ape Library of the Museum OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY, AT HARVARD COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, HASS, 3 PHounded by private subscription, in 1861. NOLO NG caer Ne GNC pea Nes awa) z Deposited by ALEX. AGASSIZ. THE ENTOMOLOGIST An Gllustrates Journal OF GENERAL ENTOMOLOGY. EDITED BY RICHARD SOUTH, F.E.S. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF H. W. BATES, FE.R.S., F.1L.S., F.E.S., &c. T. R. BILLUPS, F.E.S. Dr. D. SHARP, FE.R.S., F.E.S., &c. W. LUCAS DISTANT, F.E.S., &c. G. H. VERRALL, F.E.S. EDWARD A. FITCH, F.LS., F.E.S. W. WARREN, M.A., F.E.S. MARTIN JACOBY, F.E.S. J. J. WEIR, F.LS., F.Z.S., F.H.S. J. H. LEECH, B.A., F.L.S., F.E.S. F. B. WHITE, M.D., F.L.S., F.E.S. “ By mutual confidence and mutual aid Great deeds are done and great discoveries made.” VOLUME THE TWENTY-THIRD. a LONDON: WEST, NEWMAN & CO., 54, HATTON GARDEN ; SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT & CO., Limirep, . 1890, “It is interesting to contemplate a tangled bank, clothed with many plants of many kinds, with birds singing on the bushes, with various insects flitting about, and with worms crawling through the damp earth, and to reflect that these elaborately constructed forms, so different from each other, and dependent upon each other in so complex a manner, have all been produced by laws acting around us. These laws, taken in the largest sense, being Growth with Reproduction ; Inheritance which is almost implied by reproduction ; Variability from the indirect and direct action of the conditions of life, and from use and disuse: a Ratio of Increase so high as to lead to a Struggle for Life, and as a consequence to Natural Selection, entailing Divergence of Character and the Extinction of less-improved forms. Thus, from the war of Nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, directly follows. There is a grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved.’”’—Darwin. CONTENTS. ALPHABETICAL LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS. Apxin, Ropert, F.E.S., 76, 134, 177, 322 Apvyez, J. M., 383, 884 AtpERSoN, HE. G., 258 Autzn, J. E. B., 99, 202 ANDERSON, JOSEPH, Jun., 66, 260, 291, 384 Arxue, J., 61, 100, 201, 291, 293, 294, 307, 361, 385 AsH, Rey. C. D., 137 Bacon, J. M., 264 Batpine, ALFRED, 97 Barnarp, Gxo., 179 Batrs, H. W., F.R.S., F.L.S., F.E.S., 209, 244 Batu, W. H., 70 Barry, J., 344 Beecuine, R. A. Dauuas, 344 Bennett, W. H., 50 Bippiz, F. W., 134 BIGNELL, G. C., F.E.S., 383 Buazer, W. H., 126 Brace, EH. W. H., 320 Brabuey, R. C., 171 Briaes, F. J., 264 Brunetti, E., 122 Bucxron, G. B., F.R.S., F.L.8S., F.E.S., 20 Burney, Rey. Henry, 346 Borer, A. G., F.L.S., F.Z.8., F.E.S., 316 Burtizer, W. E., 136, 263 CAMBRIDGE, Rey. O. Picxarp-, F.E.S., 65, 101 Carrineton, Joun T., F.L.S., 2, 16 CHAMBERLAIN, NEVILLE, 262, 318 Cuapman, T. A., M.D., 91, 203, 292 Curisty, W. M., F.E.S., 171, 231, 348 | Cuarke, A. Lionen, 18 CuaRrkE, J., 263, 325 Cocxrerreth, T. D. A., 19, 73, 133, 140, 200, 278, 337, 368 Cooxr, Epwarp, 263 Coormr, J. A., 262 Costz, F. H. Perry, F.C.S., 99, 128, 155, 167, 181, 217, 234, 247, 283, 309, 338, 370 Cragtree, B. H., 203 Craske, Mrs. M., 16, 201, 291, 292 Date, C. W., F.H.S., 293, 294 Dattry, Rey. Tuos. W., F.L.S., F.E.S., 16 Distant, W. Lucas, F.H.S., M.A.I., 90, 159 Dixry, F. A., M.A., M.B., F.E.S., 80 Dosree, N. F., F.H.S., 136, 344, 347 Dop, C. H. Woutzy, 262 Donovan, C., 18 Enpwarps, Jas., F.E.S., 105 Esson, L. G., 168, 202, 204 Evans, E. H., 346 Farn, A. B., F.E.S., 202 Farrant, M., 100 Fenn, C., F.E.S., 135, 203 Fowrer, J. H., 136, 381 Freer, Ricwarp, 378 Frouawk, F. W., 68, 134 GARDNER, WriuLoueusy, 5, 70 GERRARD, V., F.E.S., 171 Gouuty, W. Howarp, 385 GrapPrs, GEoRGE J., 137 Haut, A. E., F.E.S., 203, 206, 261, 321 Hart, Grorce, 262 Hawes, F. W., 3 Hewett, Witu1am, 19 Hitt, Henry A., 168, 203, 206, 261, 319, 344 Hopass, AuBert J., 18 Hopexinson, J. B., F.E.S., 119, 138, 323 Hort, F. A., 262 Howe, Tuos., 17 Hopson, G. V., F.E.S., 8, 19, 52, 133, 136, 241 Incr, Cas. E. M., 261 IncuBauD, Prrer, F.L.S., F.Z.S., F.E.S, 16 Jackson, W. H., 345, 379 Jacopy, Martin, F.E.S., 84, 114, 161, 193, 214, 253 Jamus, R. E., 291 Jerrerys, T. B., 69, 132, 135, 204, 345, 384 JOHNSON, WILLIAM, 134 Kimser, Miss M., F.E.S., 140 lv CONTENTS. Knicuts, J. E., 319, 384 Lercu, J. H., B.A., F.L.S., F.Z.8., ABS. 620; Ole OOS LS 223; 288, 292 Livett, Dr., 384 Lioyp, Aurrep, F.C.S., F.H.S., 98 Lurr, W., 98 Marurw, Gerrvase F., R.N., F.L.S., F.Z.S., F.E.S., 344, 346, 347 Maxtep, Cuas., 292 McArtuour, H., 259, 293 Mraven, Lewis, 70 Minton, F., 20 Nespirt, Annan, 262, 383 Newman, T..P., F.Z.S., F.E.S., 1 Newstrap, R., F.E.S., 17, 19 Nicuouns, Mrs., 78 Nicuonson, C., 16, 19, 21, 234 Onstow, Dovenas A., 136 Paumer, Rev. Grrarp W., 346 ParMitEeR, THos., 263 PartripGe, Col. Cuas. H., 135, 136, 291, 292 Parren, G. L., 69 Pearce, W. T., 16, 17, 18, 111, 201, 227, 291, 319 Pearson, Doucuas H., 319 Popmore, G., 16, 18 PripEaux, R. M., 67, 99, 201, 383 Purpry, W., 346 Rem, Wm., 134 Ricuarpson, N. M., B.A., 60, 384 Srz, Harry M., 18, 19 Sexton, Leonarp §., 168 Suarp, Davin, M.B., F.R.S., F.L.S., F.Z.8., F.E.S., 197 Suater, J. W., F.E.S., 102 Smity, A., 355 SmirH, C. B., 18 Smith, W. W., 137, 305 Sourn, Ricwarp, F.E.S., 25, 1382, 145, 148, 170, 171, 204, 205, 254, 257, 264, 269, 287, 291, 292, 297, 329, 353, 378, 380 Sprinter, A. J., 56, 259 Stanpen, R. S., F.E.S., 5 Stewart, D. H. S., 345 Sri, Major Joun N., 14, 137, 320 Sr. Jounn, Rev. J. Srymour, B.A., 18, 319 Syxes, H. D., 259, 344 Tuawe.tt, W. H., M.P.S., 254, 320 Tort, J. W., F.H.S., 12 Verratt, G. H., F.E.S., 150 Watnuy, ALFRED, 119 Waupecrave, Rt. Hon. Havrl, 292 Watrer, Rev. F. A., D.D., F.L.S., F.E.S., 66, 95, 140, 314, 374 WALKER, Samuen, 69, 100 Waupoe, T., 67 Warren, W., M.A., F.E.S., 316 Wet, J. Jenner, F.L.S., F.Z.8., F.E.S., 383 We tts, C. M., 204 Wuitr, F. Bucuanan, M.D., F.L.S., F.E.S., 65 Wurtz, F. G., 57, 99 Wiuurams, T. G., 347 Witson, T., 139 Wingetey, Mark H., 261 Woopsrincer, Francis C., 264 Youna, Joun N., 68, 202, 259, 263 Vv ALPHABETICAL LIST OF SUBJECTS. Acherontia atropos, 139, 168 Acidalia contiguaria near Barmouth, 262; emutaria, 321; holosericata, 140; marginepunctata taken at Eastbourne, 23, — promutata, 363; rusticata in North of London, 261; straminata, 380; strigularia, 289 Acobius signaticornis, 237 Acontia luctuosa, 135 Acosmetia caliginosa, 321 Acrobasis consociella, 336; biella, 336; sodalella, 336 Acronycta alni, 262,—in September, 344,—larva at Clifton, 383; auri- coma, 289; euphorbie from Shet- land, 351; leporina, 140, 289, 378; myrice, 169; strigosa, 319 Acrulia inflata, 237 Actidium concolor, 268 Adela cuprella, 14 Adimonia (Galeruca) n.sp., 165 AXschia pratensis, 362 Arrica—North: Limnas dorippus, 24. South: Remarks on coleopterous fauna, 174 Agathidium globosum, 208 Agrotis agathina, 169; ashworthii, 5, 70, = candelarum, Stdgr., 136; candelarum, 5; cinerea, 234, 259; cursoria, variation, 145; lucernea, 5; lunigera, 365; nullifera, 54; precox, 234; pyrophila, 5; ripe, 289,—bred from larve taken in South Wales, 23; saucia, 5, 100, 140; simulans, 169, 351,—from Portland, 351,—from Shetland, 351; tritici, variation, 145 Amblypodia angulata, n.sp., 44; ga- nessa, var. seminigra, 44 Amphidasys betularia at Yeovil, 263,— var. doubledayaria in Nottingham- shire, 319,—at Cannock Chase, 378 Amphisa gerningana, 381 Anchomenus junceus at Brockenhurst, 267 Andrena clarkella at Hastings, 72; nigro-ene at Dulwich, 72 Angerona prunaria, 137 eromals (Euchlora) truncata, n. sp., 24 Anthera thespis, n. sp., 112 Anthomyide, 153 Anthomyineg, 153 Anthribus albinus, 104 Anticlea cucullata (sinuata) at Chi- rubroti- griseo-villosa, chester, 291; nigrofasciaria, 170; sinuata, 348,—larva, 348 Antigastra catalaunalis, Dup., 277 Antipha bipartita, n.sp., 196; (?) elon- gata,n.sp.,197; flaviventris, n.sp., 214; nigrofasciata, n. sp., 196; varipennis, n.sp., 214 _ Aoria chinensis, n.sp., 114 Apamea leucostigma, variation, 16; ophiogramma, 16, 140,—feeding on ribbon-grass, 295,—at Hampstead, 346 Apatura cauta, 190; fasciola, n.sp., 33; iris, 68, 102, 230, 346,—young larve, 326; pallas, n.sp., 190 Aphthona varipes, n.sp., 161 Aplecta occulta, 170 Aporophyla australis, 140; lutulenta, 169; nigra, 169 Aporia crategi, 228; procris, n.sp., 191 Apriona rugicollis, Chevrolat, 247 Arctia caia, 134,—pinkish var., 291,— larve feeding on Iris pseudacorus, 319,—curious brick-red colour, 327, —vars., 344; ligustri, 100, 233; villica, bred in October, 353,—para- sites, 177 from one larva, 383 Argynnis adippe, 365; aglaia, 365,— wings semitransparent, 23,—var., 327,— black male from Cannock Chase, 327,— black var., 350, — wings suffused with black, 380; females with three distinct shades, 382; daphne, 79; euphrosyne, banded var. from Chattenden, 351; latona, 224; niobe, 59,—-var. eris, 59; paphia, 365, 379,—var. vale- sina, 68, 320, 379, 382; pales, 59, —var. napa, 59; zenobia, n.sp., 188 Argyra atriceps, 153 Argyrolepia hartmanniana (= bauman- niana), 257; schreberiana, 97 Artaxa montis, n.sp., 111 Artemisia abrotanum, substituted food- plant of Hupithecia extensaria, 295 Ascia dispar, 124, 151 Asopine, 159 Aspilates strigillaria, 159 Asteroscopus sphinx (cassinea), 62, 140 Atherix unicolor (= Ptiolina wodzickii), 153 Athous rhombeus, 294 Athyma disjuncta, n.sp., 33; fortuna, var. diffusa, 34; sydyi, var. late- fasciata, 34; punctata, n. sp., 33 ry vl CONTENTS. Atossa neleymna, 83,—var. chinensis, 83 Austria—Erebia melas in Austrian Alps, 350 Aventia flexula, 349 Baly, late Joseph Sugar, 197 Banchus moniliatus, 173 Batocera lineolata, Chevrolat, 247 Beetles, believed new to England, 352; new to midlands, 352 BrrxsHirE—Additions to Newbury list of Macro-Lepidoptera, 140; Stauropus fagi near Reading, 263 ; Ino geryon in, 264 Bidessus unistriatus, Schr., 235 Biston hirtaria, var. of larve, 295 Bizone cruenta, n.sp., 49 Blunder, curious, 102 Boarmia melinata, 54; productata, 54; repandata, 321,—var. conversaria, 321 Bombus lapidarius, 267; smithianus, 293; terrestris, 267,—in Iceland, 325 Bombyces, silk-producing and other, 119 Bombyx neuvstria, larve abundant at ; Stokes Bay, 319; quercus, var. callune, note on life-history, 259 ; rubi, parasites, 18,—larve, 136 Bond, late Mr. F., 97 Books REVIEWED :— ‘Proceedings of the Dorsetshire Na- tural History and Antiquarian Field Club,’ 24 - ‘The Butterfly, its Life-history and Attributes,’ by John Studland, 24 ‘Larva Collecting and Breeding: a Handbook to the Larve of the British Macro-Lepidoptera, and their Food-plants, both in nature and confinement ; with Authorities,’ by Rev. J. Seymour St. John, 176 ‘The Coleopterous Fauna of the Liverpool District,’ by John. W. Ellis, 176 ‘The Lepidopterous Fauna of Lanca- shire and Cheshire,’ by J. W. Ellis, 268 ‘A Synonymic Catalogue of Neu- roptera Odonata, or Dragonflies ; with an Appendix of Fossil Species,’ by W. F. Kirby, 328 Botys mutualis, 141, 173; repandalis, Schiff., 275 Brachyphora nigrovittata, n.sp., 195 Brachytarsus scabiosus, 104 Bread-fruit tree, Siphonophora arto- carpi affecting, 265 Brirain—Hesperia lineola, sp. new to, 3; Ichneumon haglundi, Holmgr., sp. new to, 143; occurrence of Plusia moneta in, 254; addition to Plusiide of, 287 Britr sH Is~tanps— Certain speciesof Lepidoptera occasionally abundant, 177 Bromolocha fontis (crassalis), 363 . Bryophila muralis, 100 Bryotropha (Gelechia) obscurella, Hein., 119, 172; umbrosella, 102 Bucculatrix helichrysella, 265; hippo- castanella, 324 Butterflies, taken and seen near and at Monmouth in seasons of 1889 and 1890, 346 Cabera rotundaria, 138,—from Sutton Park, 104 Callerebia albipuncta, n.sp., 31 Callimorpha dominula, 289; hera, 224, 351 Calliphora greenlandica, 125 ; vomitoria, 125 Calocampa solidaginis, 170 Calodera zthiops, 208; umbrosa, 268 Calopteryx virgo, 68, 365 Calosoma chinensis, Kirby, 212 ; thibet- anum, Fairmaire, 212 Calymnia pyralina, 64 CAMBRIDGESHIRE — Saperda carcharias at Cambridge, 262 Campylotes pratti, n. sp., 109 Carabus catenulatus, at Brockenhurst, 267, abnormal specimen, 350; fiduciarius, Thomson, 210; mecy- nodes, n. sp., 211; prattianus, n.sp., 210; protenes, Bates, 210; tientei, Thomson, 210; vigilax, n.sp., 211 Carpocapsa grossana, 226 Cateremna terebrella, 333 Caterpillars, a plague of, 260, 347,—a myth, 293 Catocala fraxini, 170 Catoptria albersana, 102, 257; citrana, 290; scopoliana, var. parvulana, 141, 173 Cecidomyia alpina, 152; alticola, n. sp., 281; anthophila, 281; chrysopsidis, 281; filicina (= pteridis), 152; floricola, 281; florum, 281; foli- orum, 152; frater, n.sp., 280; ob- fuscata, Mq., 281; orbitalis, 280; rigide, Osten-Sacken, 278; salicis, Fitch, 278; salicis-batatas, Walsh, 279; salicis-brassicoides Walsh, 278; salicis-siliqua, Walsh (var.), 278 ; salicis-strobiloides, 280; tubi- cola, 152 Cecidomyiz, 278 Celena haworthii, 169 Cerambyx miles, Bon., larva, the true Cossus of the ancients, 235, 236 Ceratitis citriperda, devastating oranges, 235 Ceratopogon bipunctatus, 152; femora- tus, 152; varius, 152 CONTENTS. vil Cerostoma alpella, 101; lucella, 101; sequella, 380; sylvella, 101 Cerura, pups, 203; bicuspis, 255 Cetonia impavida, 327; marmorata, Fabr., var. cathaica, 245; submar- morea, Burm., 246; viridi-opaca, Motsch., 246 Cheetoprocta odata, 22 Chalarus holosericeus, 153 Chalcoides picipes(?), Weise, 162 Chalcolema foveicollis, n. sp., 85 Chalcophora, in scrubs of Central Queensland, 179 Chareas graminis, 322, 325 Charagia virescens, 20 _ Chariclea umbra, 170, 225 Chaulodius illigerellus, 101 Chelonia bieti, var. pratti, 111 Chemistry of insect colours, contribu- tions to, 128, 155, 167, 181, 200, 217, 234, 247, 283, 309, 338, 370 Cursuire — Acherontia atropos near Frodsham and Manley, 17; sallow season at Chester, 1890, 201; plague of caterpillars, 260, 293; Rhizotrogus solstitialis at Chester, 294 Chilosia mutabilis, 153 Cuina — New species of Lepidoptera, 26, 81, 109; new species of phyto- phagous Coleoptera received by Mr. J. H. Leech from Chang-Yang, 84, 114, 161, 193, 214; species of homopterous family Cicadidex, 90; new species of Rhynchota, 159; new species of Rhopalocera, 187; Coleoptera collected by Mr. Pratt on the Upper Yang-tze and on borders of Tibet, 209, 244 Chironomus biannulatus, 152; flexilis, 152; fuscipennis, 152; nigrimanus, 152; nubeculosus, 152 Chlenius costiger, Chaudoir, neviger, Morawitz, 212 Cherocampa elpenor, 100; celerio, 139, 168,—in Queensland, 137; porcel- lus, 100, 139, 168 Chrysoclysta bimaculella, 352; macu- lella from Wyre Forest, 327 Chrysolophus spectabilis, variation, 1: PADIS Chrysomela bella, n.sp., 253; serie- punctata?, Weise, 116; sibirica, Weise, 116; speciosa, 290 Chrysomelide rutilans, Woolaston, 296 Chrysonotus bipunctatus, 123 Chrysophanus boldenarum, 53; (Poly- ommatus) dorilis, Hufn., 294; salustius, 54 Chrysotus angulicornis, 153 Cicada leechi, n. sp., 90; montana, Huds., MSS., 53,— Scop., 296; sinensis, n.sp., 90 Cicadide, descriptions of Chinese species of the homopterous family, 90 Cicindela japanensis, Chaudoir, 209; sumatrensis, Herbst., 2!)9 Cidaria immanata, var. thingvallata, 66; reticulata, 139, 325; siterata, 15 Cirrheedia xerampelina, 65, 100, 351 Cleora glabraria, 380; lichenaria, 15, 234, 380 Cleorina lefevrei, n.sp., 116 Clerome erope, n. sp., 31 Clinocera barbatula, 153 Clostera alpina, 79 Cneorane abdominalis, n. sp., 167; apicicornis, n.sp., 166; elegans, 193; rufipes, Weise, 193 Coccyx scopariana, 324; ustomaculana, 362; vacciniana, 324 Cenonympha arcania, Linn., 137, 289; dorus, 79 Ccenosia pictipennis, 154; scrupulosa, 154 Coenosine, 154 Coleophora fuscocuprella, 139 Coleoptera, 294, 327, 374; at Camber during 1889, 50; phytophagous, descriptions of new species received by Mr. J. H. Leech from Chang- Yang, China, 84, 114, 161, 193, 214,—two new species from the East, 253; at Chattenden, 104; at Rainham, 104; variation in size, 136; at Burnham, Somerset, 174; collected by Mr. Pratt on Upper Yang-tze and on borders of Tibet, 209, 244; from Ludlow, 237; in Shetlands, 293 Coleopterous fauna of South Africa, remarks on, 174; from Bewdley, 268 Colias edusa, 139,—in Hants, 16,—in Devon, 16,—in Shropshire, 16,—in Staffordshire, 16,—in Lancashire, 16; hyale, 139 Collecting, in Normandy, two days’, 223,—five days’, 288; on coast of Northumberland, 292 ; along day’s, 3848; in Wales, 361 Cotorapo — Entomology, 19; Vanessa antiopa from Wet Mountain Valley, 327 Colpodes ameenus, Chaudoir, 213 Conchylis rubricana, Milliére, 265 Conops vitellinus, 125, 151 Coptolabrus longipennis, Chaudoir, 211; principalis, Bates, 211; pustulifer, Lucas, 211 Cordiceps robertsii, New Zealand fungus attacking Hepialus virensis, 23 Cordyla crassicornis, 152 Coremia munitata, 170, 325 Cosmia paleacea, 69,— = fulvago, 379 Vill CONTENTS. Cossus of the ancients, larva of Ceram- byx miles, Bon., the true, 235, 236; ligniperda, 100 Crabro interruptus, note on, 264 Crambi, Deltoids, and Pyralides, addi- tions to the British list since 1859, 269, 297, 329 Crambus alpinellus, Hiibn., 297; can- tiellus, 298; contaminellus, Hiibn., | 298, 325; creneus, 52; flexuo- sellus, 54; heliotes, 54; isochylus, 52; myellus, Hiibn., 299; ocellea, 300; salinellus, 298; verellus, Zinck., 298 Crepidodera obscuritarsis(?), MJotsch., 162 Crinola flavicollis, n. sp., 111 Crocallis elinguaria, var. trapezaria, 291 Crymodes exulis, 325,—in Iceland, 349 Cryptocephalus discoidalis, n.sp., 89; festivus, n. sp., 88; flavopictus, n. sp., 88; nasutulus, n. sp., 87; nigrolimbatus, n.sp., 87; recti- pennis, n.sp., 87 Cucullia absinthii near Barmouth, 262, 291, 318 Curtonotus nitens, Putzeys, 212 Cyclopides chinensis, n. sp., 48; nanus, n. sp., 49 Cymatophora octogesima, 100, 289 Cymurdis vaporariorum, 208 Cynomyia mortuorum, 125, 151 Cyriocrates horsfieldii, Hope, 246 Dartmoor, a summer’s mothing on, 14 Dasychira pudibunda, early appearance, 171 Dasypolia templi, 135, 169 Dasyuris partheniata, 11 Declana floccosa, life-history, 241 Deilephila euphorbie, 18, 168, 319; galii, 100, 139, 168,—bred from pupe forced during March, 24,— captured at Stoke Newington, 174; livornica near Manchester, 203 Deiopeia pulchella, 178 Delias patrua, n. sp., 46 Deltoids, Pyralides, and Crambi, addi- tions to the British list since 1859, 269, 297, 329 Demas coryli, 100, 169, 233 Depressaria purpurea, 102 DrvonsHIRE—A summer’s mothing on Dartmoor, 14; Colias edusa in 1889, 16; Epinephele tithonus, var., 16; insects observed on Lundy Island, July 13, 1888, 140; sallow season, 1890, 201; captures at light, 262; Heterogenea (Limacodes) asella, 264; Sirex gigas, 320,—near Ply- mouth, 264; Noctua depuncta, 292; Tethea retusa, 292 Diadocidia ferruginosa, 152 Diantheecia albimacula, 262, 289; cap- sophila, identity, 132,—var. of car- pophaga, 204; carpophaga, identity, 132; compta, 132, 169; cucubali, 169,—in August, 132; irregularis, 346; luteago, var. barrettii, 141; nana, Rott. (== conspersa, EHsp.), 132 Diasemia ramburialis, Dup., 277 Dicranomyia dumetorum, 123, 151; ornata, 153 Dicranura bifida, 100, 139,178; furcula, 100, 169 Dicrorampha plumbagana, 293 Diloba ceruleocephala feeding on cherry laurel, 263, 292, 345, 383 Dimopsis erosa, 208 Dionychopus rubidus, n. sp., 111 Dioryctria splendidella, 332 Dioryctus nigripennis, n.sp., 89; vari- abilis, n.sp., 114 Diplosis betulina, 152; fraxinella, 152 Dipsas comes, n.sp., 41; melpomene, n. sp., 41; munerva, n.sp., 40; thespis, n. sp., 42 Diptera, 376; in 1889, 122,171; critical notes on, 150; at Mickleham, 256 Dytiscus punctulatus, 104 Dodonidia helmsii, 9, 53 Dodona maculosa, n. sp., 44 Dolichus flavicornis, Fabr., 213 Donacia longicornis, n. sp., 84 DorsetsHirE — Heliophobus hispidus, variation at Portland, 60; Odon- tura punctatissima abundant at Glanville’s Wootton, 294; Agrotis simulans at Portland, 351 Doryphora elongella, 172 ; 102; oblitella, 102 Drepana acuminata, nu. sp., 113; bidens, n. sp., 113; binaria, 100; cul- traria, 100; falcataria, 100; flavi- linea, n.sp., 113; parvula, n.sp., 112 Drynobia velitaris, 289 Duruam—Sirex gigas, 292; collecting in, 380 Dwarfing of Lepidoptera in captivity, 120 Ebulea catalaunalis, 277; stachydalis, Zinck., 275, 289 Editorial notice, 25, 145, 353 Elachista monticola, 101; paludum, 101 Elater pomone, 172 Emergence, irregular of Lepidoptera, 19; early of Selenia bilunaria, 135 Emmelesia albulata, two years in pupa, 260; adequata, 140; minorata, _ 381,—read for minosata, 170 Emydia cribrum, 266, 320, 382 Endromis versicolor, 144, 255 Eneianp—Homalota crassicornis, beetle lucidella, CONTENTS. 