NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 3!) 



the severe winters, whilst field-mice and other possible enemies would 

 he hibernating, but that in the usually mild winters of Florida they 

 would be far safer if hanging upon the trees, as the mice might not 

 be dormant. I have searched in vain amongst American entomo- 

 logical literature for any reference to this habit of southern pupa3 of 

 polyphemus, but have recently accidentally found a paper in the 

 ' Canadian Entomologist,' vol. xxvii, September, 1895, by the late 

 A. E. Grote, entitled, " Notes on the North American Saturnina." 

 After giving particulars as to the larvas, Grote continues : " There 

 remains for me to point out some facts with regard to the formation 

 of the cocoon in our American genera which induces my arrangement 

 •of the family. In Attacus, Philosamia and Gallosamia the larva 

 attaches the deciduous leaf, which forms the basis and natural 

 attachment for its web, firmly to the branchlet by a pedicel of silk. 

 Evidently this is an acquired habit. It has been found more useful 

 to the species that the cocoon be prevented from falling to the ground 

 with the fall of the leaf. Telea and Actias have not this habit. The 

 cocoon falls in the autumn with the leaf which was used in the 

 spinning. ... I therefore place the genera with the pedicel 

 habit at the commencement of the family, Saturnia and Samia 

 following, and closing with Actias and Telea, in which the thinner 

 cocoon falls with the leaf to the ground." It is evident from the 

 above that the departure of the southern cocoons of polyphemus from 

 the habit of the northern examples was quite unknown to Grote, or 

 it would have materially affected his classification of the group. 

 If, as I imagine, this point is still very little known, it seems advisable 

 to place it on record ; it certainly is a very remarkable adaptation of 

 a species to the varied circumstances of its environment. — Geo. C. 

 Griffiths, E.E.S. ; 3, Leigh Eoad, Clifton. 



Vitality of Brenthis euphrosyne. — In June, 1919, 1 went with 

 Mr. A. Simmons to Lincolnshire for a few days' collecting. On the 

 last morning five B. euphrosyne were captured and boxed. On 

 reaching our rooms they were put in a killing bottle. Lunch was 

 hurried as we had to catch a train." A question arose as to whether 

 they were dead. We decided that they must be, as a sufficient time 

 had elapsed. They were accordingly taken out of the killing bottle 

 and put in a Newman's relaxing tin. It was ten days later before 

 time was found for setting, but when the tin was opened and the 

 cotton-wool lifted, all five of the Euphrosyne crawled out and at once 

 began to fan in the lamp-light. They had been tightly pressed 

 between the wool and were quite uninjured. They are now in the 

 cabinet. The tin was rather an old one. — G. Hanson Sale ; 

 Coxbench, Derby. 



Sympetrum scoticum, Don., in Dorset. — Mr. Lucas says, in his 

 "' Notes on British Odonata in 1920," that Mr. Stowell's record of 

 Sympetrum scoticum, Don., on Parley Heath " seems to be almost or 

 quite the only record of its occurrence in Dorset." The species is 

 abundant in all suitable localities, in late summer and autumn, 

 throughout the county. It has been recorded by C. W. Dale in the 

 appendix to his ' Lepidoptera of Dorset' (first edition, 1886) as 

 " generally distributed." I alluded to it as "abundant as usual" in 



