOGIST S RECORD. 
One or two Decticids and Phaneropterids are about on the hillsides, 
but still very immature, of course; I have seen a nymph already (May 
5th), and so hope the adults will appear soon; all these should be inte- 
resting, as the Balkans are rich in endemic forms of both these groups. 
The northern parts of the peninsula are pretty well known, especially 
Wallachia, Bosnia, Hercegovina, Dalmatia and Montenegro, but little 
collecting has been done in Macedonia, at least in Orthoptera. 
I have often searched under stones on the hilltops in the hope of 
turning up one of the Balkan earwies, Burriola reisert and B. apfel- 
beckt, but so far only found the Blattids Loboptera decipiens, Latyr., 
which is a very common South Hurepean species, and immature Holo- 
lampra, resembling H. subaptera, Ramb., which it may very well be. 
Others are attending to the Lepidoptera, and will report in due 
course ; they will probably say that Papilio machaon is quite common, 
P. podalirius less so; I saw one of the latter in the streets of Salonika 
in January. Pararge megaera seems to be the common butterfly of the 
hillsides, but Pyrameis cardui runs it close; a blue, the small copper, 
and Gonepterya rhamni are the only butterflies that I have noticed.— 
Matcoum Burr (D.Sce., F.Z.8.), Capt. 
Nore on Pararce #enria.— Pararge aegeria was fairly plentiful in 
August, 1911, at Paignton, Devon, and I find both broods fairly plenti- 
ful in the New Forest every year. Those are the only two places where 
I have met with the species, but I have never specially worked for it. 
With regard to P. megaera, I have come across it near Hastbourne the 
last two or three years, in August, and it is as a rule fairly common. 
About twenty years ago I took it near Addington, but I do not know 
whether it occurs there now.—C. W. Cotrurup. 
GXURRENT NOTES AND SHORT NOTICKS. 
A. B. Shelkovnikov, the Russian naturalist, whose name is now 
familiar to readers of the Hntomologist’s Record, although a retired 
officer of the Imperial Guard (Artillery), has not been recalled to the 
army, but has been appointed Chief Commissioner for Refugees for the 
Government of Elisavetpol and Persia; owing to his knowledge of the 
countries and their languages, together with his organising capacity, 
he is well fitted for the work. His duties took him to Tabriz in the 
winter ; in the spring he visited the region round Lake Urmi; this was 
a regular scientitic expedition, as he took with him a geologist, botanist, 
zoologist, entomologist, and an assistant; the funds were supplied 
partly by the Caucasus Museum, partly by the Military authorities. 
And that is the country which Germany, of all people, calls barbarous! 
—M.B. 
Captain Burr, or Dr. Burr as we know him, must have a busy time at 
his new post at Salonika with 8000 road-makers, speaking no less than 
22 languages, under his supervision. Mr. H. W. Nevinson, brother of 
Mr. E. B. Nevinson, F.E.8., wrote an amusing article in the Man- 
chester Guardian some weeks ago on the Balkan roads and ‘‘an earwig 
expert,” giving a detailed account of the varied work and experiences 
of our colleague. We gather from Dr. Burr’s letters to us that he is 
keen upon his natural history, and not only is he working himself but 
he is getting in touch with others similarly interested. Both he and 