1X believed new to, 352; Euryporus Picipes, beetle believed new to Mid- lands, 352 Enoplotrupes sinensis, Lucas, 213 ; variicolor, Fairmaire, 213 Entomological papers in Continental periodicals, 316 Entomotocican Socretrss—London, 21, ~ OO; 102, I). 17/2), SOG, BE, 2G, 294, 325, 350, 385; South London, 23, 71, 142, 173, 207, 236 (June Outing, 255), 295, 326, 351, 386; City of London, 103, 143, 267; Birmingham, 104, 144, 175, 208, 237, 296, 852, 384; Lancashire and Cheshire, 72, 384; Penarth, 237 Entomological tour on the table-land of Mount Arthur, 8, 52 ‘Entomologist’s Annual,’ need of re- vival, 65, 98 Entomology of Colorado, 19; gas-lamp, 61, 99, 134, 168; of the Portsmouth district, contributions to, 227 Ephestia cahiritella, Zell., 304; desue- tella, Walk., 303; ficulella, 303, 851; figulilella, 303; kiihniella, 329; passulella, 304; roxburghii, 330; semirufa, 139 Epinephele hyperanthes, 382, — var., 326,—var. arete, Miill., 326, 382; jlanira, abnormal, 259; tithonus, var. in Deyon, 16 Hpione apiciaria, 64; parallelaria, var., 119, 100 Epischnia bankesiella, 103, 335; tere- brella, 333 Epunda lutulenta, 384; nigra, 15, 351 Erastria venustula, 224 Erebia butleri, 12; epiphron, 168; epistygne, 78, 79; euryale, 59; evias, 59, 79; glacialis, 59,— var. alecto, 59,—var. pluto, 79; goante, 58; gorge, 58; lappona, 59; ligea, 79; melas, in Austrian Alps, 350; mnestra, 59; orocram- bus, 11; pluto, 11, 53; ruricola, n.sp., 187; rurigena, n.sp., 187; saxicola, Oberth., 187; tyndarus, 58 Eremobia ochroleuca, 139 Hromene ocellea, Haw., 300 Errata, 21, 70, 99, 153, 170, 172, 207, 314, 374 Essex — Hesperia lineola, 56, 57; Vanessa polychloros, 57; Leuco- phasia sinapis, 57; Thecla w-album, 57; Coleoptera at Rainham, 104; Sesia sphegiformis, 262 Eubolia cervinata, 64; limitata, var., 381 Hucheirus parryi, Gray, 244 Kuchloé belia, var. ausonia, 79; tagis, var. bellezina, 79 Euchlora (Anomala) truncata, n.sp., 244 Euchromia purpurana, 289 Eucosmia undulata, 15 Eudemis helichrysana, 265 EKudoria conspicualis, 274; ulmella, 274 Kugenia alniaria, 15, 140; tiliaria, 64 Eumenes coarctata, 237 Euperia fulvago, 821, 322,—on Cannock Chase, 352 EKupisteria obliterata (heparata), 378 Kupithecia abietaria, Géze,? = H. to gata, Hiibn., 205; absynthiata, larvee, 347, 350 ; albipunctata, 257 ; dodoneata, 102; extensaria, 23,— larve feeding on Artemisia abro- tanum, 295; fraxinata, 379; im- purata, 289; indigata, 170; irri- guata, 140; minutata, 378; oblon- gata, larve abundant, 347; plum- beolata, 324; pulchellata, 379; satyrata, var. callunaria, 170; subciliata at Rickmansworth, 291; subnotata, larve abundant, 347; togata, two years in pupa, 260; venosata, two years in pupa, 260 Eupecilia dubitana, 290; hybridella, 290 Kuripus japonicus, var. chinensis, 32 Kurybrachydine, 160 Kurymene dolobraria, 140, 234 Euryporus picipes, new to Midlands, 352 EKusemia yvithoroides, n.sp., 110 Kustetha nigropunctata, Fairm., 193; thoracica, Jac., 193 EKusthenes pratti, n. sp., 160 EKuthalia balarama, 172; sedeva, 172 Euzophera oblitella, 330 Exapate gelatella, 141, form duratella, 141 Exetastes osculatorius, 173 Faroe Istanps—95; list of insects taken in, 1890, 374, 375 Fauna, coleopterous, of South Africa, remarks on, 174 Fidonia carbonaria, 170 Food-plant, of Plusia interrogationis, 204,—iota, 292; cherry laurel of Diloba cruleocephala, 263, 292, 345, 383; ribbon-grass of Apamea ophiogramma, 295; Iris pseud- acorus of Arctia caia, 319 Forcing larve of hybernating Noctue, 143 France—Rhopalocera at Digne, 78; two days’ collecting in Normandy, 223, —five days’, 288 Fulgoride, 160 Frutis sinensis, 160 Galeruca chinensis, n. sp., 166; (Adi- monia) griseo-villosa, n.sp., 165 Gall-gnats (Cecidomyiz), notes on some species, 278 Gas-lamp Entomology, 66, 99, 134, 168, 385 Gastropacha quercifolia, 139 x CONTENTS. Gelechia divisella, 97; fumatella, 103; longicornis, 139; oblitella, 97; pa- lustrella, 97; subdecurtella, 97; terella, 103 GERMANY, SoUTHERN—Liparis monacha, larve abundant, 347 Geometra papilionaria, 15, 63, 69, 170; vernaria, 234 GLOUCESTERSHIRE — Sallow season at Bristol, 1890, 201; larva of Acro- nycta alni at Clifton, 383 Glypta rubicunda, Bridg., 296 Gnophria quadra, 68, 100, 289 Gracilaria syringella, melanic vars. from near Birmingham, 350 Grapholitha cecana, 326 Grapta c-album, 224; gigantea, n.sp., 189 Gymnopternus parvilamellatus, 153 Gynephora pluto, n.sp., 111 Gynandrophthalma fulveola, n. sp., 86; levicollis, n. sp., 86 Gyrinide, British, additional aid to determination of, 105 Hadena chenopodii, larve abundant, 347; rectilinea, 170 Hants — Colias edusa in 1889, 16; Acherontia atropos in Portsmouth district, 17; notes from New Forest, 21, 379; strongly marked specimens of Peronia sponsana from New Forest, 72; sallow season at Ports- mouth, 200; contributions to the entomology of the Portsmouth dis- trict, 227; a week in New Forest, 258; Psyche villosella from New Forest, 266; Sirex gigas, 292; larve of Bombyx neustria abundant at Stokes Bay, 319; Macro-Lepi- doptera in New Forest, 320; notes from Ringwood, 381; sugar a fail- ure at Christchurch, 383 Halpe submacula, n.sp., 48 Harmologa latomana, 11; sirea, 10 Harpalus chalcentus, Bates, 212; tri- dens, Morawitz, 212; vicarius, Harold, 212 Hedya pauperana, 207 Helcyra superba, n.sp., 189 Heliophobus hispidus, variation at Port- land, 60,—violet tinge, 352, 384 Heliothis armigera at Chatham, 344 Helophilus trivittatus, 352 Hemaris staudingeri, n.sp., 81 Hemerophila abruptaria, melanic var., 207 Hemiptera, 378 Hemiteles macrurus, 173 Hepialus lupulinus in August, 203; virensis attacked by New Zealand fungus, Cordiceps robertsii, 23 Herminia derivalis, 289 HERTrORDSHIRE—A day in, 257; La- rentia olivata and Eupithecia sub- ciliata at Rickmansworth, 291 Hespera sericea, n.sp., 162 Hesperia lineola, 72, 98, 99, 103, 264, 288, 296, 320,—addition to list of British butterflies, 3,—from fens of Huntingdon, 326,—in Cambridge- shire, 142,—in Suffolk, 171,—in Essex, 56, 57, 142,—taken either in Kent or Sussex, 72,—in Jersey, 98; pale var., 103 Hestina nigrivena, n. sp., 31; ober- thiiri, n.sp., 32; viridis, n.sp., 32 Heterogenea (Limacodes) asella in De- von, 264; obliqua, n.sp., 83 Heteromyza atricornis, 123, 151 Heteroptera, 159 Homalomyia lepida, 154; nigrisquama, 154; triangulifera, 154 Homalomyine, 154 Homalota crassicornis, believed new in fingland, 352; delicatula, 237; diversa, 208 ; fragilis, 237 ; longula, 237, 268 Homeesoma cretacella, Réssler, 302; nimbella, 302; saxicola, 802; se- necionis, 302; sinuella, 142 Homoptera, 160,—new views on sub- order, 154 HuntTINGDoNSHIRE — Hesperia lineola from the Fens, 326 Hybernia marginaria, early appearance, 136 Hybocampa milhauseri, notes on, 91,— pupe, 203 Hydradephaga near London, 20 Hydrelia uncula, 100 Hydrecia nictitans, vars., 365; peta- sitis, 100 Hydrophoria socia, 154 Hydrotea glabricula, 154; parva, 154 Hydrous caraboides, 104 Hylophila bicolorana, 100; magnifica, n.sp., 83 Hymenoptera, 377,—at Mickleham, 256, —in Shetlands, 293 Hypena obsitalis, Hiibn., 270 Hypenodes costestrigalis, 289 Hypermecia angustana,—unicolorous var., 141 Hypolimnas misippus, 24 Hypsipetes impluviata, 255; ruberata, 170; sordidata (= elutata), 170, 202 Hyria muricata, 139 IcrLanp—Bombus terrestris, 325; Cry- modes exulis, 349; list of insects taken in, 1890, 374, 375 Icerya purchasi, 71 Ichneumon haglundi, Holmg., sp. new to Britain, 143, 172 Ilybius ater, De G., 104; subeeneus, 235 Tlythyia semirubella, 289 Incuryaria tenuicornis, 141 CONTENTS. x1 Inp1a— Geometrid moth, alteration in name, 316 Information wanted, 384 Ino geryon, 259,—in Berkshire, 264 Insect-colours, contributions to the che- mistry of, 128, 155, 167, 181, 200, 217, 234, 247, 283, 309, 338, 370 Insect-fauna of Middlesex, 368 Insect-galls, evolution of, 73 Insecticide, London- purple as, 265 Insects, collecting by means of light and sugar, 22; influencing sex of, 120; observed on Lundy Island, J uly (2 1888, 140; taken in Faroe and Westmann. Isles and in Iceland, 1890, 374 Tolaus contractus, n.sp., 39; noallemnts, n.sp., 38 TreLtanp — Sphinx poneeleaty in Co. Cork, 18; captures at sallows, 262 Iris pseudacorus (yellow iris), larve of Arctia caia feeding on, 319 Jana mandarina, n.sp., 112 Karenia celatata, n.sp., 91 Katha moorei, n.sp., 81 Krent—Coleoptera at Chattenden, 104; Lepidoptera, 292,—in Thanet, 139 ; Heliothis armigera at Chatham, 344; Oxyptilus letus on coast, 346 ; Argynnis euphrosyne, banded var., from Chattenden, 351 {142 Lasrapor—Polyommatus phleas from, Lamiomimus gottschei, Kolbe, 246 Lamprochromus elegans, 153 LancasH1rE—Colias edusa in 1889, 16; Sphinx conyolyuli at Grange-over- sands, 18; Deilephila livornica neax Manchester, 203; notes from, 385 Laphygma exigua, 67 Larentia olivata at Rickmansworth, 291 Larva, protective colouring, 55; of Spi- losoma fuliginosa, vitality, 205; of Notodonta dicta, brown form, 379; of Acronycta alni at Clifton, 383 Larve, of hybernating Noctue forcing, 143; of Triphena fimbria, 263 ; of Bombyx neustria, abundant at Stokes Bay, 319,—rubi, 137; of Arctia caia feeding on Iris pseud- acorus, 319; young, of Apatura iris, 326; certain, abundant, 347; of Eupithecia oblongata, subnotata, abundant, 347; of Hadena cheno- podii abundant, 347; of Liparis monacha abundant in Southern Germany, 347; autumnal, 347; Kupithecia absynthiata, 350,— abundant, 347; of Trichiura cra- tegi, 350; in 1890, 383 Lasiocampa quercifolia, 100, 349 Lasiops semicinerea, 122, 150 Lathrobium angusticolle, 237 [101 Laverna lacteella, 101; subistrigella, Leia elegans, 152 Leioptilus scarodactylus, 289 Lema chinensis, 85 Lemiodes pulveralis, 276 Lepidoptera, in Wales, 5; irregular emergence, 19; new species from China, 26, 81, 109; taken in Dor- setshire, 1889, 101; dwarfing in captivity, 120; in Thanet, 139; in Aberdeen and Kincardineshire, 168; certain species occasionally abundant in British Islands, 177; attracted by light at Shepherd’s Bush, 261; of Kent, information wanted, 292; of Shetland, addition, 293; urticating hairs, 293; abun- dant in New Zealand, 305; sexes, 337; scarcity, 346; -Heterocera, 377; Macro-, additions to Newbury list, 140,—in New Forest, 320; Micro-, two species new to British list, 119 Leptarthra dohrni, 194; grandipennis, Fairm., 194; intermedia, n.sp., 194; longicornis, n.sp., 194 Leptida brevipennis, Mils., 266 Leria ruficauda, Zett., 123, 150 Lethe cyrene, n.sp., 27; labyrinthea, n. sp., 28; nigrifascia, n.sp., 28; occulta, n.sp., 26; trimacula, n.sp., 7 Leucania impudens, 321 ; littoralis, 365 ; propria, 10 Leucophasia gigantea, n.sp., 45; sina- pis, 57,—-var. lathyri, 79 Libellula ceerulescens, 362 Life-history of Declana floccosa, 241; of Bombyx quercus, var. callune, 259 Light, and sugar, collecting insects by means of, 22; electric at Taunton, 100; Lepidoptera attracted by, at Shepherd’ s Bush, 261; captures by, in Devon, 262 Limacodes (Heterogenea) asella in De- von, 264 Limenitis pratti, n.sp., 34; sibylla, 68, 229, 288, 320, 379,—black var., 291 Limnas chrysippus, 23,—from Natal, with white spot on under wings, 24; dorippus, from North Africa, 24 Limnobia stigma, 153 Limnophora albifrons, 154 Limosina cilifera, 126,152; fenestralis, 126, 152; pusilla, 126, 152 Liparis monacha, larve abundant in Southern Germany, 347 Liroétes sneipennis, Weise, 216; fulvi- pennis, n. sp., 215; leechi, n.sp., 15 Lita costella, 102 Lithocolletis bistentella, 138; cavella, XIl CONTENTS. 324; kleemannella, 138: stettinen- sis, 138 Lithosia costipuncta, n.sp., 82; lenta, n.sp., 81; quadra, 68 Lithostege griseata, 348 Lobophora sexalisata, 140 Locality labels for specimens, 171, 206 Lonchoptera ? trilineata, Zett., 124, 151 London-purple as an insecticide, 265 Luperina cespitis, 15, 63, 67, 8322; gue- néei, 65 Luperodes bipartitus, n.sp., 163; pre- ustus, Motsch., 163 Luperus enescens (?), Weise, 164; bi- plagiatus, n.sp., 165; capito, Weise, 165; hirsutus, 164; pratti, n. sp., 164 Lybithea celtis, 79 Lycena admetus, var. ripperti, 79; arcana, n.sp., 43; astrarche, var. salmacis, 139;—var. artaxerxes, 168; eros, 59; icarus, 23,—male of pale lilac colour, 23; iolas, 79; meleager, 79; nebulosa, n.sp., 43; orbitulus, 59; pheretes, 59; ze- phyrus, var. lycidas, 58 Macaria liturata, 348, 380 Macrogaster castane (arundinis), 97 Macroglossa bombyliformis, 259; fuci- formis, 259; stellatarum, 139, 168, 204 Malachius eneus, 104 Mamestra abjecta, 5; albicolon, 169, 364; anceps, 5, 64; furva, 5, 169; persicarie, 319; rubescens, 10 Man, Istze or — Epunda nigra, 351; Stilbia anomala, 351; Agrotis sim- ulans, 351; Cirrheedia xerampelina, 851; Callimorpha hera, 351 Margarodes unionalis, Hiibn., 276 Mecyna deprivalis, 265; polygonalis, 265, 274 Medon ripicola, 237 Melanargia galatea, var. leucomelas, 79; halimede, 26, —var. montana, 26; lapygia, var. cleanthe, 79 Melanauster chinensis, Forster, 246 Melanippe fluctuata, 100; unangulata, 15, 234 Melanism and temperature, 23, 54, 133 Melanthia albicillata, 234, 380 Melasoma maculicollis, n.sp., 117 Melissoblaptes cephalonica, 336 Melitea artemis, 346; aurelia, 59; au- rinia (= artemis), 229; dyctinna, 59; maturna, 59; phoebe, 59 Melolontha cuprescens, Blanchard, 244 Mesotype virgata, 140 Metacrias erichrysa, 11 Metaxonycha tridentata, abnormal, 265 Metrocampa margaritaria, var., 19 Microdon deyius, 125, 151, 171, 208; mutabilis, 151 Micropteryx salopiella, 324; sparmann- ella, 324; mansuetella, 324 Microcryptus (Phygadeuon) rufoniger, 3 17 MippLtesEx—Hydradephaga near Lon- don, 20; Deilephila galii captured at Stoke Newington, 174; Acidalia rusticata in North of London, 261; Lepidoptera attracted by light at Shepherd’s Bush, 261; Apamea ophiogramma at Hampstead, 346; insect-fauna, 368 Miltochrista rivalis, n.sp., 82; rufa, n.sp., 82 Mimela pomacea, n. sp., 245 Minoa murinata (= euphorbiata), 226 Moma orion, 225, 320 MonmovutHsHIRE—Butterflies taken or seen at or near Monmouth, in seasons 1889 and 1890, 346 Monolepta leechi, n. sp., 216 Moth, Indian geometrid, alteration in name, 316 : Moth-trap, a successful, 231, 263 Moths, parasites on, 140 Mycetoporus angulatus, from Sutton Park, 237 Mydeina, 153 Myelois ceratonie, 141, 301, 329; cirri- gerella, 301; pryerella, 141, 301 Natan—Limnas chrysippus with white spot on under wings, 24 Necrophorus mortuorum, 290 Nemeobius lucina, 231, 259 Nemeophila plantaginis, 259, — var. hospita taken in Yorkshire, 1860, 22 Nemophora pilella, 139, 141 Neoglypsus opulentus, n. sp., 159 Neope ramosa, n. sp., 29; romanovi, n. sp., 29 Neophedimus auzouxi, Lucas, 245 Nephopteryx genistella, 332; splendi- della, 332 Nepticula argentipedella, 324; cryptella, 139; desperatella, 138; fulgens, 72; gei, 188; intimella, 139; minusculella, 138; serella, 139; splendidissimella, 138; tilie, 139; woolhopiella, 324 Nepticule bred in 1890, 323, 324 Neptis antigone, n. sp., 37; antilope, n. sp., 35; arachne, n. sp., 38; aspasia, n. sp., 37; beroe, n. sp., 36; cydippe, n. sp., 36; hesione, n.sp., 34; thisbe, 35,—var. themis, 35,—var. thetis, 35 Neuria reticulata, 100 Neurigona erichsonii, 153; pallida, 153; suturalis, 153 Neuroptera, 377 New ZeaLtanp—Entomological tour on the table-land of Mount Arthur, 8, 52; notes from, 19; Vanessa cardui CONTENTS. abundant, 133; Lepidoptera abun- dant, 305 Noctua arundinis, 100; dahlii, 140, 169, 321, 322; depuncta