264 THE entomologist's record, 



of the Rhopalocera do, had cut a neat round hole in the base of the 

 egg, and bored its way into the gentian flower, leaving the visible 

 portion of the eggshell perfectly intact. As the shell is strong it does 

 not shrink, but remains practically unaltered. The egg is much com- 

 pressed at the base, slightly flattened at the top, more or less circular 

 in outline, micropylar basin shallow (about 0'17mm. in diameter), 

 micropylar pit deep (about 0-06mm. in diameter). The colour is white, 

 except the micropylar pit, which shows green while the larva is in 

 the egg. The vertical, or micropylar, axis measures 0'3mm., and the 

 horizontal axis 0-54mm. The surface of the shell is roughened, as in 

 other Lycfenid ova. The top and walls of the egg are covered with an 

 exceedingly strong network. The cords of the net are about 0-15mm. 

 in thickness. The cells formed by the network vary from 0-03mm.- 

 0'05mm. in diameter, and are mostly diamond- shaped or triangular 

 on the upper surface, but polygonal or rounded lower down. There 

 are, however, no very sharp angles, as the thick, almost swollen, nature 

 of the network prevents this. There are only the merest indications 

 of raised points at the angles of the cells. These cells are very shallow 

 at the base, and on the walls of the egg, but, on the upper surface, they 

 are, on the contrary, very deep. They become rather elongate as they 

 dip down into the micropylar pit, at the bottom of which they break 

 up into the small cells which surround the micropyle. The rosette is 

 formed of four rather circular cells surrounded by rows of somewhat 

 similar cells. [Mr. Gillmer writes that, on the day mentioned, butter- 

 flies were swarming, he noted the following on the wing : — Pieris 

 brassicae, P. rapae, and P. napi, Thecla ilicis, Chrysophaniis virgaureae. 

 C. dorilis, Rumicia phlaeas, Plebeius aegon, Celastrina argiolus, Cyaniris 

 semiargus, Lycaena alcon (especially fond of the marsh thistle), L. avion, 

 Aglais urticae, Melitaea aarelia, M. athalia, Brenthis selene, Argynnis 

 aglaia, A. niobe and ab. eris, A. adippe, Dryas paphia, Melanargia 

 galathea, Epinephele ianira, Enodia hyperanthns, Coenonympha iphis, 

 C. arcania, C.pjainpldlus, Adopoea flava, A. lineola, and Urbicola comwa.] 

 — A. Sigh, F.E.S., Corney House, Chiswick. 



Egglaying of Dryas paphia. — I was at Parknasilla, Kerry, on 

 August 30th last. Dryas paphia was common there, though getting 

 ragged, and I saw a female fluttering about the stem of a rather small 

 fir-tree, that stood close to a woodland path, as if egglaying. She was 

 between one and two feet from the ground, and, on watching her closely, 

 I saw her curl her abdomen as if depositing an egg. This she did 

 twice, when my approach caused her to fly away. On examining the 

 spot with a magnifying glass, I could see nothing, but, on removing a 

 flake of bark, beneath which the abdomen had been inserted, I found 

 two eggs, attached to near the tips of small fibres of the moss that was 

 plentiful on the tree and entered into its crevices. The eggs were i 

 pale, dull yellowish, and quite conspicuous when thus exposed. I lost I 

 one, but sent the other to my friend. Dr. Chapman. An hour or so 

 afterwards I was near the same place, and saw a female D. j^ajjhia i 

 fluttering, in a simiar manner to that which I have described, at I 

 another fir-tree, at a height of about three or four feet from the ground. 

 This one I captured. She may have been the same one, but I think 

 not, as she seemed less ragged than the first. I do not know that I 

 have before seen any similar observation, and think it may be interest- 

 ing, as the young larva is considered to eat nothing until the winter is 





