246 J THE ENTOMOtiOGISl's RECORD. 



The differentiation of the females is very difficult to describe. I can 

 recognise them at first sight, but it took me two years to arrive at this 

 point. I consider it useless to allude to the distinctive characteristics 

 because any description would be inadequate. What is required is a 

 good set of figures or, better still, good material for comparison. 



This difficulty need occasion no surprise considering that there are 

 many entomologists, myself included, who meet with equal difficulty 

 in distinguishing with certainty the female of A. aragonensis (which 

 nearly all still mistake for A. coridon) from that of A. thetis. 



After the 19th of August the A. coridon appeared to be in complete 

 decadence, torn and discoloured ; A. aragonensis instead was in full 

 emergence, so that in a short excursion to the Fanna, on the evening of 

 10th of September I was able to capture, in half an hour, 12 males and 

 7 females, quite fresh, leaving aside a great quantity of other A. 

 aragonensis which were very slightly damaged. 



On the 20th of September, 1917, perhaps on account of the 

 persistent fine weather of this autumn, the A. coridon were still flying 

 but very ragged. Still they were always to be distinguished from the 

 A.aragnnensis even when spoilt ; the fine blue of the few scales which 

 remained on the stumps of the wings of A. coridon were always in 

 notable contrast to the silvery scales of the male A. aragonensis. 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 



Flying habits of Butterflies when paired. — On July 17th, 1917, 

 I paid a visit to Eamnor Enclosure, in the New Forest. It was a very 

 warm and oppressive morning, with the sun partially obscured. I 

 disturbed 2 pairs of Dry as paphia and in each case the ^ carried the 

 $ when in flight. I disturbed them a number of times with the same 

 result. I thought that possibly the absence of bright sunshine might 

 have had effect on the $ , but later in the morning the sun shone 

 brilliantly, and I came across another pair, but again the g carried the ? . 

 On August 10th, 1917, I paid another visit to the New Forest. 

 D. paphia was now going over, but I observed a ? carrying the g • 

 The latter wa.s somewhat worn and chipped. I made a number of 

 observations on the species which I give below, but so far D. paphia is 

 the only species that varies from what looks like a fairly fixed rule. 



