78 



taken by Air. Robert Calvert, of Bishop Auckland, Durham, 

 who kindly sent it to me, together with a most interesting 

 series of Argynnidae from his district. 



" With regard to the probable cause of these pale patches 

 of colour on the wings of certain Argynnidae, I should like to 

 say a word. At a meeting of this Society last year (Sep- 

 tember 2nd, 1886, Abstract, p. 55), Mr. Jenner Weir exhibited 

 seven specimens of Argynnis paphia, and one example of 'A. 

 euphrosyne, all of which had pale spots on the wings. In the 

 discussion which ensued as to the origin of these spots, various 

 suggestions were put forward, and I stated that I thought 

 the sun's rays passing through a globule of water and falling 

 on the pupa might cause such kind of bleaching, as was 

 seen in the specimen then exhibited. This summer, having 

 a number of Vanessa to pupae, I thought I would try a 

 few experiments in the direction of my suggestion. As, 

 however, I could not manage to get a drop of water into 

 proper position, I had recourse to a reading glass of moderate 

 power. Selecting nine pupae of w, I divided them into three 

 batches and concentrated the sun's rays on the left, right, and 

 both wings respectively of each batch. As soon as the sub- 

 ject operated on became aware of what was going on he 

 gave a sudden jerk, and the treatment was at once sus- 

 pended. The result of these experiments was not quite 

 what I had expected, for the pupae operated upon produced 

 insects with crumpled wings on the right, left, or both sides, 

 the injury being in each case on the side or sides which had 

 been singed. I may now say that I don't think the sun's 

 rays passing through water has anything to do with the 

 white or pale spotted varieties adverted to. 



" No. 2. An example of Aselene from Perth, in my collec- 

 tion, by the courtesy of Mr. S. T. Ellison, of that town. 



" The peculiarity of this specimen lies in the fact that cer- 

 tain of the normal black markings are absent. I have several 

 specimens in which the central angulated line is more or less 

 attenuated, but this is the only specimen I have in which the 

 central line has quite gone. 



" Nos. 3 and 4 show the two extremes between which all my 



