Insects. 



5923 



another collector also obtained a pair. About ten individuals were also captured near 

 Dumfries at different times, making, with the eight mentioned above, a total of 

 eighteen, sixteen of which were males, the only females being the two obtained by 

 myself : such a disparity in the numbers of the sexes is very remarkable. I may add 

 that on the 14th of September I saw what appeared to be C. Hyale, though it may 

 only have been Helice, but 1 am pretty confident it was Hyale. I had a good view 

 of the insect, as it led me a long and exciting chase, which I was at length forced to 

 give up from want of breath. lam aware that entomologists do not attach much 

 value to the mere "seeing" of insects ; however, T only wish what I have written to 

 be taken for what it is worth.— TFm. Stewart l^kornburn; Southerness, by Dumfries. 



Curious Variety of Apatura Iris. — On the 13th of July I had the good fortune to 

 capture, in Ashton Wold, near this place, a very singular and interesting variety of 

 Apatura Iris, a notice of which may perhaps prove interesting to some of your 

 readers, fn this example there is an entire absence of the beautiful white band 

 which, in the ordinary specimens, crossing the middle of the hind wing, extends into 

 the middle of the fore wing. Of the five white spots extending in a curve from the 

 costa to the anal angle one spot only, viz. the fourth, is visible; the two spots near the 

 tip are smaller than usual, the second of the two being little more than a speck ; the 

 costa and tip strongly powdered with fulvous ; and the usual fulvous ring of the pos- 

 terior wing, being broken on the lower side, extends in a strong fulvous marking over 

 the anal angle. The rich purple shade is spread over the wings as in the ordinary 

 insect, blended, however, in parts with fulvous. The under side is equally remark- 

 able, though difficult to describe, the colouring and markings being much confused. 

 Different as this is from the ordinary specimens, yet to an experienced eye it is ob- 

 viously no other than a variety of Apatura Iris. — William Bree ; Polebrook, Oundle, 

 Northamptonshire, December 5, 1857. 



Remark on Melitcea Dia. — I see by the * Intelligencer ' (iii. 60) that there is a 

 record of the capture of a third specimen of Melitaea Dia. The other two specimens 

 I had the good fortune to capture, in Warwickshire, years ago. — Richard Weaver ; 

 25, Pershore Street, Birmingham, November 13, 1857. 



Remarkable Variety of Argynnis Euphrosyne. — Mr. Weaver has placed in my 

 hands a specimen of Argynnis Euphrosyne so remarkable that I think the readers of 

 the ' Zoologist' will take some interest in a description of it. The specimen is rather 

 above the average size, and the spathulate terminal portion of the antennae is of 

 nearly double the usual length ; the apex itself is very much flattened and twisted 

 backwards. The upper surface is nearly black, the usual tawny spaces being almost 

 obliterated by the suffusion and union of the black markings ; this is more particu- 

 larly the case with the hind wings, in which the only remaining traces of tawny are 

 confined to the anal angle, and six obscure spots just within the outer margin. On 

 the under side the colours of the fore wings are more suffused than usual, but other- 

 wise not remarkable, but the distribution of^ colour in the hind wings is totally 

 changed ; the prevailing colour towards the base is greenish yellow ; the marginal sil- 

 ver spots are changed into large silver markings of an elongate-conical form, and the 

 middle one of the seven unites with the large silver spot in the centre of the wing. — 

 Edivard Newman. 



Is not Satyrus Typhon a Species P — I observe in Mr. Stain ton's useful ' Manual of 

 British Butterflies and Moths' there is no mention made of Satyrus Typhon, but only 

 of S. Davus. In my opinion there are two species included under this Uiime, and I 