in Devon, 292 ; glareosa, 67, 121; sobrina, 169; subrosea, 97 Noctue, forcing hybernating larve of, 143 Nodostoma gibbosum, n. sp., orientale, n. sp., 115 Nomada borealis at Hastings, 72 Nonagria brevilinea, 326; canne, 97 ; neurica, 97 Nonarthra nigriceps, Weise, 163 Norrotx — Acherontia atropos at In- goldisthorpe, 17; Rhopalocera {of West, 355; Sirex gigas at Yarmouth, 384 NorTHUMBERLAND—Collecting on coast of, 292 Notes, on economy of Retinia resinella, 76; on Hybocampa milhauseri, 91 ; on silk-producing and other Bom- byces, 119; on Diptera in 1889, 122,—critical, 150; on season, 1889, 138,—1890, 323, 345; on some species of gall-gnats (Cecidomyiz), 278; on Teniocampa opima, 307 ; on sugar, 322; on Rhopolocera of West Norfolk, 355; from New Forest, 21, 379; from Aberdeen and Kincardineshire on Lepido- ptera, 168 ; from Cannock Chase, 378; from Ringwood, 381 Notodonta chaonia, 380; dicta, 69, 100, 169, 289, 378, 379,—in August, 291,—brown form of larva, 379; dictzoides, 69, 378, 379,—drome- darius, 69, 100, 169, 255; ziczac, 69, 100, 169 Notoreas paradelpha, 11, 53 NotrinGHaMsHirE — Amphidasys betu- laria, var. doubledayaria, 319 Numenes disparilis, var. separata, 112 Nyctemera annulata, 19 Nymphalidx, phylogenetic significance of wing-markings in certain genera, 80 115 ; Nyssia hispidaria, 69,—very light form, 174 Oaks defoliated by swarms of Tortrix viridana, 361 Osrrtuary—Arthur Bliss, 104; Joseph 8. Baly, 176; William Berry Farr, 208; Dr. R. C. R. Jordan, 238; William Clayton, 268; Peter Maassen, 328; C. G. Hall, 328; Owen 8. Wilson, 352 Ocydromia glabricula = Rhamphomyia dispar, 153 nee E yest cream-coloured var., 3 Odontia paren 326 xiii Odontoptera bidentata, var., 19 Odontura punctatissima, abundant in Dorsetshire, 294 Gidaliea stigmatica, 153 Gineis aéllo, 59 Ophion luteum, 173 Oporabia autumnaria, 170 Oporina croceago, 15 Orgyia prisca, n. sp., 111 Ornix anglicella, 324; fagivora, 141 Orocrambus catacaustus, 11; mylites, 11 Orthoptera, 378 Orthosia suspecta, 169 Oscinis rapta, 154 Otiorhynchus sulcatus, 20 OxrorDsHIRE—Lepidoptera in, 259 Oxypoda lentula, 208 Oxyptilus letus on Kentish coast, 346 Pachnobia leucographa, 68, 202 Pedisca opthalmicana, 257 Palopezus architectus, St. Farg, 237 Pamphila maga, n. sp., 48; similis, n sp., 48; virgata, n. sp., 47 Pamplusia monticolana (= mercuriana), 381 Paniscus cephalotes, 173, 237; testaceus, 173 Papilio alexanor, 79; gyas, 192; hecto- rides, 350; machaon, 224; sciron, n. sp., 192; thoas, aberration in left hind-wing, 102 Pararge catena, n. sp., 30; episcopalis, 188; preusta, n. sp., 188 Parasites of Bombyx rubi, 18; on moths, 140 Parnassius apollo, 59, 79; delius, 59; mnemosyne, 79 Paropsides maculicollis, n. sp., 118; (Phytodecta) nigrosparsus, 118 Pechypogon barbalis, 226 Pegomyia hyoscyami, 154; winthemi, 154 Pempelia genistella, 332; obductella, 334 Pentacitrotus seneus, n. sp., 83 Pentatomidex, 159 Pentatomineg, 159 Penthina capreana, 139; grevillana, 141; postremana, 139, 324; pre- longana, 141; sauciana, var. stain- toniana, 141 Pericallia syringaria, 15, 100, 234 Perileptus areolatus, 237, 268 Perinephele lancealis, 64, 226 Peronea sponsana, strongly marked specimens, 72 Petalura carovei, 54 Phauda pratti, n. sp., 81 Phibalapteryx lapidata, 144; (lignata), 64,—at Yeovil, 263 Heels pedaria (pilosaria) in January, vittata X1V CONTENTS. Philonthus eneus, 374, 375 Phorodesma pustulata (bajularia), 64; pustulata, 321 Phoxopteryx upupana, bred, 265 Phycis adornatella, 331; betule, 255, 257; davisellus, 332; obductella, 334; subornatella, 102, 142, 331 Phygadeuon (Microcryptus) rufoniger, 173; sodalis, 172 Phyllodecta multipunctata, n. sp., 117 Phytodecta flavoplagiata, n. sp., 117; (Paropsides) nigrosparsus, 118 Pieris cisseis, n. sp., 192; lotis, n. sp., 192; oberthiiri, n. sp., 46 Piezosternum subulatum, 22 Pipizella biguttata (= flavitarsis), 153 Platypeza modesta, 153; rufa, 153 Plesioneura grandis, n. sp., 47 Plusia bractea, 170 ; festucz, apparently double-brooded, 326; interroga- tionis, 170, 380,—food-plant, 204 ; iota feeding on hawthorn, 204 ; moneta, Fabr., occurrence in Bri- tain, 254, 344, 350,—-var. in Amur- land, 344; ni, 265; orichalcea, 102, 349 Plusiide of Britain, addition to, 287 Pecilia nivea (= gemmella), 102 Pecilocampa populi, 62, 69 Poecilochroma lewisii, 22 Polyommatus (Chrysophanus) dorilis, Hufn., 294 ; phlcas from Labrador, 142; virgauree, 58 Procris geryon, 5 Protective colouring of larva, 54 Psamotis pulveralis, Hiibn., 276 Pseudoterpna pruinata (cytisaria), 64 Psilocephala ardea, 122, 124, 150 Psilopus longulus, 153; obscurus, 153 Psilura monacha, 289 Psoricoptera gibbosella, 101 Psyche villosella from the New Forest, 266,—larve, 295 Pterogospidea diversa, n. sp., 46 Pterophora paludum, 101 Pteropecila lamed, 154 Pterostichus niger at Brockenhurst, 267; ? prattii, 212 Pterostoma palpina, 100 Ptiolina wodzickii = Atherix unicolor, 153 Pup, of Hybocampa milhauseri and Cerura, 203; treatment during the winter, 262 Pupe-diggers, hint to, 325 Pyralides, Deltoids, and Crambi, addi- tions to the British list, since 1859, 269, 297, 329 Pyralis lienigialis, 271 Pyronota festiva, 54 QuEENSLAND —Chcerocampa celerio in, 137; Chalcophora in scrubs of Central, 179 | Rapala repercussa, n.sp., 42; subpur- purea, n.sp., 42 ; Retinia margarotana, 103,—new to rel list, 119; resinella, economy, Rhagio scolopaceus in Shetlands, 293 Rhagium mordax, 290 Rhamphomyia dispar= Ocydromia gla- bricula, 153 Rhingia campestris, 153; rostrata, 153 Rhizotrogus solstitialis at Chester, 294 Rhodophea consociella, 336; rubro- tibiella, 336; tumidella, 289 Rhomborhina japonica, Hope, 245 Rhopalocera Britannica, 16 Rhopalocera, in Switzerland, 57; at Digne, 78; new species from China, 187; of West Norfolk, 355 Sallow season of 1890, 200, 234 Sallows, captures at in Ireland, 262 Saperda carcharias at Cambridge, 262 Sapromyza platycephala, 123, 126, 151, 171, 208 Satsuma chalybeia, n. sp., 43; pratti, n. sp., 44 Saturnia oberthiiri, n.sp., 49; pavonia (carpini), 135,—larva feeding on oak, 261 Satyrus briseis, 79; circe, 79 ; fidia, 79; maculosa, n.sp., 30 Scardia picarella, bred, 265 Scape octomaculana from Shetland, 351 Sciara flavipes, 152 Schizomyia (Kief) galiorum, 152 Scodonia belgiaria, 170 Scoparia basistrigalis, 271; conspicu- alis, 274; ingratella, Zell., 273; scotica, 273; trivirgata, 10; ul- mella, Dale MS., 273; zelleri, Wocke, 272 Scotnanp—Notes on Lepidoptera from Aberdeen and Kincardineshire, 168 ; sallow season at Aberdeen, 1890, 202; addition to Lepidoptera of Shetland, 293 ; Rhagio scolopaceus in Shetlands, 293; Agrotis simu- lans, Acronycta euphorbie, Scia- phila octomaculana, from Shet- lands, 351 Selenia bilunaria, early emergence, 135 Selidosema ericetaria, 380 Sepharia frontalis, n.sp., 254 Sephisa princeps, 190 Sesia bembeciformis, 366 ; sphegiformis, 255,—in Hssex, 262,— taken by “assembling ’”’ in Sussex, 266 Setina rubricans, n. sp., 82; unipuncta, n. sp., 82 Setora divisa, n. sp., 83 Seudyra flavida, n.sp., 110; mandarina, n.sp., 110; subalba, n. sp., 110 Sex of insects influenced, 120 CONTENTS. XV Sexes of Lepidoptera, 237 SHropsHire — Colias edusa at Hawk- stone in 1889, 16; Coleoptera from Ludlow, 237 SrpER1A—Plusia moneta, var., in Amur- land, 344 Siphonophora artocarpi, affecting the bread-fruit tree, 265 Sirex gigas, 327,-at Yarmouth, 384,— in Hants, 292,—in Devon, 320,— near Plymouth, 264,—at Tenby, 384,—in Durham, 292; juvencus, 384 Siricide, disparity of size, 384 Smerinthus ocellatus emerging from pupa with one antenna, 326 ; populi, rapid development, 18 ; tilie, males assembling, 18 SomERsETSHIRE—Hlectric light at Taun- ton, 100; Coleoptera at Burnham, 174; Phibalapteryx vittata and Amphidasys betularia at Yeovil, 263 Sophronia emortualis, 270 Sphnenoraia cupreata, n.sp., 193; ful- gida, 194 Sphinx convolvuli, 15, 100, 168,—in Isle of Wight, 18,—in Lancashire, 18,—in Scotland, 168,—in Co. Cork, 18; ligustri, 100, —var. of larva, 22 Spilonota pauperana, 203 Spilosoma fuliginosa, vitality of larva, 205 ; lubricipeda, Hsp., var. radiata (vead for ‘‘hadita’’), 207 Spilothyrus lavatere, 79 STAFFORDSHIRE — Colias edusa near Madeley, 16; Cannock Chase, Argynnis aglaia, black male from, 327,—Euperia fulvago on, 352,— notes from, 378 Stathmonyma anceps, 11 ; hectori, 53 Staudinger, Dr., hiscollection, 378 Stauropus fagi, 100, 255; near Reading, 263 Stenus guynimeri, 208 Stigmonota flexana, 226; nitidana (= redimitana), 226; puncticostana, 102 Stilbia anomala, 15, 169, 234, 327, 351, 378 Surronk—Hesperia lineola near Sud- bury, 171 Sugar, and light, collecting insects by means of, 22; notes on, 322; a failure at Christchurch, 383 Sugaring, 126, 345, 380 Surrey — Andrena nigro-ene at Dul- wich, 72; Diptera and Hymenoptera at Mickleham, 256 Sussex—Acherontia atropos, 17; Aci- dalia marginepunctata, taken at Eastbourne, 23; Coleoptera at Camber during 1889, 50; Andrena, clarkella and Nomada borealis at Hastings, 72; a day at Tilgate Forest, 254; captures in the Brighton district, 259; Anticlea cucullata (sinuata) at Chichester, 291 SwitTzERLAND—Rhopalocera, 57 Sympycnus eneicoxa, 153; bifasciellus, 153 ; nigritibialis, 153 Synapsis davidis, Fairmaire, 213 Syria—Trichodes syriacus from, 327 Syrichthus alveus, 79; andromeda, 72; carthami, 72 Tachydromia stramineipes, var. of T. pectoralis, 153 Teniocampa gracilis, 72; gothicina, two vars., 174; opima, notes on, 307; populeti, 68 Talmonus, 115; farinosus, 115 Tanypus guttipennis, 152; phatta, 152 Taphinella longicornis, n.sp., 194; ni- gripennis, 195 Tapinostola extrema, 326; helmanni, 97, 349 Tauroscopa gorgopsis, 11 Tegulata fimbriata, n.sp., 81 Temnaspis humeyralis, n. sp., 86 Temperature and melanism, 23, 54, 133 Tephritis matricariz, 126, 151 Tephrosia biundularia, 173,—small ex- ample, 261; crepuscularia, 173,— small example of early brood, 204, 261; luridata, 234 Tessaratomine, 160 Tethea reclusa, 255; retusa, 257,—in Devon, 292; subtusa, 257 Thais rumina, var. honoratii, 78,—var. medesicaste, 79 Thecla clestis, n. sp., 191; elwesi, n.sp., 39; ilicis, 289,—var. esculi, 79,—var. cerri, 79; ornata, n.sp., 40; roboris, 79; rubicundula, n. sp., 40; w-album, 57, 69, 346 Thera firmata, 348 Thereva ardea, 208 Theria muscaria, 125, 151 [237 Thinobius linearis, 237; longipennis, Thyatira trimaculata, var. chinensis, 113,—var. albomaculata, 114 Thyris fenestrella, 289 Tillus elongatus, 104 Tortrix branderiana from South of Lon- don, 266; cratwgana, 289; viridana, in swarms defoliating oaks, 361 Toxocampa pastinum, 348, 349 Toxoneura muliebris, Harr. (fasciata, Mcq.), 154 Trachonetis (?) pryerella, 301 Trechus longicornis, 237 Trichiura cratiegi, 140,—hermaphro- dite, 345,— var. of larva, 350 Trichodes syriacus, from Syria, 327 XVl1 CONTENTS. > Trichonyx mirkelii, 237 Trifureula atrifrontella, 102 Trigonotoma dohrnii, Chaudoir, 213 Trinomial system, use and abuse, 148 Triphena fimbria, larve, 263; inter- jecta, 365 Trogophizus subtilis, 268 Trogus exaltatorius, 21 Tropicoris illuminatus, n.sp., 159 Urticating hairs of Lepidoptera, 293 Vanessa antiopa, from Wet Mountain Valley, Colorado, 327; cardui, 20, —abundant in New Zealand, 133 ; c-album, 69, 139, 229, 288; egea, 79; gonerilla, 19, 54; io, at Christ- mas, 136; otea, 20; polychloros, 57, 68, 139, 168, 229, 288, 346 Varieties :—Epione parallelaria, 19, 101; Metrocampa margaritaria, 19 ; Odontoptera bidentata, 19; Sphinx ligustri, 22; Nemeophila planta- ginis (hospita, taken in 1860), 33; Kuripus japonicus (chinensis), 32 ; Athyma fortuna (latefasciata), 34; Neptis thisbe (themis, thetis), 35; Argynnis adippe (cleodoxa), 79,— aglaia, 327 (black), 350, — niobe (eris), 59,— pales (napxa), 59,— paphia (valesina), 58; Hrebia gla- cialis (alecto), 59 (pluto), 79; Ci- daria immanata (thingvallata), 66 ; Thais rumina (honoratii), 78 (me- desicaste), 79; Huchloé tagis (bel- lezina), 79; Leucophasia sinapis (lathyri), 79; Thecla ilicis (cerri, esculi), 79; lLycena admetus (ripperti), 79—astrarche (salma- cis), 139 (artaxerxes), 168; Melan- argia iapygia (cleanthe), 79; Hes- peria lineola, 142,—pale, 103 ; Che- lonia bieti (pratti), 111; Numenes disparilis (separata), 112; Thyatira trimaculata (chinensis), 113 (albo- maculata), 114; Dianthecia carpo- phaga, Bork. (capsophila, Dup.), 204,—luteago (barrettii), 141; Ca- toptria scopoliana (parvulana), 141; Tachydromia pectoralis (straminei- pes, 153; Hupithecia satyrata (cal- lunaria), 170; Txniocampa gothi- cina, 174; Zonosoma punctaria (banded), 237; Limenitis sibylla (black), 291; Crocallis elinguaria (trapezaria), 291; Epinephele hy- peranthes, 326; Arctia caia, 344; Odonestis potatoria (cream-colour- ed), 349; Xylophasia monoglypha, 364; Eubolia limitata, 381; Gra- cilaria syringella (melanic, from near Birmingham), 350; Trichiura crategi, 350 Varieties of Noctue occurring in the British Islands, contributions to- wards a list of, 12, 97 Variation of Apamea ophiogramma, 12; of Heliophobus hispidus at Port- land, 60; of Coleoptera in size, 136; of Chrysolophus spectabilis, 137; of Agrotis cursoria and tri- tici, 145 Volucella bombylans, 267 Watzes—Collecting in, 361. North: Sallow season, 1890, 202; Cucullia absinthii and Acidalia contigua near Barmouth, 262, 291, 318; Ennychia octomaculata, 319; notes from Merionethshire, 385. South: Agrotis ripe, larve, 23; Sirex gigas at Tenby, 384 WaRrwWIckKsHIRE— Gracilaria syringella, from near Birmingham, 350 WEstMANN Istanps—314; list of insects taken in 1890, 374 ; Wicut, Isuz or —Acherontia atropos, 18; Sphinx convolvuli, 18 Wing-markings in certain genera of Nymphalide, phylogenetic signifi- cance, 80 WoRCESTERSHIRE — Coleoptera from Bewdley, 268; Chrysoclysta bi- maculella from Wyre Forest, 327 Xylina semibrunnea, 135, 140; socia, 15,— = petrificata, 262 Xylophasia monoglypha, var., 364 Xylota abiens, 124, 171 YorxsHirE — Acherontia atropos at Hornsea, 16; Nemeophila planta- ginis, var. hospita, taken in 1860, 23; sallow season at Rotherham, 1890, 202 [346 Zanclognatha emortualis, Schiff., 269, Zethea sagitta, n. sp., 26 Zeuzera pyrina, 100 Zonosoma punctaria, banded var., 237 Zygena exulans, 168; meliloti, 320, 326; piloselle (minos), 367 LIST or PLATES.— Puatss I. & II., New Species of Coleoptera from China. Puate III., Deltoids, Pyralides, Crambi, Plusia moneta (British). PuatE IV., Deltoids, Pyralides, Crambi (British). end of Volume). (All the Plates to be at ema at SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR 1890 4 ara) 3 | Vol. XxzIr | Milusteated Yournal OF GENERAL ENTOMOLOGY. SS bs EDITED BY RICHARD SOUTH, F.E.S. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF T. R. BILLUPS, F.E.S. | J. J. WEIR, F.LS., F.Z.S., F.E.S. EDWARD A. FITCH, F.L.S.,; F.E.S. | F, BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D, |] J. H. LEECH, B.A,, F.LS., F.Z.S. F-L.S), WK.8, | | EE EE CES “ By mutual confidence and mutual aid Great deeds are done and great discoveries made.” LONDON: WEST, NEWMAN & CO., 54, HATTON GARDEN; SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, & KENT. fIR, ff — Price Sixpence. MTEL, BaN sper gah «56, BROMPTON ROAD, S.W., Sopp: Entomologists with every requisite :—Steel Knuckle-jointed Net, 4s. 6d. Self-acting Umbrella Net, 7s. 6d. Ladies’ Umbrella Net, 5s. Wire Ring Net,s-42 with brass screw, 2s. Pocket Folding Net, four brass joints, 4s. 6d. 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Price 4d. s ‘ATURAL HISTORY AND SCIENTIFIC BOOK CIRCULAR: No. 98.—Contents _ IN Mammalia; including Cetacea, Sirenia and Pinnipedia. Ornithology; including Eggs and Nests. Faunas of Britain, the Continents of Europe, Africa, America, Asia, — Australasia. Zoological Voyages and Geographical Works. Price 6d. Hee THE ENTOMOLOGIST. Vou. XXIII] JANUARY, 1890. [No. 320. VALEDICTORY. Wits the present number the ‘ Hnromonoaist’ changes its proprietorship, a change which has only been made once previously during half a century, and was then from father to son. Founded by the late Epwarp Newman in 1840, it was continued for two years, and then became the ‘ Zoonoarist,’ a magazine which was to include, as it does to this day, diverse branches of Natural History. By the year 1864, however, the entomological communications had so increased as to demand a separate publication, and the ‘Hntromonoaist’ was re-created to receive them. My late father again edited the journal, and continued to do so until his death in 1876. After his death, Mr. Carrinaton became EKditor, assisted in his duties by Messrs. Bonn, Fitcu, FRepERick SuiTH and JENNER Weir, Dr. Power and Dr. BucHanan WuiteE; and on the deaths of Mr. Smith and Dr. Power, Messrs. Sournh and Binuves consented to join the staff. For their generous and long- continued service, my hearty thanks are due to all these gentlemen, as well as to our many contributors; our relations have always been most pleasant and cordial. It is not without much regret that I have consented to forego a proprietorship which has become almost a family tradition, and to break this long-established connection of editors and proprietor. But it is the official bond only which is severed ; the friendship remains unimpaired. ENTOM.—JAN. 1890. B 2 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. Under the proprietorship of my successor, Mr. J. H. Lrxcu, the ‘Enromonocist’ will, I am convinced, become increasingly valuable; and for him and his Editor, Mr. Sours, who is already well known to them, I would ask the continued support of all our readers. T. P. Newman. It is with feelings not unmingled with regret that, by force of circumstances, I retire from the position of Editor of the ‘ Entomologist.’ It is, however, very gratifying to me to remember that during the period—now more than thirteen years—I have edited this magazine, I have received such uniform support from its contributors and readers. To them I tender my hearty thanks. It is a further satisfaction to feel that, in all those long years, no word I have placed in its pages has lost to me a single friend; but my association with the ‘Entomologist’ has introduced me to many whose friendship is greatly valued. To those whose names have appeared on the title-page, in connection with mine, I also tender my thanks,—to each in measure as they have individually responded to my appeals for assistance. Lastly, I must thank Mr. T. P. Newman for his support, without which it would have been impossible to have gained for the ‘ Entomologist’ such success as it has attained. JoHN T. CARRINGTON. HESPERIA LINEOLA, Ocusennetmern: AN ADDITION TO THE LIST OF BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. By F. W. Hawes. THE specimens,—three in number, all males,—from which the accompanying description is made, were taken by me during the month of July, 1888, in one of the eastern counties, and remained until quite recently in my cabinet, merely as curious varieties of Hesperia thaumas. Happening, however, one day last month, to turn over those plates in Dr. Lang’s ‘ Butterflies of Europe,’ on which the genus Hesperia is figured, I was struck with the great resemblance of my specimens to a species repre- sented at Plate 81, fig. 10. A reference to the description at p- 351 of that work suggested the probability of the so-called varieties being in reality H. lineola, the three main points of distinction between H. lineola and H. thawmas appearing in strongly marked contrast when the specimens under consideration were compared with undoubtedly fresh examples of H. thawmas. In the course of the week following my supposed discovery Mr. Carrington spent an evening with me looking over my collection of Diurni. To him I communicated my beliefs, at the same time showing him the specimens, and he confirmed my opinion that I had, indeed, British examples of H. lineola. Since then we made a visit to the Doubleday collection at the Bethnal Green Museum, when, whatever doubts I may have had, were at once dispelled, my specimens being exactly similar to the five males contained in the Doubleday European collection, although two of my three are larger, and one is distinctly finer than the examples labelled ‘‘ ineola, France,” in that collection. 1. H.lineola. 2. H. thaumas. I believe H. lineola has been overlooked owing to its great similarity to H. thawmas in appearance, and the fact that it flies at about the same time of year (or possibly a week later) in the same localities as the commoner insect. [If all collections in this country, consisting avowedly of British insects, were carefully examined, I have little doubt that native H. lineola would be found hidden away in some unexpected corners. At any rate, an examination of localities known to produce H. thaumas may result, during the coming season, in the capture of this butterfly in widely different parts of the British Isles. The known range in Europe extends, according to Dr. Lang’s work, from Scandinavia in the north to North Africa in the south. B 2 4 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. To proceed to a comparison between Hesperia thawmas and H. lineola for the purposes of distinction, it will be noticed, from the figures given of one anterior wing of each of the male butterflies, that the black bar on the fore wings in H. thawmas is decided, continued, and bent slightly downwards at about the centre. In H. lineola the bar is narrow, broken, and has no curve, is frequently very indistinct, and always considerably shorter than in H. thaumas. Again, in H. thawmas the bar springs from a point at about one-third of the length of the inner margin, reckoning from the thorax; in H. lineola the bar appears almost to run into the base of the wing at its juncture with the thorax. These are characteristics of the male insects only, and the remaining points of difference apply equally to both sexes. Perhaps the most positive and unfailing distinction in both male and female H. lineola is to be found in the coloration on the under side of the antenne. In H. thaumas this tint is of a faint buff, never dark; whereas in H. lineola the under side of the tips is of a decided black. A third point of difference is the absence, in H. lineola, of the fulvous patch on the inner margin of the under side of the hind wings, the insect in this respect bearing a considerable likeness to H. acteon. These three, then, are what may be called the distinguishing features of H. lineola, when compared with H. thawnas; but there are other minor and less perceptible differences, i.e., H. lineola has a duller and more suffused appearance, especially at the hind margins, more decided neuration of the hind wings, and on the under side a greenish hue; whereas H. thawmas has a rich glistening colour, is usually clear at the hind margin, and has a grey appearance on the under side. The two species approach each other very closely in size; perhaps H. thawmas is a trifle more elongate (see fig.) than H. lineola. I venture no opinion now as to the right of AH. lineola to be considered a distinct species. The position of H. lineola in our collections is between H. thawmas and H. acte@on. I may say here, however, that I hope I may be able in course of time to supply a life-history of this new addition to our Rhopalocera in all stages from British parents. Since writing the foregoing I find that Mr. J. T. Carrington captured in 1889, also in the same county in which I took my specimens, several examples of H. lincola, including females. They were taken at some considerable distance from the first- named locality, but about the same time of year, although one season later. 14, Dovecote Villas, Wood Green, London, N., Dec. 7, 1889. — Ct — NOTES ON AGROTIS ASHWORTHII. By WItLLouGHBY GARDNER. Or the many interesting species of Agrotide inhabiting the British Islands, none have had a greater fascination for the writer for many years past than Agrotis ashworthit. Who, indeed, that has seen the delicate dove-colour upon the wings of this insect, when freshly emerged from the pupa, can help being perpetually captivated by its quiet and unassuming beauty ? Beyond the attractiveness of the imago itself as a beautiful object in Nature, the history of the species, its habitat, and a certain justifiable pride in an insect peculiar to one’s own home district, have tended to keep up a perennial interest in ashworthi. Running in a northerly direction from Llanymynach, in Shropshire, through Denbighshire and Flintshire to the sea, and thence, with a slight break, due west along the coast as far as the Great Orme’s Head, is a narrow strip of what is known to geologists as carboniferous limestone. This strip of limestone rests unconformably upon a series of hard slaty Silurian rocks, which crop out from below it to the west and south of its course, while to the east and north it dips more or less suddenly beneath newer beds of coal or sandstone or the sea. At intervals between these two extreme points the ridge forms magnificent and picturesque escarpments, often rising to cliffs several hundred feet in height : these are seen at Llanymynach itself, at Llangollen, near Mold, at Llandulas, and at other points. It is acurious and most noteworthy fact, that wherever the carboniferous limestone crops up upon the surface of the earth in this country, there a perfect treasure-hoard of objects of interest, for the student of nearly every branch of science, is accumulated, such as is to be found on no other geological formation. The entomologist finds upon these long limestone escarpments many rare and interesting insects. Among these may be noted particularly Procris geryon, Mamestra furva, M. abjecta, Agrotis pyrophila, A. lucernea, and, foremost and most attractive of all, Agrotis ashworthii. Upon this notable, and in so many ways famous, ridge of rock, this species has its home; here it was first discovered, here it still thrives and multiplies, and beyond it rarely seems to stray. This beautiful and scarce insect was first discovered by the late Mr. Joseph Ashworth, an ardent entomologist, who resided for some time at Bron Hyfryd, near Llangollen: this house is close by the finest cliffs along the whole range of the above- mentioned limestone rocks, which are known here by the name 6 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. of the Eglwsegs. Along these rocks Mr. Ashworth collected with much industry and perseverance, securing many scarce species; chief among these was the Agrotis which bears his name. With Mr. Ashworth’s death, however, the exact where- abouts of the habitat of ashworthii appears to have been lost for some time, till it was re-discovered, somewhere about twenty-five years ago, by the late Mr. Nicholas Cooke. This eminent and indefatigable entomologist started one day at 6 A.M.. upon a rocky crag at one of the traditional spots, and worked straight ahead for full twelve hours without a break, till success crowned his efforts. From that time to the present the study of A. ashworthi in its natural haunts, amid some of the most charming bits of rock scenery in Wales, has afforded delight and pleasure to many a friend of the re-discoverer of the species. The imago of this Agrotis usually makes its appearance about the beginning of July, though it is very much later in certain seasons, being found occasionally freshly emerged during the early days of August. Pairing soon takes place, and the eggs are generally deposited upon the wild thyme, the favourite food-plant of the insect; these, pale white and very conspicuous at first, soon grow darker in colour, and hatch out in warm seasons at the end of about twelve days. The little larve are very active from the day of their birth, looping” along just like a Geometer. They appear to be some- what delicate in their earlier stages, and do not take kindly to any food, even their native wild thyme. They feed only at night, and by day hide themselves most effectually among the herbage and loose clods of earth ; as autumn approaches they stow them- selves away in snug corners for the long winter sleep, having now attained to fully half their size. Hybernation lasts no longer than the first warm sunny days of spring, when the larve come forth again with appetites whetted by the long fast. Now they seem to be much less particular in their diet, for they will feed greedily upon very many of the plants they find around them: among these food-plants may be mentioned, in addition to wild thyme, golden-rod, sun cistus, fescue grass, and various hawk- weeds. I have never noticed that sallow was touched by them in a state of nature, but in confinement they will greedily devour both the leaves and catkins. The larve are generally full fed about the middle of May, but the time varies by a fortnight earlier or later, according to the season. They then bury them- selves in the ground, turn to pups, and in due course produce the perfect imago. Though sombre in tone, like the perfect insect, the larva of ashworthi is eminently striking in appearance; its body is smooth and cylindrical, of a smoky green colour, carrying upon the back of each segment a large oblong mark of most intense NOTES ON AGROTIS ASHWORTHII. 7 velvety black; a bright red shining head and red-brown prolegs stand out in strong contrast, giving the caterpillar a decidedly distingué aspect, which at once marks it out from the common herd of Noctuz. The indescribably beautiful dove-colour of the fore wings of the perfect insect has already been alluded to. As in so many other living things, this ebbs away sadly with the life of the insect. Across the wings run three wavy dark lines; between the second and third is a rich brown shade, very much enlarged in the female, almost absent in the male; within this patch of colour the orbicular and reniform are more or less conspicuous, according to the intensity of the shade; the hind wings are smoky grey; and the head, thorax, and body pale blue grey, like the fore wings. Though simple and quiet in colouring, the imago of Agrotis ashworthii, like its larva, is at once beautiful and striking, and cannot possibly be mistaken for any other British species. Now in writing thus of the life-history of A. ashworthi, the question naturally suggests itself, How comes it that this parti- cular Noctua is confined to so limited a habitat, and is, so far, unknown to exist elsewhere ? The Entomological fauna of the greater part of Kurope has now been pretty thoroughly investigated, and much collecting has been done in various other parts of the world, yet A. ash- worthit has never yet been discovered in any other locality. Why is it that the insect has never strayed from its native Welsh mountains, while most species of these temperate climes have so wide a range of habitat ? How long has it existed and flourished there, and where did it originally come from, leaving apparently no trace of its kindred behind it? Who can tell ? Its food-plant is no rare and local herb ; the wild thyme, rock cistus, and other plants upon which it thrives, are common in many other places. The geological formation which it prefers is a limestone found in many parts of Great Britain, as well as on the Continent of Europe and elsewhere. Its habitat is neither alpine, insular, nor peculiar as to climate or otherwise ; and yet our insect seems debarred, in some mysterious and extraordinary way, from straying abroad from its own particular adopted home. It cannot, of course, have existed there always, but must have travelled westwards with one of the great waves of life which invaded these islands from the Continent some time after the close of the last glacial epoch. Still, impelled by some curious impulse, it has journeyed straight to its present mountain home, leaving no colonies in similar situations behind it in its course, nor, apparently, any survivors in the original cradle of its race. The species of Agrotis which it most resembles is the conti- nental A. candelarum (Staud.). This somewhat rare insect has a 8 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. range across Central Europe, from the Ural Mountains, through Poland, Germany, and Switzerland, as far as the western pro- vinces of France. The imago is not unlike that of A. ashworthu, but the fore wings are of a more ashy grey, varied with red; the larva, though different in colour from that of ashworthit, resembles the latter in having a series of deep black marks along its back, which are, however, arrow-head-shaped instead of square. It feeds upon various low plants, such as golden-rod and dock, the first-named of which is included in the pabulum of ashworthiv. It is possible, therefore, that the immediate ancestor of A. ash- worthit may have been the European A. candelarum, though ours is now quite a distinct species from the continental insect. Neither the larva nor the imago of ashworthii, as found in its Welsh mountain home, now shows the slightest inclination to ‘‘cast back” to an earlier type such as candelarum; and indeed, in the course of a long experience of the insect, the writer has been struck by the very slight tendency to variation exhibited by our species. Unlike many rare animals and plants which have found a last resting-place in some out-of-the-way corner of the globe, there to dwindle away till they become extinct from natural causes, Agrotis ashworthit seems to thrive and multiply in its native haunts. Long may our unique and interesting local Noctua continue to do so! Liverpool, Noyember 10, 1889. AN ENTOMOLOGICAL TOUR ON THE TABLE-LAND OF MOUNT ARTHUR. By G. V. Hupson, F.E.S. Durine the summer of 1888—9 I spent a week on the table- land of Mount Arthur for the purpose of investigating the insect fauna of the locality, and, as it presents some marked and interesting peculiarities, perhaps it may be desirable to place my observations on record, and also, for the benefit of future naturalists, to give a few practical hints as to the best way of reaching the locality, and what to do when there. Mount Arthur is the highest peak on the western side of Blind Bay, and is always a conspicuous object from the town of Nelson. The table-land is situated behind the mountain range, —that is, on the north-western side of it,—and extends for about ten miles in the same direction, till we reach Mount Peel. Its width is not so great, being, I should say, from five to eight miles ; but, owing to the broken nature of the country, it is evidently hard to say, especially as there is so much high land TOUR ON THE TABLE-LAND OF MOUNT ARTHUR. 