THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



857 



members of this interesting family. I have 

 endeavored for a few years, both with my eyes 

 on nature's highway or upon collected speci- 

 mens in azure colored pickle bottles to observe 

 and closely watch in order that I might per- 

 sonally discern the method of ichneumonological 

 carnage of larvae carcasses. 



But nivver sich a chance I got 

 Th' ichneumon stabber, stabbed not, 

 And now our good, but unkind co-worker 

 Mr. C. H. H. Walker has run away with my 

 laurels. * 



Amblytclcs fassiatorius cuts a much more 

 presentible figure than our last acquaintance 

 Tragus lit (or ins. When it flies it does not 

 come down 'like a wolf on the fold," with 

 •• a sneaking, pouncing spring,'' but dodges 

 about with an air of bravado truly magnan- 

 imous. It is a beautiful insect, Tothemindofa 

 novice, who has no type of comparison, fassia- 

 torius might perhaps be confounded with cris- 

 patorius, or others of the family, or indeed with 

 Ichneumon luctatorius, at a pinch, it is a black 

 little fellow with yellow markings and the 

 scutcllum or shield is very conspicuous. An 

 tenese are dark reddish black, dc-nse toward 

 tips ; head black with a sub-line of yellow 

 markings towards the eyes, body and abdomen, 

 black wi h yellow markings, viz :- — at the wing 

 roots ami abdominal bands, legs: yellow, 

 black and brown with anterior pair lighter in 

 color than posterior. the male has only two 

 bands of yellow across the body, but the 

 female has five, the first two being distinct, 

 the latter blending together. Aculeus yellow 

 and very short. Wing stigma light brown, 



Wesmael designates, as the principal dis- 

 tinction indicating the genus Amblyteles as 

 an entire and separate group, the fact that 

 the ventral segments in the female are seven 

 in number. M. Dours divides the genus into 

 six sections, of which fassiatorius appears 

 under Section III. ( Scutdlo paliido ; abdomine 

 nigro vel luteo, vcl nigro rubro.J Kirchner's 

 catalogue gives 49 species to the family, so 

 that the British list of a respectable 39 species 

 is no poor proportion. I have it recorded by 



Mr. Mosley as being bred from Noctua xantho- 

 grapha, and from others out of Notodonta 

 camel: na and Noctua /estiva. The principal 

 months of capture are June and July to the 

 middle of August, the great ichneumon 

 months. It occurs principally in woods, 

 occasionally in fields, and commonly Hitting 

 about hedgerows or nettle clumps. 



* Vide that gentleman's admirable letter 

 Y. N. No. 38. p. 301 . 



BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



By J. E. Robson ; with figures from life by 

 S. L. Mosley. 

 (Assisted by Contributors to the V. X.) 

 13, ADIPPE, Linn. PI. 9; Fig. 1. 

 The High Drown Frititlary. 



" A.DIPPJB, L., Adtpfe. Linne says,--" In 

 Fauna Cydippe perperam pro Adippe legitur ." 

 It seems probable that Adippe is merely a 

 variation of Cydippe, (for which cf. Virg. 

 I Gen. IV. 399,) made in consequence of the 

 latter name having been already appropriated 

 i to another species. A. L. 



Imago. — Fulvus with black spots and 

 j marks. Underside forewing, as above ; some- 

 1 times there are a few pale spots near the tip, 

 which show a little trace of silver occasionally, 

 i Hind wing, greenish brown, all but an 

 ! irregular mark near the centre, and the 

 j border of the hind margin, which are pale 

 brown. There are about 20 silvery spots, 

 j between the two outer rows of which is a row 

 j of dull red spots, sometimes with bluish silver 

 j centres. 



Larva. — We never saw the larva of this 

 1 specie, and da not know of any description 

 from British specimens. We copy Mr. Stain- 

 | ton's translation of Dapinchel, which agrees 

 J closely with Mr. Newman's more lengthy 

 description of Hubner's figure : — " Reddish 

 grey, with black dorsal spots on the 4th to the 

 12th segments, and a white uninterrupted 

 dorsal line ; numerous spines." 



Pupa. — We know of no description ; it 



