34 THE entomologist's RECORD. 



leaves. The pupa was covered with a delicate bloom similar to that 

 covering the pupa of Oalyninia trapezina. On April 26th a fine female 

 emerged, the first specimen either of us has taken here. In April also 

 he saw a large number of Brephos parthenias flying around the birch 

 trees, but at too great a height to obtain. Sherwood Forest is a poor 

 place for butterflies, only the commonest species occur, the three 

 "whites," the common "blue," the small " copper," and the small 

 "heath," with the small " tortoiseshell" later in the year. In the 

 autumn, on the trunks of trees, he took Cerastis vaccinii, Miselia oxya- 

 canthae ab. capacina, and Costnia paleacea. He also found a few larvaB 

 of Hylophila pradnana, all but one of which were stung. Later on he 

 took both light and dark forms of Epirrita (Oporabia) dilntata in 

 plenty, and also made a selection of the forms of Hibernia defoliarla 

 sufficient to renew my series of seventy specimens varying from slightly 

 dusted forms, which look almost unicolorous, to forms with very dark 

 ground, almost dark red-brown with still darker bands, and also some 

 with cream coloured ground and very dark bands, very handsome 

 specimens. Cheimatobia boreata and C. briunata could be taken in any 

 number on the tree-trunks. In October my son took a larva of Dasy- 

 ■chira pudibanda on an oak trunk, apparently preparing to spin up. 

 From it was bred, on December 27th, a fine female. The pupa had 

 been kept in the kitchen. — Wm. Daws, Wood Street, Mansfield. 



Abundance of Dryas paphia. — I thought it might be of interest to 

 report the capture of the following : — While staying at Brockenhurst 

 in July I had the good fortune to capture a fine variety of Dryas 

 paphia male. Forewings nearly entirely suffused with black. Hind- 

 wingSp^ striated. In practically perfect condition. I also took a 

 number of var. valesina. The paphia were in the utmost profusion, 

 — S. A. Chartres, 45, King's Drive, Eastbourne. January, 1918. 



An Early Eecord. — On November 24th last I took a specimen of 

 Phigalia pedaria (pilo'iaria) at Reigate. I believe this to be the 

 earliest date ever recorded for this species. — A. E. Tonge, Reigate, 

 Surrey. December, 1918. 



Abraxas grossulariata ab. exquisita. — I am delighted to know 

 that my old friend Mr. Porritt possesses specimens of the very beauti- 

 ful and distinct ab. exquisita. I cannot, however, follow his argument 

 that the mere fact of his possessing specimens should have deterred 

 7m from giving it a varietal name. According to Mr. Porritt it is 

 not advisable to name a variety of varUyata, even if it is recurrent (as 

 in ^ the case of ab. exquisita)-, yet I find that in The Entoiuoloyists' 

 Monthly Magazine for April, 1917, he himself has named a certain 

 form albovarleyata ! It is as well, of course, to use discretion in these 

 matters and not to multiply names unnecessarily. Last year I had 

 the intense gratification of rearing a few specimens of varleyata in 

 which the white markings are replaced by yellow, or even by a beauti- 

 ful orange, but I am content to label these as varleyata-lutea, instead 

 of creating a new piece of nomenclature. I have now been studying this 

 protean protean species for twenty years, and I have not come across a 

 more striking form than the one to which I deliberately gave the 