9 allround. This plateau varies from 3600 to 4000 ft. above the sea-level, and is covered with mountain birch, traversed by many singular openings, which support a dense growth of tussock- grass and numerous alpine plants. The mountains easily accessible are Gordon’s Pyramid (4600 ft.), Mount Arthur (5800 ft.), and Mount Peel (5500 ft.). The varying elevations which are traversed in ascending these gives the naturalist a rare opportunity of observing and collecting an extremely interesting series of alpine plants and insects. Respecting the former I can give no information, but feel sure that a visit to the table-land would amply repay any botanist who was not afraid of a little hard work. As to the best means of reaching the table-land, it of course depends entirely upon whether we make Nelson or Motueka the base of operations: in either case a horse and trap is required, but while a whole day’s driving is necessary from Nelson, less than half the time is needed from Motueka to reach the Graham’s River. This is a small branch of the Motueka River, which rises in the Mount Arthur range, and flows into the main stream about fifteen miles above the town. After crossing the Motueka a short distance above the mouth of the Graham a fairly good road takes us to Heath’s, where it is usually con- venient to stop the night before continuing thejourney. Arrange- ments can also be made with Mr. Heath to carry the bulk of one’s impedimenta by pack-horse on to the table-land, which is a great assistance, especially as it is necessary to take provisions for the whole time one intends to remain there, and an abundance of clothing to put on during the cold nights. As soon as the usual hideous stratum of burnt logs, which surrounds almost all cultivation in New Zealand, is passed, the forest becomes extremely beautiful, and the views which one obtains from the back, as it passes up the side of the Graham River, are really very fine. About four hours’ hard climbing from Heath’s brings us to the saddle at an altitude of about 3000 ft. above the sea-level: here the source of the River Pearse is crossed, where several interesting Neuroptera can be captured, a delicate species allied to Hemerobius being one of the most conspicuous. Just before we cross this stream a fine view of Mount Arthur is to be seen through an opening in the trees. From this point the track gradually descends, following the sea of Flora Creek for a matter of ten miles, and passing through dense birch forest all the way. Here on favourable days in January and February may be seen the rare and beautiful Dodonidia helmsii flying quietly about in and out of the sunshine, and settling on the branches just out of reach. I may state that four specimens of this butterfly only have at present been taken, and that the British Museum are much in want of a type; so perhaps visitors to this locality may be good enough to look out for the insect, and obtain one for the National Collection. I 10 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. think it will be found on most of the wooded hills in the Nelson Province between 2500 and 3000 ft., as I took a poor specimen on the Dun Mountain (1885) in quite a different neighbourhood. It is also said to have occurred on the hills on the other side of Wellington Harbour, but I have not seen it. About two miles after we leave the source of the Pearse a small clearing is reached, called Flora Camp, which is a con- venient halting-ground for those who wish to ascend Mount Arthur without visiting the table-land, as a branch track can be followed up shortly after we leave the saddle leading directly on to the mountain. The track along Flora Creek in many places presents a most picturesque appearance, the numerous waterfalls and the gradual increase in the size of the stream being features of especial interest. To an entomologist with a tent and plenty of time no doubt a day would be well spent here collecting Neuroptera over the stream, Micro-Lepidoptera, and sugaring the trees at night for moths. About three miles before we reach the first opening on the table-land the track leaves the bed of Flora Creek, and starts to ascend very rapidly, following the course of a small stream which rises in Salisbury’s Opening, near the first hut that is reached. This hut, however, is now quite unfit to stop in, but there are several others in various parts of the table-land that can be used, and are far warmer than a tent, which is not a sufficient protection against the cold at so great an elevation above the sea-level. Acting on Mr. Meyrick’s suggestion, I took a kerosene-lamp with me to the table-land, and lit up at dusk on the first evening (Jan. 22nd). The night was slightly overcast, with a few drops of rain, and much warmer than usual, the result being that several good moths were captured at the lamp, including three specimens of Leucania propria, several Mamestra rubescens, and a rare Bombyx, besides several Scoparia trivirgata. The next day (Jan. 23rd) I decided to ascend Mount Arthur, and left the hut at 7.30, the weather being everything that could be desired. A few minutes’ walk brought us to the foot of Gordon’s Pyramid, where the track was soon discovered, and followed up until the bush-line is passed at about 4000 ft. I had better, perhaps, mention that this portion of the forest is very rough, and it is most necessary to exercise great care in keeping to the track, which, however, is now well-marked by numerous blazes made during two successive visits. After leaving the forest the vegetation is very rank, consisting of a great variety of alpine plants, tussock, &c. Here, in the hot sunshine, occurred Harmologa sirea in great numbers, in the finest con- dition, flying with much agility, besides large numbers of TOUR ON THE TABLE-LAND OF MOUNT ARTHUR. 11 Notoreas paradelpha, Harmologa latomana, and Tauroscopa gor- gopis. Two specimens of Hrebia pluto were taken on a patch of shingle at about 4200 ft., but this must be regarded as an exceptionally low elevation for the species. On arriving at the top of the Pyramid a long descent is made to reach the Mount Arthur range proper, and it is here that probably the best collecting on the table-land is to be found. Metacrias erichrysa was frequently seen dancing about in the hot sunshine, and extremely difficult to catch. Two other Bombyces were also obtained, which are not yet identified; but any moths belonging to the group are of extreme interest, owing to the singular absence of its members from the fauna of the lowlands in New Zealand. High up, at about 4800 ft., Stathmonyma anceps was found, the dark grey fore wings harmonising admirably with the rocks on which it perches, besides specimens of Orocrambus mylites and catacaustus. These insects occurred up to the extreme top of the mountain, as well as Hrebia plecto, which was very abundant on the shingle-flats above 5000 ft. I must confess that the ascent of the last 800 ft. of the mountain considerably alarmed me, although no doubt the dangers are nothing in the eyes of more experienced climbers. On the top we discovered the names of previous visitors during the half-hour spent there, and noticed numerous speci- mens of Hrebia pluto and E. orocrambus, so 1 am disposed to think that their range of elevation would be considerably more extended on a higher mountain ; but, of course, this is a matter for future observation. Above 5000 ft. the only common plant is a fine wiry grass, which I conjecture is the food-plant of these insects. The discovery of the larva of Hrebia pluto would be of excessive interest, and the insect might probably be reared by anyone who was able to spend two or three months on the table-land, as I think the females would readily lay their eggs in captivity if the young larve could not be found. An accurate record of the times of appearance of these alpine insects would also be extremely valuable, which, of course, could only be obtained by a naturalist residing on the table-land during the whole summer. During the descent numerous stoppages were made to obtain insects, Hrebia pluto continuing extremely abundant until we left the shingle and snow. Lower down a few Coleoptera were obtained by beating spear-grass blossoms, but the Lepidoptera absorbed most of our attention. It was curious to make the acquaintance here of Dasyuris partheniata, a species found on the cliffs above the Hermit’s Cave, Wellington, but nowhere, as far as I know, on the sea-level in the Nelson Province. When the top of Gordon’s Pyramid was again reached at six o’clock, I was startled to see a conspicuous black insect flying about, which 12 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. I felt sure was not Hrebia pluto. On capturing it I at first took it to be Hrebia butleri, but subsequent examination proved that it was not a butterfly at all, but Stathmonyma hectoris. A rapid descent soon took us through the forest, which appeared extremely beautiful in the evening sunshine, and terminated one of the pleasantest days I have ever spent.* (To be continued.) CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS A LIST OF THE VARIETIES OF NOCTUA OCCURRING IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. By J. W. Tort, F.E.S. (Continued from vol. xxii., p. 305.) Apamea, Och., ophiogramma, Esp. The type of this species is represented by Esper’s plate 182, fig. 2, ‘Die Schmetterlinge,’ &c., and may be described as having “The anterior wings yellowish ochreous, with a large, dark-red, somewhat triangular-shaped, costal patch, enclosing the yellowish reniform, and then extending narrowly along the costa to the base; the orbicular obsolete; below this and forming an outline to its lower edge is a yellowish, followed by a slaty, line extending from centre of base to anal angle ; below this line the colour is yellow-ochreous, as is also the outer margin to apex; several dark marks on outer margin. Hind wings grey, with greenish tinge.” Hubner’s figure 855 is “a pale grey-brown ground colour, with a large black costal patch extending from the base, so as to include the dark stigmata ; this patch is outlined in whitish; a pale line parallel to hind margin, a dark patch in the middle of the hind margin, and dark forked (>) mark at the anal angle. Hind wings dark grey, with lunule.” Haworth describes the species under the name of biloba (‘Insecta Britannica,’ p. 209). His description is:—“ Alis griseis fascia abbreviata marginis crassioris subdolabriformi nigra, in qua stigma reniforme griseum.”’ Apamea, Och., leucostigma, Hb. Hiibner twice figured this species,—first under the name of leucostigma (fig. 375), and then a very marked variegated variety, of a bright red colour, under the name of jibrosa (fig. 385). The latter name has been in general use in Britain for this species. Our specimens are very variable, but all are of a dark umber-brown ground colour. ‘There are two very distinct forms occurring in Britain,—one, variegated with paler transverse basal lines, and a broad pale band extending from the apex to the inner margin, just beyond the anal angle, and extending along the inner * Abstract from a paper read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, July 10th, 1889. VARIETIES OF NOCTU& IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 18 margin; the median nervures whitish and branching under the reniform, and with either white or ochreous reniform stigmata, = var. intermedia ;—the other more unicolorous, with the trans- verse markings comparatively obsolete, the reniform either white (= var. albipuncta) or ochreous (= the type). We get nothing in Britain so extreme as Hiibner’s fibrosa; and Guenée, in the ‘Noctuelles,’ vol. v., p. 210, makes the same remark about the French specimens. He also adds that “specimens are found intermediate between jibrosa, Hb., and the unicolorous type.” Hubner’s type may be described as,—“ The anterior wings dark purplish brown, with blackish transverse lines; reniform yellowish. Hind wings purplish grey, with a darker margin.” Mr. Dobrée writes of the Canadian type:—‘“‘ Leucostigma, so far as my specimens permit me to judge, is rather of a bistre- than an umber-brown, and mottled rather than unicolorous”’ (in litt.). Of the type, Dr. Staudinger writes:—‘“‘ Al. ant. unicolor. nigricant. flavo vel albo-maculatis.” Hiibner’s type certainly is not ‘‘ albo- maculatis,” but ‘‘flavo-maculatis.” Mr. Dobrée writes :—* Both forms occur on the Amur, but apparently jibrosa, Hb., the less commonly (Graeser, ‘ Berl. Ent. Zeits.,’ 1888). My specimen of leucostigma from there agrees with Hubner’s type. I have specimens, also from Canada, of both varieties” (tn litt.). The principal varieties are :— a. var. albipuncta, mihi.—Unicolorous purplish brown (like the type), umber-brown or blackish, with faint traces of transverse markings, but with reniform white instead of ochreous. I have taken this form at Greenwich, and have a long series of it, taken by the Rev. G. H. Raynor in Wicken Fen; and Mr. Percy Russ has captured a considerable number of this variety, wth var. intermedia and the type, in the neighbourhood of Sligo. Mr. Collins, of Warrington, takes this form a few miles from that town, together with the type aud var. intermedia. Mr. Reid writes :— “This species is very scarce and local here (Pitcaple, Aberdeen); all those I have taken are referable to var.albipuncta. I have not seen any other forms here” (in litt.). B var. intermedia, mihi.—(1) intermedia-albo.—Anterior wings of a deep umber-brown, with two pale (slightly ochreous) transverse basal lines, and a paler orbicular; reniform white (sometimes reticulated), and standing on a white geminated line (part of median nervure); a pale oblique transverse streak from apex to inner margin, and a pale wavy line parallel to hind margin. (2) intermedia-flavo.—The same as intermedia-albo, but reniform ochreous. I have var. intermedia from Wicken and Sligo; Mr. Collins also takes this variety in the neighbourhood of Warrington. The Irish specimens are particularly bright, but not red, like Hiibner’s fibrosa. y. var. fibrosa, Hb.—Hiibnev’s figure 385, jfibrosa, may be described as, “Anterior wings bright red, with dark greyish outer margin, and darker red around the stigmata; reniform very pale. Hind wings as in leucostigma.” This form may occnr in Britain, but I have nevor seen specimens nor heard of any captures at all resembling it. Mr. Dobrée writes:—“ The jfibrosa from Canada are of a more generally sombre colouring, but otherwise similarly marked to the European ones” (én litt.). 14 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. A SUMMER’S MOTHING ON DARTMOOR. By Masor Joun N. Strut. Ir seems surprising that so few people know anything of this most lovely and interesting part of the couatry. Unique in itself Dartmoor possesses very many advantages over other summer resorts: the air has been described as the purest and strongest in England. Its Tors, of which the highest is Yes Tor (2050 ft.), and the immense extent of the moor, give the visitor that sense of freedom which is only felt in mountainous districts. To the antiquary, naturalist, botanist, and entomologist, Dartmoor will always be interesting, and, as a humble collector of Lepidoptera, I give my experience of collecting, and a list of the captures [ made during the past summer on the Moor, at from 700 to 2000 feet above the sea. _ During the wet weather which prevailed the latter part of April, 1889, I only took Xylocampa areola (lithoriza). On the Ist of May I got some specimens of Lobophora carpinata (lobu- lata), and, after another spell of wet, Melanippe galiata, Coremia ferrugata, C. unidentata, C. designata, and Rumia luteolata. During the end of the month Tephrosia crepuscularia was nume- rous in the fir woods, and I took also Venilia macularia, Odonto- pera bidentata (abundant), Tephrosia punctulata, Bapta temerata, and Hepialus humuli (abundant). Sugar was of little use, and, although I sugared from April to November almost continually, I found it very unproductive till late in September. I took Eupithecia lariciata, H. subfulvata, EH. nanata, Macaria hturata, Adela cuprella, and C. viridella. When I first came to the neighbourhood my expectations were raised to the utmost by hearing wonderful accounts of the swarms of moths attracted by rhododendron blooms, and of the good collection made in 1888 over the same ground. This year, although we had masses of rhododendrons in bloom, they pro- duced next to nothing. During June honeydew reigned supreme, and literally covered every tree, plant, and shrub. I worked the rhododendrons at and after dusk, and only took the following :— Xylophasia rurea, Hadena rectilinea, Cucullia umbratica, Cherocampa porcellus, and Dianthecia cucubali. By day, Eubolia palumbaria, Ema- turga atomaria, and Tanagra atrata were abundant. JI also secured Thera Jirmata, Cidaria corylata, Emmelesia albulata, E. unifasciata, Melanippe fluctuata, Anticlea rubidata, Melanthia albicillata, Cidaria associata, C. dotata, Lomaspilis marginata, Boarmia repandata, Asthena candidata, Botys ruralis, Angerona prunaria, Pseudoterpna pruinata, Iodis lactearia, and tae pretty China-mark, Hydrocampa stagnata. The extremely hot weather in June enabled me to use light with advantage, and up to the end of July I captured the fol- lowing at light :— A SUMMER'S MOTHING ON DARTMOOR, 15 Gonoptera libatrix, Noctua triangulum, N. festiva, N. baja, N. xantho- grapha, N. brunnea, Agrotis exclamationis, A. porphyrea, Axylia putris, Hecatera serena, Mamestra brassice, Hadena oleracea, H. pisi, Leucania conigera, L. lithargyria, L. pallens, L. comma, Apamea basilinea, A. didyma, Mamestra sordida, Rusina tenebrosa, Spilosoma menthastri, S. lubri- cipeda, Dianthecia capsincola, Caradrina quadripuncta, C.taraxaci, Plusia chrysitis, P. gamma, P. pulchrina, Crocallis elinguaria, Grammesia tri- grammica, Phalera bucephala, Habrostola tripartita, Calymnia trapezina, Arctia caia, Smerinthus populi, Sphinx ligustri, Cidaria suffumata, Mela- nippe unangulata, Cleora lichenaria, Kucosmia undulata, Metrocampa margaritaria, Abraxas grossulariata, and some magnificent specimens of Geometra papilionaria and Ellopia prosapiaria. Sugar and other means yielded the following :—Aplecta nebulosa, Nemeophila plantaginis, Selenia bilunaria, Callimorpha dominula, Acronycta tridens, Halia vauaria, Acidalia straminata, A. aversata, Thyatira batis, Hydrecia nictitans, Mania typica, Miana strigilis, Hubolia limitata, Pericallia syringaria, Uropteryx sambu- caria, Melanippe sociata, Hypsipetes sordidata, Emmelesia affnitata, Triphana fimbria, T. ianthina, T, pronuba, T. comes, Acronycta rumicis, and A, ligustri. The wild unsettled weather from the 1st to the middle of August rendered mothing impossible. I took Gnophos obscurata by day, and Polia chi, which swarmed at sugar. On the 17th I captured one of the best moths I got, viz., Stilbia anomala, and afterwards took fourteen specimens, mostly at dusk, flying over long grass; also Cidaria miata and C. siterata. Light continued to answer until the end of this month, and I secured by its means a fine series of Newronia popularis, Luperina cespitis, and LL. testacea. Also Noctua neglecta, Hydrecia micacea, Cilix glaucata, Sphinz convolvul, Hpione apiciaria, Eugonia alniaria, and the inhabitant of humble-bees’ nests, Aphomia sociella. August sugaring gave me Amphipyra tragopogonis, A. pyramidea, Noctua c-nigrum, N. plecta, Xanthia fulvago and X. flavago. I took Pelurga comitata and Anaitis plagiata. In September I captured Hugonia quercinaria. Sugar now seemed to improve; there were many more moths on it, and from this date to the end of October I took at it Hadena protea, Agrotis suffusa, A. saucia, A. segetum, Hpunda nigra, Xylina socia, X. ornithopus, Anchocelis lunosa, A. pistacina, A. rujfina, Agriopis aprilina, Miselia oxyacanthe, Oporina croceago, Scopelo- soma satellitia, and Calocampa exoleta. In conclusion, it cannot be expected that 700 feet above sea- level can be so prolific as lower ground, and no doubt want of knowledge caused me to overlook many species; but I would strongly recommend any entomologist wishing for fine air and scenery, combined with collecting, to try asummer on Dartmoor. Langstone, Horrabridge, Nov. 12, 1889. 