SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



43 



ess than forty-five degrees, and the twigs, which 

 at first are slender and pendulous, often gradually 

 raise themselves as their age increases and eventu- 

 ally follow the same line as the other parts of the 

 branch. 



Thus, then, in the birch we have a tree with erect 



I'H 



Birch. Spring State, n, Barren Catkin 



main stem, whose branches ascend at less than 

 half a right-angle, often bare in their lower portion, 

 but towards their extremities dividing into a 

 number of subordinate branches, each of which 

 bears its tuft of graceful pendulous twigs. 

 (To be continued.) 



NEW BUTTERFLIES IX THE 



CANARY ISLANDS. 



Bv A. H. Bechervaise. 



TN the October issue of Sciexce-Gossip (vol. ii., 

 page 207), I gave a short account of the 

 butterflies of these islands, in which I said, " It is 

 a curious fact that the almost ubiquitous mimicker 

 of the DanaidjE, Diadema misippus, has not followed 

 them to the Canary Islands." 



At about the same time that the above remark 

 appeared in print, D. misippus put in an appear- 

 ance in this island. Several specimens were taken 

 at Orotava, and one near my house at Santa 

 Cruz, by a lady who unfortunately killed it before 

 I could plead for its life. So far as I know, all the 

 specimens taken at Orotava were also killed by the 

 acquisitive capturers. It seems a great pity not to 



give this beautiful insect a chance to establish 

 itself here. They are bold and friendly insects, 

 and often accompany and hover round one in the 

 most familiar manner. I particularly remember 

 the charm their presence lent to many a walking 

 and shooting excursion in lower latitudes. 



A communication in the Decem- 

 ber number of " Nature " notices 

 the appearance of D. misippus in 

 Tenerifle, and the writer, in 

 announcing the capture of two 

 specimens at Orotava, says " they 

 were in such fine condition that 

 they must have been introduced 

 in the larval or pupal state, and 

 emerged there." I see no reason 

 for such supposition. Throughout 

 last summer, instead of the usual 

 north-east trade winds, a long 

 period of southerly and south- 

 easterly w-inds prevailed, and the 

 original visitors were most pro- 

 bably wind borne from either the 

 Cape Verd Islands or the adjacent 

 African coast, where they are 

 numerous. Their food-plants 

 being plentiful here, fresh speci- 

 mens would soon result. 



A few days ago I received a 

 letter from a careful entomologist 

 in England, in which he tells me 

 that a young collector, who was 

 here recently for a few weeks on his return 

 to England, showed his captures to my corre- 

 spondent for identification. He is acquainted 

 with the Rhopalocera of the Canary Islands, 

 and was surprised to find amongst them speci- 

 mens of Arge gaLithea and Aigyiinis aglaia. These 

 are stated to have been taken, both on the same 

 day (Good Friday), in a rocky, treeless ravine 

 near Santa Cruz. I have made enquiry, but can 

 hear of no other specimens of these species ha\-ing 

 been captured or seen in this island, and consider 

 that further confirmation is necessary before 

 admitting their immigration. However, should 

 their presence be established, it will further confirm 

 the fact mentioned in my article of October last, 

 that ■• the butterflies of the Canary Islands appear 

 to have a direct relationship with those of North 

 Europe, and not those of West Africa, as might be 



expected," 



Santa Cruz, Tcncrijjc ; May. 1S96. 



Te.\l Nesting in Worcestershire.— It may 

 interest some of your readers to know that on June 

 nth, I saw here a teal's nest containing ten eggs, 

 much incubated. Four years ago a brood of eight 

 were hatched out in the same neighbourhood.— 

 Rev. K. A. Deakiti, Cotton Hackett, Womstershire. 



Fertile Catt:in 



