238 THE entomologist's record. 



and those in the South Pacific, though small and mostly barren, might 

 serve as stepping-stones in its progress. The distances between these 

 Islands, though great enough, are nothing like the first great step 

 from America to the Sandwich Islands, and not more than the light 

 or downy seeds of the Asclepias could be carried by the agency of winds, 

 &c. It is significant, too, that the Pacific specimens all agree with 

 the North American forms, the larger pale spots in the black apical 

 portion of the forewings being tawny, not white as in those from the 

 Peruvian coast of South America. The same remarks may apply to 

 its dispersal across the Atlantic, but owning to the much more stormy 

 character of this ocean, and the less steady winds, the chances of the 

 butterfly crossing a given extent of ocean in safety are less favourable. 

 "Walker concludes his excellent paper {loc. cit., p. 223) with a list of 

 the localities from which the species has been sent or in which it has 

 been observed, and which is much too long to be repeated at length here. 

 In the history of the distribution of these insects — Anosia archippus, 

 Pyramcis cardui, Colias edusa and C. Jnjale — we see, then, a fight 

 carried on in nature against climate and other powerful forces, by 

 butterflies of strong flight and great activity, with marvellous powers 

 of endurance, and with great energy and reproductive ability, in which 

 the excess of fecundity is, to a great extent, wasted, and thus we observe 

 how it is that such species are prevented from becoming pests, as they 

 most certainly would do if the whole of their progeny had to be 

 supported within the comparatively narrow limits in which they are 

 able to exist throughout the whole year. 



<i^OLEOPTERA. 



The eggs of Clythra 4-punctata. — The eggs described {ante, p. 213) 

 by Dr. Chapman were laid by a specimen of Cli/tJtra 'i-pimctata I had bred 

 from a pupa-case taken in the Blean Woods. I put a male and female 

 in a glass-topped box. Soon after copulation the male died. The 

 female laid twelve eggs and then died. I sent these eggs to Mr. Tutt, 

 as I was just off to Scotland, and was afraid if I left them at home the 

 young larvse might hatch and die, and if I took them with me the eggs 

 might get damaged. In writing to Mr. Tutt to ask if the eggs hatched, 

 before I had seen Dr. Chapman's second note, I suggested that the 

 beetle might lay the eggs in nature on, or in, the ant hillock, and that 

 all the eggs might then have capsules to serve the young larvte as a 

 protection till they had had time to make cases for themselves. Dr. 

 Chapman evidently takes the same view of the use of the capsule. — 

 Horace Donisthorpe, F.Z.S., F.E.S., South Kensington. 



CoLEOPTERA AT Chiddingfold. — Haviug run down to Chiddingfold 

 for a night on June 16th, I took the opportunity to visit my Qncdins 

 h-raaizii stream, although it was later than I have taken the beetle 

 before. It was evidently nearly over as only one or two specimens 

 were seen, I took a fine male, however. Other species were Beinopsis 

 erosa and Plataiiibiis macidatiis, a very variable series of the latter being 

 taken. I noticed a specimen of Vrusilla canaUculata in the porch of 

 the cottage where I stayed, which was running about with something 

 in its mouth ; this proved to be the dead body of an ant, and is very 

 interesting as pointing out what its food may be and why it often 

 occurs with ants. — Ibid. 