16 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES, CAPTURES, &c. RwopatoceRA Britannica.—Messrs. John T. Carrington and F. W Frohawk intimate that they are about to produce, under this title, a new and carefully prepared monograph of the British butterflies, which will be very fully illustrated by coloured and plain plates, giving life-histories of every species drawn from living ova, larve, pupz and imagines. The authors state that they have already a large amount of material in hand, but invite the assistance of the readers of the ‘ Entomologist,’ by requesting loan of specimens for figuring, and local lists of species with notes. Further particulars are to be duly announced. Communications should be addressed, “Joon T. CARRINGTON, ‘ Field’ Office, Strand, London, W.C.” CoLtas EDUSA IN 1889.—Additional records of captures are :— Lancashire.—A good many specimens have been taken in this district during August and September.— G. PopmorE; Charney Hall, Grange- over-Sands, October 25, 1889. Staffordshire. —Two specimens were noticed at Bar Hill, in the parish of Madeley, by Mr. F. W. Dutton, of Newcastle-under-Lyme, when out partridge-shooting in September. Mr. Dutton was formerly a collector, and he therefore could not be mistaken. —(Rev.) THos. W. Datrry; Madeley Vicarage, Staffs. Shropshire.—On the occasion of an excursion of the North Stafford- shire Naturalists’ Field Club and Archeological Society to Hawkstone, Lord Hill’s seat in Salop,—on Sept. 12th, I saw a male specimen of C. edusa, caught by a young man who was out with the Club, in the park at Hawkstone.—( Rev.) THos. W. Datrry; Madeley Vicarage, Staffs. Hants.—Last season Colias edusa was fairly numerous at Gosport, Mr. Larcon meeting with eight one day at Hillhead, and others were reported, —also seen by myself,—from Stokes Bay and other places on the Solent.— W. T. Pearce; 111, High Street, Gosport. Devonshire. During “the second week in August my father took five males and one female of this species, on a railway-bank at Dawlish, and saw several others.—C. Nichoison; 202, Hvering Road, Upper Clapton, London, N.E. EPINEPHELE TITHONUS VAR.—In August I caught eight specimens of E. tithonus, seven females and one male, each having two additional eye- spots on the upper wings. They are all more or less injured (vide Entom. xxii. 8306). I think they must be sought for earlier in the season. — M. CraskE ; Newacott, Bridgerule, Holsworthy, Devon, December 7, 1889. ACHERONTIA ATROPOS IN 1889.—The following records of the occur- rence of Acherontia atropos during last year, have been received :— Yorkshire.—At the close of the month of August, we met with a batch of the larve of the death’s-head moth at Hornsea. They were feeding on the so-called “ tea-tree” (Lycium barbarum), one of the Solanacee. We got a dozen that were nearly full-fed. These were placed, with their food- plant, under a garden bell-glass, where they continued to feed for a week on the leaves of the tea-tree, the branches of which they soon stripped of their foliage. Another change, and they gradually began to make their way into the soil, burrowing down several inches, and forming an earthen NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. Le case wherein to pupate. ‘The case, I may remark, was made up of minute granules of earth and sand, with a few tiny stones intermixed; but I could find no flossy material, even under a strong lens. Herein they remained, apparently quiescent, till the 7th of November, when the first moth emerged from its pupal garments, and in half an hour, or a little more, the wings were fairly expanded, and assumed their full proportions. Livery other afternoon the moths have put in an appearance, till the number has nearly equalled the number we originally got. Among the batch are only three cripples, and one pupa that is lively but has not yet emerged. Of the dozen caterpillars, seven were brownish olive, with the anterior segments, as Stainton remarks, white, the white being well defined and conspicuous. I must leave it to students of colour-varieties to tell us how such dis- crepancies arise. Food cannot be the cause, since all fed alike. Again, some moths have the skull-like mark on the thorax white, and some dusky. Kaltenbach tells us that the larva on the Continent feeds on the potato, thornapple, jasmine and mock-orange (Philadelphus). Prof. Hessner has noticed several caterpillars feeding on the trumpet-flower (Catalpa).— PETER IncHBALD ; Hornsea, Holderness, November 20, 1889. Cheshire-—A full-fed larva was sent in here on the 7th of September last; it was taken in a potato-field near Frodsham, and I have a second record from Manley, a neighbouring village near Delamere Forest.—R. NewstTEeapD ; Curator, Grosvenor Museum, Chester. Norfolk.—In September last larvee were very common at Ingoldisthorpe and the surrounding district. — R. Newsrmap; Curator, Grosvenor Museum, Chester, October 17, 1889. Sussex.— On August 6th I had brought to me two full-fed larve of Acherontia uatropos. They were found in a potato-field at Pevensey Sluice, about three miles from here. I put them into a box partly filled with earth, and the next day they had both buried themselves. There were several others found in the same locality, but these were destroyed.— Tuomas Howe; 38, Royal Terrace, Devonshire Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, November 10, 1889. Hants.—The autumn of 1885 was in the Portsmouth district, as in many other parts of the country, remarkable for the number of specimens of Acherontia atropos, which were taken in all stages. ‘Three imagines were found in the grounds of the Free Library ; upwards of 170 larvee and pup were obtained by Mr. R. Stent, from the Portsmouth potato-diggers ; and more than 50 larvee and pupz were obtained by myself, from the diggers at Gosport. Of the pups which I obtained I tried to force 14, by keeping them in damp sawdust in a biscuit tin, on a very warm shelf in the shop. By Christmas 10 imagines had emerged, but the sides of the tin being too smooth, they could not crawl up, and falling on their backs, in their struggles to recover they tore their wings with their sharp claws, so that I only obtained three perfect specimens. Mr. Stent was not so successful with those he experimented upon. From October, 1885, until August of the present year, the insect disappeared altogether. At the end of last August, two full-fed larvee were brought to me at Gosport. These I at once placed in a tin as before, but took the precaution to line the sides with thin rough wood. Tarly in September a pupa was brought to me by a potato-digger, and placed with the others. I was not able to obtain any more. A male emerged on October 21st, a fine female on October 22nd, and another female on November 17th; all three in perfect condition, and ENTOM,—JAN. 1890, Cc 18 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. their stridulating powers well developed—W. T. Pearce; 111, High Street, Gosport, November 20, 1889. Tsle of Wight.—Acherentia atropos was by no means uncommon here in September, when larve and pupze were found singly scattered over a considerable area.—ALBERT J. HopeEs. Dorsetshire—On 10th August last, I received by post a larva of Acherontia atropos, which was found feeding on vegetable-marrow in a nursery-garden at Blandford. It immediately pupated, and the perfect insect emerged and fully expanded on 18th October.—C. B. Smite; 58, Rectory Road, Stoke Newington, N. SPHINX CONVOLVULI iN 1889.—The following additional records have been received :— Co. Cork.—This Sphinx-moth was very common at Glandore this autumn, previously the capture of two or three only having come under my notice. J saw and captured about eighteen, all visiting the flowers of Nicotiana affinis. Every favourable evening in September a couple of these fine moths flew over the favoured plants, making a loud buzzing sound in their quick flight. — C. Donovan; Westview, Glandore, October 23, 1889. _ Laneashire.—I took four S.convolvuli this year, on a patch of Nicotiana affinis in my garden, the dates being Augt. 24th, 29th, Sept. 8th, 13th.— G. PopmoreE ; Charney, Hall, Grange-over-Sands, October 25, 1889. Isle of Wight.—I can add two captures of 8. convolvuli to your list, which specimens came to petunia bloom on Sept. 11th and 12th last.— ALBERT J. HopeEs. DEILEPHILA EUPHORBIZ.—This very rare insect in Britain has this year re-appeared. A young friend, this autumn, came upon thirteen nearly full-fed larve, feeding upon Huphorbia paralis. They all very shortly after capture pupated, though three of them died in the process. The remaining ten are at the present moment healthy pup in my possession. I believe it is now many years ago since the larve of D. euphorbie were last taken in this country. The above are British beyond all doubt.— (Rev.) J. Seymour Sr. Joun; 42, Castlewood Road, Stamford Hill, N., ‘November 22, 1889. SMERINTHUS POPULI, RAPID DEVELOPMENT oF.—It may be of interest to note that a young friend of mine, living near London, has bred several specimens of the above in August last, from ova laid two months before.— J. M. ApyE; November 20th, 1889.—I found a full-fed larva of S. popult at Southsea, on July 14th, which pupated and appeared as a moth on the 14th August.—W. T. Pearce; 111, High Street, Gosport. SMERINTHUS TILIZ: MALES ASSEMBLING. — Last year, I again, in Surrey, took about a dozen S. tilig, assembling round a captive female.— Harry M. Seu; 4, St. Paul’s Close, Walsall. Parasites oF Bombyx Rubi. — When preserving some of the larve of Bombyx rubt, I came to an unusually fine specimen and which to all appearance looked as healthy as the others. Upon emptying it I found that it was completely filled with nearly full-grown ichneumon larve. These I found, upon preserving them in spirits, to number fifty-six. This, I think, is an exceedingly high number to be enclosed in one larva. — A. Lionet CiarKe; Barton, Gloucester, NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 19 EPIONE PARALLELARIA VAR.—Whilst collecting Lepidoptera early in July, 1889, a short distance from York, I had the good fortune to take the very rare variety of the extremely local EL. paralleiaria (vespertaria), along with several type specimens. ‘The variety is of a dark uniform brick-red colour, and has the usual dark border.—Wittiam Hewerr; 3, Wilton Terrace, Fulford Road, York, October 20, 1889. [This variety is more commonly bred than captured; some years not unfrequently.—ED.]. METROCAMPA MARGARITARIA vAR. — On July 29th, 1889, I bred a beautiful variety of this elegant species, with all the cilia pale red, which seems to be a continuation of the red streak at the apex of the fore wings. The cilia thus coloured adds much to the beauty of the insect. — R. NrwstrEeap; Grosvenor Museum, Chester. OpDONTOPERA BIDENTATA VAR.—I took a fine variety of O. bidentata on the 18th May last, which is perfectly black all over. — Harry M. Sen; 4, St. Paul’s Close, Walsall. IRREGULAR EMERGENCE oF LepipoprEra. —I obtained some ova of Nemeophila russula in 1889, which hatched in due course. Two of the larvee fed up rapidly, pupated, and became perfect insects on the 2nd September. ‘The remainder are now about half grown, and are behaving as might be expected from them. Broods of Melanthia ocellata and Euplewia lucipara have acted in a similar manner; and of two pupe of Notodonta ziczac, one has already emerged, but not the other. —C. Nicuorson ; 202, Evering Road, Upper Clapton, N.E. CotoraDo Enromotocy.—In Entom. xxi., pp. 298—805, I gave an account of some entomological explorations in Hastern Custer Co., and S.W. Pueblo Co., Colorado, enumerating the species taken, so far as then identified. In Entom. xxii. Iadded three Hymenoptera to the list. Since then I have obtained the names of various other species taken, which I quote below, as a further contribution to the fauna of this interesting region. For identifications [ am indebted to Prof. A. S. Packard, Dr. G. H. Horn, Dr. John Hamilton, Lord Walsingham, and Mr. W. H. Edwards. (1.) E. Custer Co. :—Saprinus sph@eroides, Lec., Coccinella 9-wotata, Hbst., Epurea papagona, Listrus senilis, Lec., Desmaris constrictus, Smicronya fulvus, Papilio asterias, Fab., Pyrgus tesselata, Scudd., Pamphila nevada, Seudd. (2.) S.W. Pueblo Co.:—Dendroctonus terebrans, Amara fallax, Lec., Badister obtusus, Diplotawis heydeni, Serica curvata, Lec., Diabrotica atripennis, Ditylus obscurus, Tomicus pini, Say, Tachyporus jocosus, Say, Crocota brevicornis, Walker, Tolype, n.sp., Pedisca dorsisiynatana, Clem., Psecadia dicostrigella, Cham., Epyris monticola, Ashm., n.sp.—T. D. A. CockERELL; West Cliff, Custer Co., Colorado, October 19, 1889. Nores rrom Nuw Zearanp.—We have again been favoured with an unusually fine winter in New Zealand, as the following notes on insects observed during August and September will sufficiently show, seeing that these two months are the equivalents of February and March in kurope, On July 31st my brother saw the first hybernated specimen of Vanessa gonerilla,andon Aug. 18th they were very abundant in the Botanical Gardens, as well as Ichneumon mediator and several Diptera. On Aug. 21st I found a large number of the full-grown larvae of Nyctemera annulata ou the New Zealand groundsel (Senecio bellidioides), but saw no perfect insects. I also 20 THE ENTOMOLOGISY. opened a nest of Formica zealandica, which contained large numbers of winged males and females, so that I conclude this species takes its conjugal flight in the spring, whilst that of Atta antarctica occurs in the autumn. On August 29th and 31st I was engaged in collecting Coleoptera, and, besides taking several of the Pselaphid@, succeeded in obtaining four or five specimens of Otiorhynchus sulcatus, a somewhat uncommon species in New Zealand. September has been a warm wet month. The commonest species of Lepidoptera was Pasiphila bilineolata ?, of which I managed to obtain a good series, and hope, with the assistance of Mr. Meyrick, to be able at last to rescue that unfortunate insect from the chaotic condition in which it has so long been involved. Sept. 22nd was a lovely spring day, and on visiting an old locality, where I have collected at least weekly for upwards of seven years, I was astonished to meet with Vanessa otea, a species hitherto _ only recorded from localities as far north as Napier and New Plymouth. I also saw many hybernated specimens of Vanessa cardut, so it appears likely that we are again to be favoured with this interesting species in unusual numbers. I should also mention that during the last week in September, a young friend of mine captured two male specimens of Charagia virescens at a shop window in Palmerston North, attracted by the light. It will therefore, perhaps, be necessary to somewhat modify the statement in my former paper as to the rarity of that species in the imago state (Hntom. Feb. 1885). In one of these specimens the white spots on the forewings _are slightly larger than usual, almost forming a continuous band from the costa to the inner margin of the wing. ‘The other is typical.—G. V. Hupson ; Wellington, New Zealand, October 3, 1889. HyDRADEPHAGA NEAR Lonpon. — My search for aquatic beetles in a pond near Tottenham during the present month, resulted in the capture of nineteen specimens of Hydrophilus piceus, sixteen of which were perfect. The elytra of one were somewhat deformed, so I returned it to its hauuts. Dytiscus marginalis was also very plentiful there. The pond was large and deep, but the beetles were amongst the weeds near the surface and about three or four feet from the edge of the pond. Near Stamford Hill, about the same time, I also got Dytiseus circumfleaus (2), D. punctulatus, and Hydrous caraboides. With HH. piceus were also four nice specimens of Ranatra linearis.—F. Mitton; 164, Stamford Hill, N., Nov. 20. New Views oN THE suBOoRDER Homoprera. — Burmeister says truly, ‘‘a system can only separate and connect where Nature itself has marked separation and connection.” I will not involve myself in a discussion as to the sharp and natural distinctions between suborders and families. As Mr. Distant (Entom. xxii. 360) seems to be clear in his mind on this point, I, in company with others, should value his definitions, or those, indeed, of any one competent to give them. Species, for practical purposes, are natural facts. Families are inferences from facts, which is a very different thing. I now gather that “les Cigalles Muettes,” of Latreille, including the Fulgorine, Cercopine, Jassine, &c., are neither Cicade nor Cicadidee, but that they range as equally distinct groups with Aphis, Coccus, and Psylla. But [ suggest that the authorities of great names (the pioneers of Zoology) are not to be dismissed simply because they seem to be not “modern.” My critic ‘ knows no silent Cicadide.” How- ever, under one or more of the following terms,—Cicade, Cicadarie, Cica- didee, Cicadinee, Cicadellide, Cicadinen, and Cicadelles,—Les Muettes are SOCIETIES. 