VARIATION. 107 
South’? are on the whole to be congratulated. On February 27th 
three Epichnopteryx pulla g were found floating in the canal. Pararge 
meyaera was on the wine, Pyrameis atalanta, Pierts rapae, and P. napt 
seen. March 2nd, first Pierts daplidice seen, Stenopterya hybridalis 
(noctuella) frequent, Diurnea fayella on oak trees, coltsfoot in full 
bloom. March 6th, first Cyaniris aryiolus and Callophrys rubi seen. 
March 10th, one Anthocaris belia seen. March 12th, found a strong 
colony of Luffia, sp.? at Agay, not yet half grown, some very small. 
March 18th, rather a brighter day than usual; saw in the Auribeau 
valley several Gonepterya cleopatra, one Papilio machaon, Pararge eyeria, 
P. megaera, two Anthocaris belia, two Colias edusa, several P. daplidice, 
Callophrys rubi common, P. napi, P. rapae, P. brassicae, Polygonia 
c-album, P. egea, Pyrameis atalanta, and Vanessa io. Half adozen plants 
of Biscutella coming into flower, others invisible. These must have 
been odd ones stimulated by some one fine day that failed to start the 
mass of the plant into spring life. Various larvee have been seen; one 
good capture was a g of Scodiona lentiscaria, found in the Estérels, 
March 8rd. M. Constant has only one specimen of this species, it 
occurs at Hyéres and in Spain. Chestas rufata is rare here, accord- 
ing to M. Constant, a specimen was taken on March 19th. The form 
here is wanting in the brown or fulvous tint of northern specimens, 
and resembles exactly in tone, and to some degree in marking, A. 
plagiata. The cases of Tinea vinculella (or some allied species) are also 
everywhere usually very scarce, an odd one at long intervals, but here 
and there plentiful on damp shady walls. With regard to this species 
I note that it may often be found under stones, as in many of the stone 
slides in the Estérels, where none make an appearance in any exposed 
place. lL was still more struck with the same circumstance in regard 
to Fumea cases. In the Estérels and elsewhere these occurred fre- 
quently wnder stones, where no exposed ones existed. These were 
always empty ones of last season, it being too early this late season for 
new ones. The dryness and aridity so frequent here, even at this 
early date (not unfortunately this year), no doubt accounts for such 
habits, but Hwnea in the chrysalid stage certainly classifies itself in 
our ideas with the sun-loving Psychids. §o that a habit of hiding at 
this stage is at first somewhat startling. It is no doubt owing to some 
similar habit that a search for cases, new, old, or at any stage, of M. 
Constant’s Bankesia vernella, in places where he has captured the 
moth, was utterly fruitless —T. A. Cuapman, Cannes. March 21st, 
1900. 
NZ ARIATION. 
AGROTIS EXCLAMATIONIS WITH ABERRANT CLAVIFORM sti¢MA.—lI took at 
Eastwood July 6th last, a shehtly crippled Ayrotis exclamationis with a 
doubled claviform on the right fore-wing.—F. G. Wurrrie, Southend. 
PROTECTIVE RESEMBLANCE.—Whilst hunting for larve at Frognal, 
Hampstead, last summer, I was very much struck by the remarkable 
protective marking and colouring of a nearly full-grown larya of 
Amphydasis betularia, which was on a rosebush in a waste garden. Not 
only was the contour and shape of the posterior extremity of the larva, 
with its claspers firmly grasping the stalk, almost an exact representa- 
tion of a petiole of the plant, half an inch or so distant from it, but 
