Note on the occurrence of certain Butterflies near Dover. As another instance of the mildness of the earlier part of the present winter, or, if yon will, of the climate in that neighbourhood, I may remark that on the 15th of December last I saw Vanessa Urticæ within a mile of Dover, flying about as gay and brisk as if it had been Midsummer, instead of almost mid- winter; so much so indeed, that an active youth who was with me, was unable to capture the specimen, although he pursued it with that intention for a considerable distance.
Now that I am on the subject of butterflies, I must tell you that Mr. Le Plastrier of Dover, captured last summer, in that vicinity, two pairs of the rare Pieris (Pontia or Mancipium or whatever its right name is) Daplidice, or Bath white. One of these fortunately laid some eggs after it was captured; and from these Mr. Le Plastrier reared the caterpillars, which he fed on the wild mignonette (Reseda lutea), and at the present time he has four of them in the chrysalis state. The chrysalis, to my eye at least, a good deal resembles that of some of the Vanessæ, were it not that, unlike them, it is fastened by a thread round the middle. At what time will the butterflies come forth? I expect in May. Mr. Le Plastrier's specimens were taken, I think, the end of July or early in August, and if so, it should seem there must be two broods in the season. The same intelligent collector captured likewise, last summer, many specimens (five or six pairs or more) of Colias Hyale near Dover. The summer of 1842 was one of the finest we have had for many years, and therefore favourable to the production of insects, as we may conclude; but what strikes me as strange, is, that the same season which produced C. Hyale in more than usual abundance, should not have been equally productive of the allied species, C. Edusa. Mr. Le Plastrier informs me that they "had no clouded yellows last summer about Dover;" where, in certain seasons (as for instance, in 1831) I know they are to be seen in considerable plenty. How much in the dark are we about the periodical appearance of insects! And how is our reason baffled in attempting to account for the phenomena! If any of the above notes are thought at all worth a place in 'The Zoologist,' pray make what use of them you like.—W.T. Bree; Allesley Rectory, near Coventry, Feb. 8, 1843.
Note on a Glass Bee-hive of a singular construction. The extracts from Mr. Cotton's most amusing 'Bee-Book' (Zool. 22), reminded me of a glass hive which a friend of mine in Dorsetshire had many years