91 grouped by Linneus, Fabricius, Schrank, Germar, Burmeister, Fallen, Kirschbaum, Sahlberg, Fieber, Walker, Edwards, and Scudder. The author of this note finds himself in good company as to the choice of a title to his forthcoming illustrations of this group of insects. Dr. F. Zavier Fieber published his ‘ Katalog. d. Kuropeischen Cicadinen ’ (embracing the Fulgoride, &c.) in 1872. The posthumous papers of this “grand hémipteériste ” were edited by M. Reiber, assisted by Messrs. Puton and Lethierry, in 1875. Dr. Stal dedicated his fourth volume of ‘ Hémiptéres ’ to his friend Dr. Fieber in 1866. I fail to see why the author of 1875 is to be dismissed as an authority on Kuropean Cicadine, as being the least modern of the two. A friend proposes the names Stridulantes and Silentes, instead of the neuter names Stridulantia and Silentia, as inserted in my sketch-plan ; they seem to be better.—G. B. Bucxron. More Notes rrom tar New Forest.—I can corroborate Mr. Blaber’s remarks (Entom. 261), as to the general scarcity of Lepidoptera, and the complete failure of “sugar ” at Lyndhurst in 1889. I went there on the 25th June and stayed till the 10th July. The first ten days were all that could be desired as far as the weather was concerned, but after that rain set in, and, I believe, continued intermittently till the middle of August. Of Diurni, Lycena @gon was common and in splendid condition, but, as usual, rather local. Of ZL. tcarus I did not see a single specimen, and only one Thecla quercus. My experience, however, does not coincide with Mr. Blaber’s as regards Argynnis paphia. I only saw a few males at first, but both sexes became very abundant towards the end of my stay. Of the variety valesina I saw two, one of which I took. I hear they have been rather common there this season. A. adippe was fairly common, but I only took one aglaia. Limenitis sibylla was by no means scarce, as I frequently saw two or three at once. ‘The Pieridee were conspicuous by their almost total absence. Hpinephele ianira and E. hyperanthes were extremely abundant, as usual. HH. tithonus and Hesperia thaumas (linea) were just coming out, though HZ. sylvanus wascommon. I was too early for Vanessa to, V. atalanta, Pararge megara, and Gonopteryx rhamni, though a few hybernated specimens of the latter were still to be seen. Of Melanargia galatea I took five specimens in an enclosure near the station. Of moths, Nemeophila russula was not uncommon on the heaths; but night-flying moths were remarkably scarce, especially Noctue. Larentia pectinitaria, Melanippe montanata, and Acidalia remutata, seemed to be the principal things, and Tortrix viridana was a perfect pest, when flying, from its knack of looking like any other insect but itself. I noticed that the trees did not present such a miserable appearance as they did last year, which was, perhaps, on account of the comparative scarcity of larve.—- C. Nicworson; 202, Evering Road, Upper Clapton, N.L. ErratumM.—Entom. December, 1889, in Mr. Bignell’s communication, page 306, lines 5 and 7 from foot, for Trogus ewaltorius read T. exaltatorius. SOCIETIES. Extomonocican Socisty or Lonpon. — December 4th, 1889. — The Right Hon. Lord Walsingham, M.A., F.R.S., President, in the chair. Prof. Franz Klapalek, of the Zoological Department, Royal Museum, Prague, was elected a Fellow of the Society. Mr. W. L. Distant 99 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. exhibited, on behalf of Mr. Lionel de Nicéville, a branch of a walnut tree, on which was a mass of eggs laid by a butterfly belonging to the Lycznide. He also exhibited two specimens of this butterfly which Mr. de Nicévilla had referred to a new genus and described as Chetoprocta odata. ‘The species was said to occur only in the mourtainous districts of North-West India, at elevations of 5000 to 10,000 feet above the sea-level. Dr. D. Sharp exhibited the eggs of Piezosternum subulatum, Thunb., a bug from South America. These eggs were taken from the interior of a specimen which had been allowed to putrefy before being mounted. Although the body of the parent had completely rotted away, the eggs were in a perfect state of preservation, and the cellular condition of the yelk was very con- spicuous. Dr. Sharp also exhibited a specimen of Pecilochroma lewisit, Dist., a Pentatomid bug from Japan of a dull green colour, which when damped with water becomes almost instantly of a metallic copper colour. Mr. J. H. Leech exhibited a large number of Lepidoptera recently collected for him by Mr. Pratt in the neighbourhood of Ichang, Central China. The collection included about fifty-four new species of butterflies and thirty-five new species of moths. Capt. Elwes observed that he noticed only two genera in this collection which did not occur at Sikkim, and that the similarity of the insect fauna of the two regions was very remarkable. He added that about fifteen years ago, in a paper “On the Birds of Asia,” he had called attention to the similarity of species inhabiting the mountain ranges of India, China, and Java.. Mr. M‘Lachlan remarked that he had lately received a species of dragonfly from Simla which had previously only been recorded from Pekin. Mr. Distant said he had lately had a species of Cicada from Hongkong, which had hitherto been supposed to be confined to Java. Mr. W. H. B. Fletcher exhibited a preserved specimen of a variety of the larva of Sphinw ligustri, taken in a wood near Arundel, Sussex. Mr. W. White asked if the larva was normal in its early stage ; he also exhibited drawings of the larve of this species, and called especial attention to one of a variety that had been exhibited at a previous meeting ‘by Lord Walsingham. Mr. F. D. Godman read a long letter from Mr. Herbert Smith, containing an account of the Hymenoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, and Coleoptera he had recently collected in St. Vincent, where he was employed under the direction of a Committee of the Royal Society, appointed to investigate the Natural History of the West Indies. A dis- cussion fol'owed, in which Dr. Sharp, Capt. Elwes, Lord Walsinghim, and Mr. M‘Lachlan took part. Capt. Elwes read a letter from Mr. Doherty, in which the writer described his experiences in collecting insects in the Naga Hills by means of light and sugar. Mr. Doherty expressed an opinion that light, if used in very out-of-the-way places, rather repelled than attracted insects; in fact that they required to be accustomed to it, and that the same remarks applied to “sugar.” Colonel Swinhoe said that the attractive power of light depended very much on its intensity, and on the height of the light above the ground. By means of the electric light in Bombay he had collected more than 800 specimens of Sphingide in one night. Mr. J. J. Walker, R.N., stated that he had found the electric light very attractive to insects in Panama. Mr. M‘Lachlan, Dr. Sharp, Mr. Leech, Capt, Elwes, the Rev. Canon Fowler, Mr. A. J. lose, and others continued the discussion. Mr. Lionel de Nicéville communicated a paper entitled “* Notes on a new genus of Lycenide.” Mr. F. Merrifield read a paper entitled “Systematic temperature experiments on some SOCIETIES. 93 Lepidoptera in all their stages,” and exhibited a number of specimens in illustration. The author stated that the darkness of colour and the mark- ings in Hnnomos autumnaria resulted from the pupe being subjected to a very low temperature. In the case of Selenia illustraria, exposing the pupe to a low temperature had not only affected the colour of the imagos, but had altered the markings in a striking manner. Lord Walsingham ob- served that it appeared that exposure to cold in the pupa-state produced a darker colour in the imago, aud that forcing in that stage had an opposite effect; that insects subjected to glacial conditions probably derived some advantage from the development of dark or suffused colouring, and that this advantage was, in all probability, the more rapid absorption of heat. He said he believed that an hereditary tendency in favour of the darker forms was established under glacial conditions, and that this would account for the prevalence of melanie forms in northern latitudes and at high elevations. Capt. Elwes, Mr. Jenner Weir, Dr. Sharp, and others con- tinued the discussion.—H. Goss, & W. W. Fowier, Hon. Secs. Tue Soute Lonpon Enromonocican anpD Natura History Sociery. —November 14th, 1889.—T. R. Billups, F.E.S., President, in the chair. Messrs. EK. H. R. Hillsworth, of Forest Gate; TI. Hudson, of Battersea; M. Farrant, of Pimlico; and J. A. Revell, of Stoke Newing- ton, were elected Members. Mr. Jager exhibited Dianthwcia irregu- laris, Agrophila trabealis, and Neuria reticulata, from near Brandon, Suffolk; also Agrotis ripe, bred from larve taken in §. Wales; and read notes with reference to rearing this species. He said the larve required about three feet of sand in which to hybernate, although they pupated just below the surface. He had not found the larve cannibals, although they were frequently stated to be so. Mr. Tugwell, strongly divergent forms of Agrotis tritici and A. cursoria, from Hnglish, Irish and Scotch localities. Mr. Adye, varieties of Anchocelis lunosa taken at Christchurch. Mr. Wellman, a specimen of Nemeophila plantaginis var. hospita, taken in Yorkshire, 1860. Mr. Tutt, a drawer of Gnophos obscuraria from many localities, arranged to show its range of variation. Mr. R. Adkin, Gnophos obscuraria from Folkestone, Eastbourne, and Lewes; and long and varied series of on Bee, Thomas Howe, 17; in Hants, W. T. Pearce, a i in Isle of Wight, A. J. Hodges, 18; in Dorsetshire, C. B, Smith, 18. é. hinx convolvuli in 1889 :—In . Cork; C. Donovan, 18; in Lancashire, Podmore, 18; in Isle of Wight, ‘Albert d. Hodges, 18. Deilephila euphorbie, Rev. J. Seymour St. John, 18. Smerinthus opuli, rapid development of, aoa J. M. Adye, W. T. Pearce, 18. Smerinthus tilie: Males assembling, Har M. See, 18. Parasites of Bombyx rubi, A. Lionel Olar ke, 18. Epione paral- lelaria var., W. Hewett, 19. Metrocampa margaritaria var., R. Newstead, 19. peptone bidentata var., H. M. See, 19. ane emergence of Lepidoptera, — C. Nicholson, 19. Colorado Entomology, T. D. A. Cockerell, 19. . Notes from — New Zealand, G. V. Hudson, 19. Hy: madeph aga near London, F’. Milton, 20. New Views on the suborder Homoptera, @. B. Buckton, 20. More Notes Sy from the New Forest, C. Nicholson, 21. = Socrerms .—Entomological Society of London, H. Goss and W. W. Fowler, an South London ee ical and Natural History Society, H. W. Barker, 23. Revirws.— Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club,’ 24. ‘The Butterfly, i its Life-history and Attril utes,’ by J. Studland, 24. Communications unavoidably stand over from Messrs. W. H. Bath, W. He Bennett, F. W. Frohawk, G. V. Hudson, Miss M. Kimber, C. Partridge, G. L Pratten, J. W. Tutt, and. others. Supscriprions for 1890, Srx SmrtiNes, are now due, and may be sent to West, Newman & Co., 54, Hatton Garden. sa es aie Subscribers receive all Double Numbers re ‘THOMAS COOKE & SON, Naturalists, Dealers in Entomological Appaiine be oa (Late of 518, NEW OXFORD STREET), — oo o8 MUSEUM STREET, OXFORD STREET, W.c JAMES GARDNER, _ MANUFACTURER of ALL KINDS of ENTOMOLOGICAL APPARATUS, 29 (late 426), OXFORD STREET (Nearly opposite Tottenham Court Road). ‘s PRICED LISTS ON APPLICATION. an Articles Guaranteed ; exchanged if not approved of. Peiands and Cosham ; are requested to note the Bader, as mistakes occur daily. waer, NEWMAN AND ee PRINTERS. oe HATTON GARDEN, LONDON. E.C. ap oo | FEBRUARY, 1690, Mllusteated Yournal GENERAL ENTOMOLOGY. EDITED BY RICHARD SOUTH, F.E.S. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF | T. R. BILLUPS, F.E.S. — | Dr. D. SHARP, F.Z.S., F.E.S., &o. W. LUCAS DISTANT, F.E.S., &c. | G. H. VERRALL, F-.E.S. EDWARD A. FITCH, F.L.S.,F.E.S. | W. WARREN, M.A., F.E.8. MARTIN JACOBY, F.E.S. | eaee ie Ly WEIR, F.L.S., F.Z.8., F.E.S. J. H. LEECH, B.A., F.L.S., F.E.8. | F.B. WHITE, M.D., F.LS., F.E.S. “ By mutual confidence and mutual aid Great deeds are done and great discoveries made.” LONDON: WEST, NEWMAN & CO., Ay. HATTON ean Price Sixpence. KE. G. MEEK, Naturalist, | 56, BROMPTON ROAD, SW, Supplies Entomolo ost with every requisite :—Steel Kunckle-jointed Net, 4s, 6d. ‘i - Self-acting Umbre with brass screw, 28. Pocket Folding Net, four brass joints, 4s. 6d. Balloon Net, a 26 by 18, for pees 6s. Telescope Nets 6s., 88. 6d., 10s. 6d. Self-acting Net, 7s. 6d. Ladies’ Umbrella Net, 5s. Wire Ring Net, | Sweeping Net, 8s. The new Beating Tray for ee Larve, &c., 158. . Pocket Larva Boxes, 6d., 1s., 1s. 6d., 2s., and 3s. Sugaring Tin, with brush affixed, 2s. 6d. and 3s. 6d. "Relaxing Box, 2s. 6d. iitine ox, 9d. and 1s. Bottle of K Fluid, 94. Corked Setting Boards, 6d., 74., ed. 9d.,10d., 11d., 1s.,18.9d., 1g. 4d., Is. 6d., 1s. 8d., 1s. 10d., and 2s. 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ATURAL HISTORY AND SCIENTIFIC BOOK CIRCULAR: No. 98.—Contents; | Mammalia; including Cetacea, Sirenia and Pinnipedia. Ornithology ; including _ Eggs and Nests. Faunas of Britain, the Continents of Europe, Africa, America, Asia, Australasia. Zoological Voyages and Be Works. Price 6d. . FLORIDA. a INTEND collecting during the season LEPIDOPTERA and COLEOPTERA, . a few of other orders, in the Southern States. Parties wishing good | eae of any order, please write. T, PRIDDEY, 42, Ginpersiueve Ave, Toronro, CANADA. — NB. —A few good specimens of CANADIAN LEPIDOPTERA & COLEOPTERA | for Sale ; about 200, English set, and perfect. 45s., free. ae t Box, 6d., 1s., and 1s. 6d. Postal Box, 6d. THE ENTOMOLOGIST. Vou. XXIIT.] FEBRUARY, 1890. [No. 321. EDITORIAL NOTICE. Ir is with great pleasure I have to announce that the Reference Committee of the ‘ Entomologist’ will henceforth be increased and strengthened by the addition thereto of Mr. Wm. Lucas Distant, F.E.S., &c.; Mr. Marriy Jacopy, F.E.8.; Mr. Jonn Henry Leecn, B.A., F.L.S., F.E.S., &¢.; Dr. Davin Suarp, F.Z.S., F.E.S., &c.; Mr. G. H. Verraut, F.E.S.; and Mr. W. Warren, M.A., F.E.S. All these gentlemen are so well known as authorities in their par- ticular fields of biological research that it is unnecessary for me to say another word on introducing them to the readers of the ‘ Entomo- logist.’ As Editor, however, of this magazine, I desire to tender them my very sincere thanks for so kindly according me their valuable aid. In discharging the duties of my new position it is a deeply-felt gratification to me to know that I retain the confidence and shall have the esteemed assistance of my former colleagues, Messrs. Bruups, Fircu, Jenner Wer, and Dr. Bucnanan Wurtz. I take this occasion to express my gratitude to these gentlemen for their support. As regards the programme of the ‘ Entomologist,’ it is not pro- posed to depart very materially from the lines upon which this magazine has so far been successfully conducted. As hitherto, papers, notes, &c., dealing with the insect-fauna of the British Islands will be primarily considered ; but to be in touch with the requirements of a not inconsiderable section of British entomologists, articles, by English and foreign authors, on insects of all Orders, from various parts of the world, will appear more frequently. Additional pages will be given when lengthy faunistic papers are published. Ricuarp Soutu. ENTOM.—FEB. 1890. D Y() THE ENTOMOLOGIST. NEW SPECIES OF LEPIDOPTERA FROM CHINA. By J. H. Lesca, B.A., F.Z.S., &c. Tue following are the descriptions of some of the more important of the new species captured by Mr. Pratt, who collected for me in the neighbourhood of Ichang, Central China, during the season of 1888. I regret that I am unable to figure them at present, but I hope to do so before long; and, in the mean- time, I can only say that I shall always be most happy to show the types to anyone who takes an interest in the fauna of China. ZETHERA SAGITTA, Sp. Nn. Creamy white; neuration, apex, and margins of primaries black; some black scales along the upper portion of discoidal cell, which is partially divided by a black bar across its centre, a black wavy submarginal band extending to the second median branch, and a zigzag black line “before the outer margin: secondaries have the submedian — and median nerve and branch broadly black, but the other nerves are only narrow, a black zigzag line on the outer margin forms a series of arrow-heads, of which the veins represent the shafts. On the under surface the colour is rather more yellow, and the venation, except median and branches, narrowly blackish, the lines of the upper surface only faintly reproduced. Hxpanse, 78?—90 mm. Several specimens, including one example of the female, from Chang Yang, taken in June. This species is allied to Z. hestioides, Feld., from the Philippines. MELANARGIA HALIMEDE. - Arge halimede, Mén. Bull. de l’Acad. xvii. p. 216; Schrenck’s Reisen, p. 37, t. iil., fig. 69,72. Melanargia halimede, var. meridionalis, Feld. Wein. Ent. Mon. vi. p. 29 (1862); Leech, Trans. Ent. Soc., 1889, p. 101. Melanargia halimede, Elwes, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1881, p. 903; Leech, |. c., 1887, p. 425. An extensive series from Chang Yang, taken in July. The majority of the specimens are more or less of the typical form of the species; some of the examples agree with the speci- mens figured by Ménétriés; others have the well-defined black bands on the upper, and ocelli on the under, surfaces, noticed by him. None of the specimens are, however, as dark as the palest example from Japan. One form, of which there are several examples, is so very con- spicuous that I have ventured to describe and give it a varietalname. Var. MONTANA.