VARIATION. 107 



South " are on the whole to be congratulated. On February 27th 

 three Epichnopteryx pidla $■ were found floating in the canal. Pararge 

 inef/aera was on the wing, Pyrameis atalanta, Pieris rapae, and P. napi 

 seen. March 2nd, first Pieris daplidice seen, Stenopteryx hybridalis 

 {noctnella) frequent, Diurnea fagella on oak trees, coltsfoot in full 

 bloom. March 6th, first Cyaniris aryiolm and CallopJirys rubi seen. 

 March 10th, one Anthocaris helia seen. March 12th, found a strong 

 colony of Lnjpa, sp.? at Agay, not yet half groAvn, some very small. 

 March 13th, rather a brighter day than usual ; saw in the Auribeau 

 valley several Gojieptcryx cieopatra, one Papilio machaon, Pararye eyeria, 

 P. mcyaera, two Anthocaris helia, two Colias edusa, several P. daplidice, 

 Callophrys rubi common, P. napi, P. rapae, P. brassicae, Polyyonia 

 c-albuin, P. eyea, Pyrameis atalanta, and Vanessa io. Half a dozen plants 

 of Biscutella coming into flower, others invisible. These must have 

 been odd ones stimulated by some one fine day that failed to start the 

 mass of the plant into spring life. Various larvae have been seen ; one 

 good capture was a (? of Scodiona lentiscaria, found in the Esterels, 

 March 3rd. M. Constant has only one specimen of this species, it 

 occurs at Hyeres and in Spain. Chesias riifata is rare here, accord- 

 ing to M. Constant, a specimen was taken on March 19th. The form 

 here is wanting in the brown or fulvous tint of northern specimens, 

 and resembles exactly in tone, and to some degree in marking, A. 

 pdayiata. The cases of Tinea vincidella (or some allied species) are also 

 everywhere usually very scarce, an odd one at long intervals, but here 

 and there plentiful on damp shady walls. With regard to this species 

 I note that it may often be found under stones, as in many of the stone 

 slides in the Esterels, where none make an appearance in any exposed 

 place. I was still more struck with the same circumstance in regard 

 to Fumea cases. In the Esterels and elsewhere these occurred fre- 

 quently under stones, where no exposed ones existed. These were 

 always empty ones of last season, it being too early this late season for 

 new ones. The dryness and aridity so frequent here, even at this 

 early date (not unfortunately this year), no doubt accounts for such 

 habits, but Fumea in the chrysalid stage certainly classifies itself in 

 our ideas with the sun-loving Psychids. So that a habit of hiding at 

 this stage is at first somewhat startling. It is no doubt owing to some 

 similar habit that a search for cases, neAV, old, or at any stage, of M. 

 Constant's Bankesia vernclla, in places where he has captured the 

 moth, was utterly fruitless. — T. A. Chapman, Cannes. March 21st, 

 1900. 



^^ARI ATION. 



AgEOTIS EXCLAilATIONIS WITH ABEEEANT CLAVIFORM STIGMA. — I tOOk at 



Eastwood July 6th last, a slighilj cn'p'pled Ayrotis exckunationis with a 

 doubled claviform on the right fore-wing. — -F. G. Whittle, Southend. 

 Peoteotive eesemblance. — -Whilst hunting for larvte at Frognal, 

 Hampstead, last summer, I was very much struck by the remarkable 

 protective marking and colouring of a nearly full-grown larva of 

 Aiuphydasisbctularia, which was on a rosebush in a waste garden. Not 

 only was the contour and shape of the posterior extremity of the larva, 

 with its claspers firmly grasping the stalk, almost an exact representa- 

 tion of a petiole of the plant, half an inch or so distant from it, but 



