25 
ii^neral |nfotmattott. 
Prices of rare British Lepidoptera. — At the sale by Mi*. Stevens of Mr. Chant's 
Collection, on the 24th April, Sesia asiliformis and S. allantiformis, against the 
British origin of which there was not a breath of suspicion, were knocked down, 
after gi-eat competition, at the enormous figure of £5 10s. each (single examples) ; 
Mr. Henry Evans, of Darley Abbey, Derby, being the purchaser. In the Lists of 
the Continental dealers asili/ormis is marked at prices equivalent to less than 
sixpence ! — allantiformis seems to be less abundant, and is not priced. 
Movemeiits of British Entomologists. — Prof. Westwood and Mr, Hewitson have 
returaed from a visit to Vesuvius. The mountain was sulky, and would not exhibit 
its performance before the English satmns, although it was too lively after they 
left. Mr. Pascoe is wandering somewhere about the south of Europe. Mr. 
Stainton has just left on a six weeks tour, with the intention of visiting Venice and 
Vienna. 
Beiiarture of a collector to Ecuador and Bolivia. — Mr. Buckley, who has had 
considerable experience in collecting insects in India, &c., has started for Guyaquil, 
with the intention of working the interior of Ecaador and Bolivia ; and we doubt 
not that he will find many interesting things, especially in Bhopalocera. He goes 
out under the auspices of Mr. Hevritson ; Mr. Higgins is his London agent. 
Death of Charles Turner. — This well-known collector died in King's College 
Hospital during the last month, from the effects of a paralytic seizure, over the age 
of 60. His history was a sti-ange one, and some years since he earned a precarious 
livelihood by gathering moss for the bird-stuffers. When engaged in this pursuit he 
fell in with the late James Foxcroft, who induced him to collect insects ; and 
latterly his attention was principally directed to wood-boring beetles, in the col- 
lecting of which he attained great proficiency, and found many species new to the 
British Lists. One of his captures was described as Zeugophora Tv/rncri by Dr. 
Power, but it has been considered as probably only a form of Z. scviellaris, Sufll 
Turner died, as he had always lived, in great poverty. 
Death of Thomas Desvignes, Esq. — We regret to announce the death of Thomas 
Desvignes, Esq., at his residence at Woodford, in Essex, on the 11th May, aged 56. 
Some quarter of a century ago Mr. Desvignes was best known for his magnificent 
series of varieties of Peronea cristana. In those days every fresh variety of that 
inconstant insect was duly named and described as a new species. Mr. Desvignes 
inclined, however, to the opinion that certain groups of these vai-ieties might be 
referred to separate species, and in the Zoologist for 1845, p. 840, he proposed a 
scheme of grouping, restricting the number of species of the " crested Button " to 
11; and he even hinted at the possibility of "the whole being but one variablf 
species." 
Of late years his attention had been almost exclusively devoted to the Ich)ieu- 
monidce, and twelve years ago he pi-ejDai'ed a Catalogue of the British Ichiieumonidoe 
in the British Museum, which was printed by order of the Trustees in 1856, and 
extends to 120 pages 8vo. 
