53 
NOTES ON CCENONYMPHA PAMPHILUS. 
(Read February 18th, 1913, by HAROLD B. WILLIAMS, LL.B., 
at a discussion on this species.) 
When the winter programme for this session was being arranged, 
I ventured to suggest that one of the evenings might be devoted to an 
exhibition and discussion on Coenonymplia pamphUus. 
Somewhat to my surprise the idea was immediately adopted, and I 
was asked to open the discussion. Let me say at once that this part 
of the arrangement formed no part of my original idea of the meeting, 
and in fact caused me considerable consternation when I heard it, as I, 
in common with most collectors, have rather neglected the insect in 
question. 
I must warn you not to expect a scientific paper. I fear that I am 
one of those barbarians against whom the late Mr. Tutt so often 
launched the thunders of his eloquence—I am a “ mere collector.” I 
have always thought that this prejudice against “ mere collectors ” is 
based on no very logical line of thought. I can understand that a 
man who sets out to be a scientist, and goes no farther than to amass 
a collection, is somewhat of a fool, but why should a man whose 
interest is not of a scientific, but of a recreative nature, be forbidden 
to collect at all unless he contributes something to our knowledge of 
the insect world. 
Like most other entomologists I have never “ wasted time ” in a 
search for the ova, larvae, or pupae of this species, so am not in a 
position to direct you to them, should any of you be possessed of a 
desire to discover the insect in any of these stages in its natural haunts. 
No doubt the larvae would be readily found if searched for in the 
proper time and place. They are said to be of a clear green colour 
with darker green dorsal and spiracular stripes, the anal points pink; 
a typical satyrid larva, in fact. The pupa is of a pale green, and is 
suspended by the tail. 
The time of appearance of this species in the perfect state seems to 
be a somewhat complicated affair. It first appears in May and June. 
Of the larvae resulting from this brood, some feed up rapidly and 
produce imagines in August. From the abundance of the species in 
the latter month one may conjecture that a fair proportion succeed in 
this effort. Others feed more slowly and hibernate as small larvae, 
completing their growth in the spring. The August examples in their 
turn produce another lot of offspring, and these larvae also hibernate 
and resume operations in the spring. It is conjectured that the larvae 
from August parents are not full-fed as soon as those that have fed 
through the previous summer, and thus emerge in July, between the 
other two broods, keeping up a continuous emergence of the species 
throughout the spring and summer months. 
Whatever their history, there is no doubt that this little insect is 
at almost all times and places so abundant that very few people 
trouble to collect it. The variation, however, is very extensive, and 
renders the butterfly well worth a little attention. The specimens 
vary considerably in size, those in my own series varying between 
27mm. and 38mm. in expanse (centre of thorax to apex x 2), but these 
measurements are probably not extreme. 
xxii.-xxiii. 
