2G2 THE entomologist's record. 



and is itself rather specialised in its economy, there is no knowing how 

 old it is, and any idea as to a recent creation must be, to say the least of 

 it, fanciful. I have digressed considerably on L. hrcrilinca, but as so little 

 is generally known of the species I have not restrained from offering a 

 few remarks. By 10.80 p.m. the flight of the insect would appear to 

 be over. Not one was noticed after that hour, but we were not exactly 

 disgusted at Nonai/ria neurira taking its place. Only three specimens 

 of this scarce species turned up. One of my two specimens is con- 

 siderably darker than the other, but is evidently not the var. rosea, 

 Tutt. From British Noctiiae and their Varieties, I make out that all 

 three specimens must be referred to var. arundineta, Schmidt 

 although from the slender character of the abdomen they might have 

 been the type form — neurira. Lithosia mnseerda allowed us a short 

 Series apiece. Besides this local footman the more common L. i/riseola 

 was plentiful. The ab. stra)iiineola was certainly equally common with 

 the type, thus bearing out the general notion that the ab. is plentiful 

 enough in the broads, if uncommon elsewhere. It was, however, far 

 from rare in Wicken fen this year. Ar.nluncJie renosa and Calamia 

 jjhra>iniitidis were uncommon, the former being represented by a single 

 specimen only. Fliibalapteri/.e rittata was in beautiful condition, and 

 some fine forms were taken from the sheet. To vary the work a bit 

 Mr. James went off into the fen with a hand lantern and netted some 

 nice Hi/penodes costaestriyalis, which operation I later indulged in and 

 also found three or four larv* feeding on scabious. What they are 

 time will now, I hope, be able to show, as, next day, they pupated, thus 

 making further diagnosis impossible. (Jatachjsta leiiinata, Parapuni/x 

 stratidtata, Tapiuostula fiilra, Acidalia euiart/inata, A. iinmutata, Kpione 

 apiciaria, Xiidaria sene.v, liinda serirealis, Leioptilits inicrndacti/Iiis, 

 Celaena hairurthii, and Scoparia jiallida in swarms helped to swell the 

 list of captures, and we returned home with all the contempt for the 

 broads thoroughly dissipated. 



Gradual formation of pigment on the dark pupa of Papilio machaon. 



By FKEDEKIC MEEEIFIELD, F.E.S. 



On the 24th of September a larva of I', marhaon, attached to a dark 

 stick, pupated between 7.80 and 8.80 a.m. At the last-named time it 

 was far from having attained the true pupal form, and I should think 

 it had then emerged not more than half an hour. ^Yhen I saw it the 

 pupa was wholly green, except the anal segment, which was nearly all 

 dark, the next anterior segment, which had dorsally a little blackish 

 pigment, and the posterior thoracic and the 1st abdominal segments, 

 each of which had subdorsally a little of this pigment ; except also 

 that there was a very small patch of similar pigment on the sides of 

 the 2nd and 8rd abdominal segments just above the wings. All these 

 patches were composed of minute spots running into fine lines along 

 the creases of this rough pupa, and spreading beyond by means of 

 minute dark dots. About 9.80 a slight discoloration of another kind 

 came on ; this seemed to be deeper seated and appeared in broad inter- 

 rupted subdorsal longitudinal bands, and similar lateral bands, in both 

 cases embracing the area of the blackish pigment spots which first ap- 

 peared. The other parts of the abdomen began also to change from green 

 to a more opaque bone colour, apparently also proceeding from a deep- 



