80 THE entomologist's eeoord. 



Within the limited space allowable under present day restrictions, 

 it is plainly impossible to do justice to the many interesting subjects 

 dealt with, covering as these do so many Orders. 



Notes on points of difference between closely allied species are 

 always important and interesting. Mr. L. W. Newman, commenting 

 upon the differences between Tephrosia bistortata and T. crepiiscnlaria, 

 mentions that the female of the former covers her eggs with hair, while 

 the latter lays her eggs bare. It is therefore a curious and noteworthy 

 fact that the females of both species are equally supplied — or over 

 supplied — internally with masses of hairs for that purpose. 



Modesty forbids that we should comment upon the kindly hospi- 

 tality given the writer's plate and simple notes upon the British 

 Psychidae. He hopes that as field collecting revives, and fresh collec- 

 tors come on, this group will receive greater attention. 



Mr. Frohawk's notes on the sexual differences in the wing-markings 

 of the larger butterflies, Eugonia polycMoros, Polygonia c-alhum, and 

 Euvanessa antiopa, appear to be novel, and worthy of recollection. 



Mr. R. Adkin's exhibit of Rhyacionia {Retinia) purdeyi as a distinct 

 species is an important record. 



As touching possibly upon the spread of Lepidoptera over new regions 

 we notice again the exhibition of a specimen of Manduca atropos from 

 Durban. Natal was proclaimed a British colony in 1848, and although 

 there was a small population of whites, British and Dutch, it was not 

 until the " late forties " that there was any extensive immigration. 

 The edible potatoe is, of course, not indigenous to South Africa, 

 although Solanaceae of different sorts abound. The writer lived in 

 Durban and on the coast from 1872 to 1875, but although he collected 

 assiduously during that period he never saw the " Death's HeS-d Moth." 

 Mr. A. A. Buckstone's observations on the dwarf specimens of 

 Agriades coridon from a Surrey hill-top will surely attract further 

 attention. The most curious point about them would appear to be, 

 that the mother butterflies, with the whole world before them, are yet 

 content to oviposit, and the resulting larvae are content to remain, on 

 a spot where food is so short. For of a certainty these small forms are 

 starved almost to extinction. The observation that the dwarf males 

 are never seen in copulation is most interesting. 



The details of the life-history and distribution of Pararge aegeria, 

 which was noticed in last year's Proceedings, taken in hand by the late 

 A. E. Gibbs, and continued by Dr. E. 0. L. Perkins, are continued, 

 and cannot but be of permanent value. Mr. Prideaux's observations 

 upon the oviposition of P. megera are also of lasting importance. 



Mr. B, W. Adkin has some valuable remarks to make upon the 

 variation of Agriades coridon. His qualms as to the " boundary walls " 

 of varieties are of interest. Surely we must hold on to the old rule of 

 "recognising the bricks and ignoring the mortar." Intermediates 

 between aberrations must of necessity be, otherwise one supposes the 

 forms would be almost species. 



Laying down the pen the writer feels that he has done but inade- 

 quate, as well as tardy, justice to this very interesting little publica- 

 tion, which will remain quite a monument of what can be done by 

 determination after four years of desperate and ruinous war. — 

 C.R.N.B. 



