THE YOUNG NATUKAL1ST. 



1*1 



our or five miles from here, it is rather 

 small, expanding only 2A inches. The border 

 is slightly tinged with buff, more so than in 

 most of the British specimens I have seen. — 

 John E. Robsox, West Hartlepool. 



Vanessa C-album in Turkey. — I am 

 pleased to have Mr. Mathew's addition to 

 our knowledge of the distribution of this 

 species. My authority for the statement that 

 it did not occur in Greece and Turkey was 

 the appendix to Kirby's European Butterflies. 

 Mr. Mathew states that the Turkish speci- 

 mens were taken in July and August, and 

 were larger and paler than British examples. 

 Judging by the date these would appear to 

 have been the first brood, can Mr. Matthew 

 say if he compared them with summer or 

 autumn specimens of British C-jl'mm. — John 

 E. Robsox, West Hartlepool. 



Abuxdance of P. cardui in 1S79. — As a 

 note on the abundance of this butterfly in 

 1879, I may state that on August 25th I 

 caught one rather damaged in the Horse 

 Fair here, as it came flying from the town, 

 and settled on some mud. Again on Septem- 

 ber 2nd. when at Sutton I 'ark, I saw one 

 among the bogs, but was not able to secure 

 jit, and a few hours after I saw one taken by 

 an entomologist in another part of the park. 

 On September 25th. about 9-30 a.m., I caught 

 mother as it settled on some mud in Dudley 

 Street, just outside the station, it was in 



fair condition. A friend of mine on August 

 IB v 



2nd took two in Sutton Park. Last year I 

 neither saw nor heard of one being taken 

 lere. — Geo. F. Wheeedox, Birmingham. 



Beginner's Notes from Birmingham. — 

 [ commenced collecting last year, soon after 

 t saw your paper. A. cunLvnines was the 

 first butterfly I remember to have taken 

 •pecial notice of. Whilst I was at school, I 

 relieve it was the Queen's birthday. I know 

 five had a whole holiday, which most of us 

 pent in rambling about the country. I 

 aanaged to spend the day with a fellow who 

 Lent in for collecting Butterflies, &c. He 



, didn't take his net, however, on this occasion , 

 as we were bent on securing birds' eggs. 

 The greater part of the way was along a 

 dusty road, but at a certain point we turned 

 I into the fields, it was here we saw a specimen 

 I of Carmmines, off went our coats, and after 

 having seen it go over a hedge, it returned, 

 and my friend managed to fling his coat Over 

 it. after which it shortly gave up the ghost. 

 I recollect the day well, besides getting a 

 number of eggs, we had the good luck to 

 come across a viper, which we despatched 

 with our sticks ; this became my property, as 

 my friend had killed one a few days before in 

 almost the same spot. — W. E. JfdNES, 125. 

 Rann Street, Lady wood, Birmingham. 



Larva of Sybilla. — In looking at your, 

 plate of Butterflies in the January number of 

 the Young Naturalist I think you have made 

 a mistake in the figures .of the pupa and 

 larva of L. Sybilla, I bred several some 



1 years age, and mine were quite different 



! from your figures. I have sent you a rough 



I sketch of the pupa in two different positions. 

 As to the larva, mine had the 3rd and 4th 



. segments (counting the head as one) with 

 two large branched spines or: each : 5th seg- 



• ment with two smaller branched spines; 6th, 

 two spines like 3rd and 4th ; 7th. 8th, 9th. 



'< and 10th, two small spines on each; 11th and 

 12th. like 3rd and 4th, but a little smaller. 



j There were also some other small spines 



! upon the under parts and sides. The head 

 was very rough, and covered with small 



j spines. — Fredk. Bond, Staines. 



[We are glad of this correction ; we had 



! suspected the pupa from which we took the 

 figure to be deformed, as it never produced a 

 butterfly.— Eds. ] 



