THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



13 



Times of Appearance.— The butterfly 



emerges early in June, or perhaps in the last 

 week of May. The larvae appear in July and 

 August, and hybernate quite small, feeding 

 up in spring. Like the last species, this 

 insect is said by Kirby and Stainton to ap- 

 pear also in the Autumn : Kirby giving the 

 dates of its occurrence as from May to 

 August ; Stainton giving May and sometimes 

 August. We cannot find any record of a 

 British specimen appearing in the Autumn, 

 and have no knowledge of its habits on the 

 Continent. We should be glad to hear from 

 any of our readers who take the species 

 whether it ever occurs in the Autumn. We 

 would especially like to hear from Continent- 

 al collectors, or those in the South of 

 England, where it is most likely to be double 

 brooded, if at all. It seem.; strange that there 

 should be any doubt about so common a 

 species. 



Habitat. — Selene is a wood insect like 

 most others of the genus, and is common in 

 the outskirts and ridings of our larger woods. 

 It is also recorded from nearly every county 

 in Scotland. In Europe it is widely spread, I 

 though it appears to be wanting in the more 

 southerly countries —Spain, Sardinia, Greece, 

 &c. It is also recorded from several parts of 

 Asia, bordering on Europe, and extends to 

 the provinces of the Amoor. 



Variation.— Though the largest pro- 

 portion of the specimens obtained are of very 

 uniform style of marking, a great many curi- 

 ous varieties are known, and several are 

 named. Most of the specimens we have seen J 

 vary in the diminution or enlargement of the 

 black spots. In some they are much reduced 

 in size and and number, while in others they 

 are enlarged until they coalesce, and some- 

 times little more than a row of fulvous spots 

 remains at the hind margin to show the 

 ground color of the wings. A very beautiful 

 variety in Mr. Sydney Webb's collection is 

 figured in Mr. Mosley's " Illustrations of 

 Varieties of British Lepidoptera," Argynnis, 

 Plate 5, Fig. 4 and 5. The forewing of this 



specimen has two rows of small spots at the 

 hind margin, and only two others on thecosta 

 behind the center, while the hind wing is all 

 black at the base, and the wing rays are as 

 black streaks to the margin. It is as if nearly 

 all the black of the forewing had been trans- 

 ferred to the hind wing. This specimen also 

 varies much on the underside, which is 

 streaked with red, yellow, and silver, in lieu 

 of the usual spots. On the same plate are 

 figured other three specimens, one with pale 

 and another with darker drab ground color, 

 while the third is a pale yellow. These are 

 rather abberations than what are properly 

 called varieties. The form called Hela, 

 Staud, is smaller and darker than the type, 

 and occurs in the extreme North of Europe. 

 Other four varieties are named by Kirby, 

 viz., Thalia, Esp., rales, Bergst., Marphisa, 

 Herbst., and Rinaldus, Herbst. We know 

 nothing whatever about any of them, and 

 neither description nor habitat is given in 

 Kirby's catalogue of them. 



Parasites.— None known to us. 



ENTOMOLOGY FOR 

 BEGINNERS. 



By C. S. Gregson. 



NOVEMBER. 



" Work wins.' 

 The season of 1880 is drawing to a close, 

 and it will now be a source of pleasure or 

 regret to look back at the season's work, for 

 just as we have worked or idled away our 

 time, so we shall have a stock of nice insects 

 or empty boxes to look at. If we have been 

 lazy last month, we may, by hard work on 

 suitable nights this month, do much to regain 

 lost opportunities, and if we did not work 

 hard last January, read what I said in No. 10 

 of the Young Naturalist, page 76, and go to 

 work at once to make up for lost time. Sugar- 

 ing on mild nights and visiting ivy bloom, 

 will be found productive, especially the latter, 

 and when out just turn your lantern on the 



