NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS* 1^7 



which was a very hot, sultry day, we saw a specimen of D. plexippus, flying 

 along the sunny side of a belt of Pinus insirjnis. It seemed to be freshly 

 emerged, but it flew too high and strong for us to be able to pursue or capture 

 it. It is, therefore, very gratifying to be able to record the occurrence of 

 two specimens in two years, and in localities thirty miles apart. The food- 

 plant of the larva is now established in several districts in New Zealand ; 

 and we hope that this fine insect may also become an established species. — 

 W. W. Smith; Ashburton, N. Z., January 17th, 1893. 



Varieties of Danais chrysippus and plexippus. — On looking through 

 some specimens of Danais chrysippus and plexippus which I have just 

 received from Gooindpore, India, I find I have a specimen of each species 

 exhibiting a peculiar form of colouring which I have not hitherto seen. 

 The sex is in both cases the same (male); the chrysippus is rather larger, 

 and plexippus slightly below the average ; the former is on the upper sur- 

 face slightly paler, and on the under surface decidedly paler, and of a 

 clearer tone of colour than is usually the case ; in fact, between the cell 

 and the hind margin of secondaries it is of a clear straw-colour ; the plex- 

 ippus is darker than usual, the dark colour along the rays being more 

 suffused and spread over more surface, the second row of marginal spots on 

 upper surface of secondaries is (as is often seen) obsolete for a portion of 

 the distance from the costal edge. But the great peculiarity is that the 

 whole of the dark portions of the primaries in both species, and in 

 plexippus the costal margin and (in a less degree) the outer margin of 

 secondaries also, are mottled, as though the colour had run into small 

 isolated spots and left the space between these spots of a paler colour. 

 This is noticeable in chrysippus at the black apical patch, which appears a 

 rusty black ; it is not so pronounced in the plexippus. The chestnut area 

 in the cell of primaries of chrysippus is also mottled, the spots being larger 

 and fainter; the light tawny colour between the median ray and the inner 

 margin is not mottled, nor is the dark tawny or chestnut area on primaries 

 of plexipptis, except the costal half of the cell, where, as in chrysippus, it 

 is fainter than the other parts. In chrysippus no portion uf secondaries is 

 mottled, and, as before mentioned, only the costal edge and outer margin of 

 secondaries in the plexippus ; this mottling is visible on upper and under 

 surfaces. I have also, out of the same lot, a male of plexippus where the 

 white lines along the rays of secondaries — sometimes seen in certain spe- 

 cimens on the under surface — are much wider than usual, occupying one- 

 third the space on either side of the ray, and calling to mind the West 

 African variety of D. chrysippus (var. alcippus). — John Watson. 



Variation in Pup^e of Anthocharis euphenoides, Stgr. — Referring 

 to my journal, which I have kept regularly for some years past, I note 

 that fifty-two larvae of A. euphenoides were collected by me last summer in 

 the northern parts of the Alpes-Maritimes. It is a curious fact that, while 

 the caterpillars of this species are common in the inland parts of the range, 

 imagines are far oftener seen at the coast. My larvae were all found on a 

 tall, coarse crucifer, of the genus Sisymbrium, which is very abundant, 

 generally in stubble fields or waste ground in elevated districts. This 

 plant often grows to an extraordinary height under favourable conditions, 

 sometimes standing over six feet high. I never met with A. euphenoides 

 on the usually mentioned food-plants (i. e., Biscutella Icevigata and B. 

 burseri), though, I believe, it is stated to live on other kinds of Cruciferae 

 besides. The pupae, which are thin and arched, vary from all shades of 



