THE NATURALISTS’ JOURNAL. 
IS8 
a wild male, nearly as black as the one figured above, in his dis¬ 
trict, and has seen others as black captured in London in a wild 
state. 
The description of the specimen before us, is as follows : 
Liparis monacha var. Eremita. 
$ expanse of wings, 9 " Forewings blackish brown, with the 
characteristic markings of the more usual forms deep black, costal 
margin half way from the base deep black, hind margin spotted 
with black, veins of wing deep black. Hind wings, mouse colour 
with dark brown spots on margin. Thorax blackish brown with 
deep black collar, abdomen black, antennae brown. 
THE VALUE OF RARE BRITISH 
BUTTERFLIES. 
By A. Ford. 
It may be of interest to a few of the readers of this magazine to 
know the prices which some of our rare butterflies have fetched 
“ under the hammer.” The statements in this article have all 
appeared in the various Entomological and Natural History 
Magazines of the last three 01 four years, but they will probably 
prove interesting to those who have not yet read them. 
The “rage” at the present time, among most lepidopterists, is 
for “ varieties” and it is astonishing the prices, really good ones 
have fetched. At the sale of the late Mr. Howard, Vaughan’s 
fine collection, an hermaphrodite specimen of the “ clouded yel¬ 
low” {Coliasedusa) fetched ten guineas, while two other specimens 
of this insect, in one of which the fore-wings were of the var. 
helice and the hind-wings of the normal form, the other with the 
right side helice and the other side ordinary ; fetched ^10 each. 
At the same sale a pair of the rare “ Bath white” ( Pieris daplidice) 
realised £2/1 5/- the pair ; another pair sold,'a few weeks ago for 
^2/12/6. At another sale quite recently “ Camberwell beauties ” 
( Vanessa antiopa ), averaged about a pound apiece. The “ Queen 
of Spain Fritillary” (Argynnis lathonia), fetched from 10/- to 15/- 
each, while a pair of a fine variety of the common “ pearl bor¬ 
dered fritillary” ( Argynnis Euphrosyne), realised ^5, and a black 
var. of Melitcea Athalia was knocked down at £2/15/-. A couple 
of nearly blackspecimens of the “ whiteadmiral ” ( Limenitis sybilla) 
went at ^1/15/- each, and a fine banded variety of the very com¬ 
mon “ wall brown ” (. Satyrus megcera), went for the trifle of £}. 
The value of the extinct “ large copper ” ( Chrysophanus dispar ), 
seems steadily on the increase ; a few years ago, a fair specimen 
could be purchased for a sovereign ; at a recent sale, a series of 
eighteen of this handsome species realised ^80, ! an average of 
