NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 91 



Vanessa atalanta, &c , in thk SouTEi ov France. — At this time 

 of the year there are few species of Lepidoptera to be seen on the wing, 

 even in this favoured district. Pieris brassicce is no longer to be met with, 

 though the pupae of this pest of the kitchen-garden (in the larval state, 

 that is to say) siuaply swarms on palings, outhouses, &c. Only the other 

 day I saw clusters under the cornices of a gate-post. Vanessa atalanta 

 may be noticed all the year round, freshly emerged from the chrysalis ; 

 though individuals are also to be seen, in poor condition, during the winter 

 and spring months as well. On the 18th inst., in the country, a short dis- 

 tance out of Nice, I observed a solitary V. atalanta disporting itself among 

 the trees on the hill-side. It seemed to be playing " hide-and-seek " with 

 the sunlight glinting through the foliage. It may also be seen in warm 

 spots, even on the outskirts of the town. I may add that I found a very 

 small larva on Parietarla officinalis (pellitory) this morning. No doubt it 

 would be interesting to hear the experiences of collectors in other parts, in 

 this connection. Of course I cannot say whether the species occurs during 

 the winter, throughout the ivhole Riviera region ; but, at any rate, I do not 

 expect it flies, at this season, north of the Alps. — F. Bromilow ; "Avalon," 

 St. Maurice, Nice, S. France, Dec. 31, 189-2. 



Aberration of Polyommatus alciphrox var. gobdius, Stfj/r. — Last 

 summer I was fortunate enough to capture two remarkable varieties of P. 

 gordius in the Alpes-Maritimes, and not far from the Italian frontier. The 

 two specimens, which are now in my collection, are females. This form has 

 fewer spots than the type, thus corresponding to the var. neera, F. de W., 

 of MelitcBa didyma, 0. On the upper side the fore wings have the spots 

 much smaller than in the typical gordius ; hind wings with the central row 

 of spots entirely wanting ; but it is on the under surface that the most 

 remarkable difference exists. The hind wings, especially, have only the 

 double hind-marginal row of dots, all spots intervening — with the exception 

 of the central group — being absent. jVI. Charles Blachier, of Geneva 

 (member of the Soc. Ent. de France, &c.), to whom I wrote for information 

 on the subject, says " it must certainly be considered as an accidental 

 aberration of the typical gordius.'' He adds, that this absence of spots in 

 the genera Polyommatus and Lycana is not very rare. I myself possess a 

 male example of L. cyllarus. Rott. (in which all the spots on the under side 

 of the hind wings are completely wanting). Bellier de Chavignerie, who 

 collected a good deal in the South of France, writing in the * Annales de la 

 Soc. Entom. de France ' (1858, p. 306), says, " Aber. ? ocellated spots on 

 the under side almost entirely absent." Three only were caught in the 

 course of the season (of which two were taken by myself). All stages 

 intermediate between the typical var. gordius and this extreme form may be 

 met with. — Frank Bromilow ; Nice, S. France, Nov. 4, 1 892. 



[Mr. Leech has a male specimen from Germany in his collection, which 

 is exactly of the same form as that described above. There is also, in the 

 same collection, a female example from Spain, with the fore wings normal 

 on the under side, but the hind wings are aberrant as in the variety referred 

 to by Mr. Bromilow. The variety is figured by Herrich-Schaffer under 

 the name of P. hipponcB (pi. 73, fig. 356). — Ed.] 



Stauhopus fagi. — In my note, dated 8th January last {ante, 59), 

 reference to my previous statement that Stauropus fagi adopted the 

 smaller and even the smallest trees as their resting-place, should be 

 Entom. xxiv. 173, and xxv. 145. This statement, somewhat ridiculed 



