314 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



emblem of our insular prejudices, and a practical exposition of the law 

 of amixia. — W. Hakcoukt-Bath. 



Fungi or Androconia ? — In the August number of the ' Entomolo- 

 gist,' the article by Mr. J. C. Rickard, after acknowledging criticisms 

 by Dr. Sharp and Mr. Scudder, says, *' Neither of these gentlemen 

 seems to have personally investigated the subject, both having referred 

 me to the works of other entomologists." In Mr. Scudder's case, at 

 least, this was simply an evidence of that gentleman's modesty, because 

 certainly no one in the United States has made a more thorough study 

 of just these characters. In his magnificent work, ' The Butterflies of 

 the Eastern United States and Canada,' plates 43 to 51 inclusive are 

 entirely devoted to pictures of androconia and of parts of the wing con- 

 taining them, showing just how they are attached, in what part of the 

 wing, and also what sort of markings may be found on them. I would 

 like to refer Mr. Rickard particularly to plate 47, figs. 1 and 2, where 

 he would see what is probably as nearly like a spore formation in some 

 kinds of fungus as can well be imagined. Mr. Scudder has examined 

 nearly all our American species, and, though my testimony is not 

 needed in the matter, I have found his pictures in every case absolutely 

 correct, and I cover more or less of the ground each year with my 

 students. If Mr. Rickard will carry his investigations on butterfly 

 scales just a little further, he will find that, except for their greater 

 delicacy of structure, these androconia do not differ from the other 

 wing-scales. — John B. Smith; Rutgers College, N.J., Aug. 8th, 1896. 



CAPTURES AND FIELD REPORTS. 



Variety of Nemeobius lucina. — I captured a very striking aberration 

 of Nemeobius lucina (male) near Taunton on May 18th of this year. The 

 ground-colour of the left fore wing is a light smoky brown, darkening as it 

 approaches the base, where it is normal. The nervules are of the same 

 colour. The brown markings, which are so conspicuous in the normal 

 specimens, are entirely absent, being replaced hy a smoky white; the 

 triangular markings on the outer margin are of a shade rather darker than 

 that of the ground colour. The fringe is pure white and not serrated, thus 

 leaving the line around the outer margin very regular. The under tide 

 has, like the uppi r side, lost all its beautiful brown markings, these 

 being replaced by a dull smoky colour. — John Buckland ; 4, East Street, 

 Taunton, Sept. 15th, 1896. 



Variety of Lyc^ena icarus (alexis). — At Swanage, on August 11th, 

 I captured a variety of L. alexis, with the black spots near the margin of 

 under side of fore wings enlarged into five black lines and with one black 

 line on each side of the hind wings. The aberration of the markings of 

 fore wings is somewhit similar to that shown in the lower of the two 

 varieties of this species figured in Newman's 'British Butterflies.' — E. V. 

 Hall ; 4, The Avenue, Brondesbury, Sept. 14th, 1896. 



Varieties of Chrysophanus phlceas. — I caught here, Aug. 10th, two 

 varieties of C. phlceas. In one specimen the left fore wing is of a pale straw- 

 colour, inclining to copper at the base, the other wings being normal. In the 



