906 (February, 
(although not so abundantly) upon flowers in the neighbourhood of Studley, in 
1867, has never once made its appearance since. From dead leaves and decayed 
sticks not 80 yards from my door, Agathidiwm varians was to be had by hundreds 
in 1867; this insect also I have never found since that year. 
I am completely at a loss to know what becomes of a species that is not to be 
found the year after it has been so abundant ; in the case of the Agathidium, I am 
especially foiled, as this insect was so very abundant in 1867; and, although I 
have hunted for it repeatedly through subsequent years, I have never taken even 
one example; yet the place where it was originally so common has never been 
disturbed by anyone but myself, and is, to all appearances, in precisely the same 
condition as in 1867.—Epwarp A. WaTEerHoUs®, Fountains, Ripon, Jan. 9th, 1872. 
Note on Argynnis Adippe and A. Niobe.—In answer to Mr. Doubleday’s note in 
the last number of this Magazine, I need only say that I fear he has given me 
credit for a marvellous imagination, if he really supposes that I pretend to distin- 
guish A. Adippe and A. Niobe on the wing; but I think he will himself admit that 
the two remotest variations of the two forms are readily distinguishable when in 
the net. Again, as to the occurrence of the two forms in coitd, I never supposed it 
to be a conclusive ‘ proof’ of their identity ; but, considering the fact that Freyer 
bred these insects from the larva for several years, and at the end of his experi- 
ments was about as little disposed to consider A. Adippe and A. Niobe distinct as 
when he began, and also considering his statement that the relative number of the 
one form to the other varied considerably in different districts, I think the capture 
of apairtaken in coitd is strong evidence against the distinctness of the two forms. 
—A. G. Butimr, British Museum, Ist January, 1872. 
How many times does the larva of Arctia caja change its skin ?—Newport 
(Article ‘Entomology’ in Todd’s ‘Encyclopedia of Anatomy and Physiology,’ 
p. 875) quotes Kirby and Spence as authority for the statement that Arctia caja 
moults ten times. Is this a fact? If not, I should like to know how many times 
it does moult.—A. S. Packarp, Jun., Salem, Massachusetts, December 22nd, 1871. 
Notes on the habits of Liparis salicis.—In July, 1870, the poplar .trees in 
Sheerness Dockyard were almost stripped of their leaves by the Jarve of this 
species, and towards the end of the month thousands of the pupz might be observed 
between partially eaten leaves, attached to the trunks of the trees, to palings 
under copings, and in fact almost anywhere, sometimes in clusters of a dozen or 
more together. The perfect insects began to appear the first week in August, and 
by the middle of that month were out in prodigious numbers. ,They commenced 
to fly just before dusk, and during the time they were most plentiful, especially if 
it happened to be a close damp evening, they came forth in great strength and 
swarmed round the trees. At times it was quite bewildering to look at them, 
they were in such quantities. Towards the end of the month, white patches of 
eggs were to be seen on the trees, sometimes high up on the branches; but the 
parent moth was not particularly careful for the future prosperity of her offspring, 
as she frequently deposited her eggs on walls, doors, buildings, &c., far away from 