— Central band very narrow, and the outer border is only faintly indicated, whilst on the secondaries the black markings are absent, excepting slight traces of a ring in the first median interspace, and a slender dentate submarginal line. LETHE OCCULTA, Sp. 0. Allied to M, oculatisstma, Pouj. (Ann. Ent. Soc. Fr., 1885, p. xxiv.), but much darker brown, the spot at inner angle of primaries is without white NEW SPECIES OF LEPIDOPTERA FROM CHINA. 27 pupil, and of the same size as that at apex. On the under surface of primaries there are but four ocelli, and the second and third of these are very indistinctly formed: on the secondaries there are six ocellus-like spots, but the third and fourth are very shadowy; basal two-thirds of primaries brown, apical third and whole of secondaries pale olive brown, all the wings sprinkled with ochreous scales and traversed by dark brown lines. Expanse, 65 mm. One male example, taken in July, at Chang Yang. I have not seen the type of M. occulatissuma, Pouj.; the com- parison is with the original description and with named speci- mens in Mr. Oberthiir’s collection. LETHE CYRENE, §p. N. Brown, tinged with ochreous; apical third of primaries slightly paler, divided off obliquely from just beyond the middle of costa to near inner angle, and containing a series of four small blackish spots, each placed at the interior end of a narrow longitudinal fold on the outer margin, an indistinct dark line parallel with outer margin. Secondaries with five black spots set in fulvous rings, the costal one of the series has a large white pupil, and the third is least in size, a small chestnut patch at anal angle; fringes white, chequered with brown, and preceded by a double line, following the contour of outer margin. Under surface ochreous brown; two short transverse brown bars intersect the discoidal cell, the space between them is pale ochreous, and the outer bar is continued below the median nervure to the inner margin; beyond the cell is a broad brown band, which traverses the _ Wing in an oblique direction to the first median branch, below which it turns inwards and then outwards to the inner margin, this band is bordered externally with pale ochreous; a submarginal series of five small ocelli set in a transverse patch of pale ochreous is followed by two brown lines parallel with the outer margin, the interspace filled up with pale ochreous from opposite the first ocellus to inner angle; fringes grey, with a dark line at their base. Secondaries traversed by a pale ochreous stripe bordered with brown; this stripe does not attain the inner margin, and the outer edge bulges about the middle; towards the outer margin is a series of six ocelli set in a broad transverse patch of pale ochreous, the first ocellus near the costa is the largest, but does not greatly exceed the fourth and fifth, all have elongated white pupils and the sixth is double; a brown line, preceded by a whitish one, and followed by one of pale ochreous parallel with outer margin; fringes as above. ?. Apical third of primaries paler than in the male, with a whitish costal dot on its inner edge, outer margin of secondaries more angulated ; the under surface is pale brown, central third of primaries darker, enclosing a whitish bar which crosses the discoidal cell; secondaries with the costal mark of the male outlined in and partly filled up with brown. Expanse, 62—68 mm. Five male and one female specimens, taken in June, at Chang Yang. Allied to ZL. syrcis, Hew. LETHE TRIMACULA, Sp. 0. 3. Fuscous brown; apical third of primaries slightly paler, and enclosing a distinct ocellus. Secondaries with two ocelli near anal angle, the upper one with white pupil faint or entirely absent. Under surface of primaries grey-brown, apical third greyish clouded with pale brown, and divided off by a dark brown curved slightly wavy band; the discoidal cell is closed by a dark brown line, and divided transversely by another line of the same colour; ocellus very distinct; a dark brown line parallel with outer D2 98 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. margin is preceded by a zigzag one, and followed by one at the base of the pale grey fringes. Secondaries greyish, with five well-formed ocelli, that on the costa is very large and bipupilated, as also is the smaller one at anal angle; two brown lines traverse the disc, the outer curves half round the costal ocellus, and then proceeds in a series of waves to the inner margin; fringes and marginal lines as on primaries. The ocelli on both surfaces are ringed with pale fuscous. HExpanse, 68—72 mm. ?. Same as male, but apical third of primaries limited by a pale band. Several males and one female from Chang Yang, taken in July. LETHE NIGRIFASCIA, sp. Nn. gf. Fuscous brown, darker on the outer margins. Primaries crossed by a black band which curves from the costa, and is not well defined until it reaches the third median branch, where it is dilated, as it also is at each succeeding vein to the inner margin. Secondaries have a submarginal series of six black spots set in pale rings, the first is largest, but does not greatly exceed the fourth, whilst the sixth is smaller and indistinct; a pale line parallel with outer margin. Fringes white, fuliginous at extremities of the nervules. Under surface ochreous brown, fuscous towards outer margin; a broad whitish bar crosses the discoidal cell; central transverse line whitish, ill defined, commencing as a blotch on costa, and bordering a faint reproduction of the black band of upper surface; a smaller white patch nearer the apex, and a pale line parallel with outer margin. Secondaries have two pale violet basal lines, the first is indistinct after passing the median nervure, but the second continues its course to the submedian, where it turns in and terminates at the internal nervure; beyond is another pale violet line, bordered inwardly with brown, running from costa to first median branch, where it turns sharply inwards and upwards for a short distance, then again turns and descends to the median nervure; a fourth pale violet line traverses the wing in a wavy course from costa to inner margin; this is bordered externally with various shades of brown and limits the outer third, which is somewhat darker than the rest of the wing, and has a series of six ocelli; the first four of these ocelli are surrounded with pale violet, but in the two last, which are larger, this colour is only distinct on their inner edge ; the sixth ocellus is double; a pale violet line parallel with outer margin forms triangular blotches opposite the last three ocelli, that at the anal angle being the largest; fringes as above. ?. Colour of the male, but there is no black band on primaries; a blackish shade, broadest near the costa, where it is bordered by some pale yellowish dashes, runs obliquely to beyond third median branch, and then curves inwards to the inner margin; some whitish spots towards apex. The under surface is pale fulvous, and the pale violet lines on the secondaries of the male are replaced in this sex by pale yellowish ones. Expanse: male, 70—74 mm.; female, 78 mm. Two male and one female specimens, taken in August, at Chang Yang. Allied to Lethe (Debis) armandina, Obevrth., from Moupin. LETHE LABYRINTHEA, sp. Nn. g. Brown, with an olivaceous gloss. Primaries have two dark clouds in the discoidal cell and a blackish central transverse band; from the outer edge of the last, rays are projected along the nervules to the outer margin, intersecting in their course a blackish transverse line; a second abbreviated waved blackish band extends from inner margin to second median nervule. Secondaries have a submarginal series of six black spots enclosed between two wavy ill-defined blackish bands, parallel with outer margin is a narrow NEW SPECIES OF LEPIDOPTERA FROM CHINA. 29 blackish line; fringes white, variegated with blackish at the extremities of nervules. Under surface pale ochreous, tinged with olivaceous; two brown bars in discoidal cell of primaries; central transverse line brown, oblique, with three deep indentations, and edged towards costa with yellowish ; some pale spots near costa precede a suffused brownish marginal line. Secondaries with a grey-brown pale-edged band near the base, extending from costa to median nervure, beyond is a brown suffused line curving from costa to abdominal margin, and emitting a spur to the median nervure ; central band of unequal width and edged externally with blackish, followed by a broad ochreous marginal band in which is placed a series of six ocelli, the third and fourth are rather indistinct, and all more or less completely encircled with lilacine white; an antimarginal line of the same colour edged on each side with black, and swelling out into lunules opposite the last three ocelli; fringes white, chequered with brownish at extremities of nervules. - 2. Paler; markings of primaries above same as on under surface of male, but with the addition of two small ocelli below apex. Expanse: male, 70 mm.; female, 80 mm. Four specimens (two males and one female, Ichang, July ; one male, Chang Yang, July). Allied to L. nigrifascia, but may be at once separated by the pee character of central band of primaries and the larger ocelli. NEOPE RAMOSA, SP. n. gS. Closely allied to S. goschkevitschii, Mén., from Japan, but the ground colour is dark chocolate-brown, the spots on primaries are smaller, nearly orbicular, pale yellowish buff in colour, and each pair between the median neryules are separated by a quadrate blackish spot. Secondaries have two pale yellowish buff longitudinal patches and three spots; the former each enclose an obscure ocellus and the latter are arranged in a longitudinal series ; below are three black spots decreasing in size to the anal angle, the first is partially, the second distinctly, and the third indistinctly surrounded with pale yellowish buff. Under surface blackish, variegated with white and yellowish buff; primaries have a white-centred black spot enclosed in a whitish ring near apex, and below this is a nearly square white spot followed by two pairs of yellowish buff spots as above: secondaries have three basal spots as in S. goschkevitschii, but they are paler in colour and the lower one is much larger; the central band is greyish, very irregular in shape and bordered on each side with white. Expanse, 90 mm. Two males taken in June and July, at Chang Yang. NEOPE ROMANOVI, Sp. n. gf. Chocolate-brown with olive reflections and a metallic green tinge in certain lights; venation not ochreous, there are two transverse series of small yellowish spots on outward half of primaries, but those towards costa are ill-defined. Secondaries have a marginal series of large black spots, each spot edged internally and externally with yellowish except that at outer angle, which is bordered on its hinder edge only. Under surface pale brown tinged with violet-grey. Primaries broadly streaked with ochreous grey along the inner margin; central brown band very narrow, bidentate near costa, then gently curved, emitting a short projection before its termination near anal angle; four antimarginal ocelli, the second almost filled up with white; two brown sinuated lines parallel with outer margin. Secondaries with three yellowish brown ringed spots at the base; the central band is grey-brown with a triple edging of brown, yellowish, and dark brown ; seven very distinct antimarginal ocelli. 30 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. Q. The inner series of spots on upper surface of primaries distinct. Expanse, f 74mm., 9 80 mm. Two male and one female specimens taken in July at Ichang. One male example, Chang Yang, July. SATYRUS MACULOSA, Sp. nN. @. Dark greyish brown. Primaries with three large black yellowish ringed spots towards outer margin; the two lower ones are contiguous. Secondaries have two similar spots above anal angle; fringes pale grey tipped with darker. Under surface pale grey; basal two-thirds and outer margin of primaries thickly sprinkled with brownish; a dark brown lime traverses the wing before the three large ocelli; three narrow black lines on outer margin enclose two whitish ones. Secondaries reticulated with brownish on basal two-thirds; ocelli five in number, the two nearest costa contiguous, the other three lie towards anal angle, the fifth least in size; a dark wavy submarginal line and two parallel with outer margin enclosing a whitish one ; fringes pale grey. Expanse, 36 mm. One female example taken in July at Chang Yang. Allied to Satyrus arvensis, Oberth., but differs from that species in having five ocelli of equal size, and further in the absence of white pupils. PARARGE CATENA, sp.n. Lar ty, Brown suffused with fuliginous. Primaries traversed by an angulated indistinct dark line bordered externally with paler, most clearly towards costa ; a submarginal series of six black spots set in ochreous rings, the first of which is very small and the last two larger than others; marginal line pale. Secondaries with a pale angulated central band and a submarginal series of six ochreous ringed black spots, the third very small and the sixth equal in size to the fourth and fifth, but ill-defined ; a pale line parallel with outer margin; fringe pale ochreous, chequered with brown at the ends of nervules. Under surface of primaries grey-brown; a pale ochreous bar, edged with brown, crosses the discoidal cell, and is preceded by a small spot of the same colour; beyond the cell is an angulated dark line edged externally with pale ochreous; this edging forms a triangular patch at costa, and unites with a quadrate spot of the same colour on inner margin; there are six pale ochreous spots towards outer margin, all of which, with the exception of the first, have black centres with white pupils; beyond these is an interrupted short ochreous band, two pale ochreous lines enclosing a brown one parallel with outer margin. Secondaries brown, with an olive tint; some spots and an interrupted white band near the base; central band white, angulated and intersected at the angle by a short longitudinal bar; a sub- marginal series of six ocelli, the first bipupilated and the third very small, the first three are distinctly bordered externally with white and the last three less distinctly ; lines parallel with outer margin whitish; fringes as above. In the female the white markings are rather broader. Expanse, 55 mm. Seven male specimens taken in July, and one female captured in August, at Chang Yang. In some respects this species agrees with Pararge dumetorum, Oberth., Etud. d’Ent. xl. pt. iv. fig. 20; but it is easily separated therefrom by the ocelli on both surfaces of primaries. NEW SPECIES OF LEPIDOPTERA FROM CHINA. 31 CALLEREBIA ALBIPUNCTA, Sp. nl. g. Primaries blackish brown, outer third paler, towards apex is a large round black patch, enclosing two small white spots encircled with pale fulvous; below is a brighter fulvous cloud. Secondaries blackish brown, paler along abdominal margin; towards anal angle is a fulvous-ringed black spot, enclosing a white dot; fringes tinged with grey. Under surface of primaries red-brown, apex and upper half of outer margin greyish; bi- pupilated ocellus as above ; secondaries dark brown, traversed by innumer- able irregular wavy lines; ocellus towards anal angle as above, and there is a white spot in each nervular interspace between it andthe costa. Expanse, 54 to 60 mm. A @. Discal area of primaries suffused with reddish, otherwise similar to male. 7 Allied to C. sylvicola, Oberth., and C. pratorum, Oberth. (Etud. d’Ent. xi.), but most closely to the last named ; from both Species it may, however, be separated by the series of white spots on under surface of secondaries. Several male specimens taken at Chang Yang in July, and a number of both sexes from Ichang Gorge, taken in August. This species is fairly constant in the character of marking, but two female examples have the white submarginal spots reproduced on the upper surface of secondaries. One of these specimens has the black patch on primaries pear-shaped, enclosing three white spots, and there is a small ocellus below it, near the outer angle. CLEROME ROPE, Sp. 0. 3. Drab-brown. Primaries darker towards the outer margin; a con- spicuous tuft of fulvous silky hairs on the interior edge of the median nerve near the base. Under surface brown; primaries paler along the inner margin with a triangular vitreus patch below the median nerve; all the wings traversed by three dark reddish brown lines, terminating at the sub- median nervure; there are six small yellow spots on the primaries before the submarginal line, that nearest the costa punctiform, sometimes absent ; on the secondaries there is a transverse series of five similar spots, the first is near the central line, the fourth and fifth approximate more to the sub- marginal, whilst the second and third are equidistant from either line. Fringes on both surfaces grey-brown, preceded by a slender brownish line. ?. Colour of male; outer margin of primaries with a suffused blackish border, broad on costa and tapering towards outer angle; external margin of secondaries is also suffused with blackish. The vitreus patch and tuft of hairs are characters pertaining to the male only. Expanse, gf 78—89 mm., ? 84—100 mm. A splendid series, taken in June and July, at Ichang. This species is closely allied to C. assama, Westw., from Assam and Khasi Hills; but it is much paler in colour above, whilst beneath the spots are much smaller; the transverse lines are differently curved, and there is no disposition of the second to unite with the third above anal angle. HESTINA NIGRIVENA, Sp. 0. Whitish green; venation of primaries, and a streak above the submedian nervure, broadly blackish, as also is the median nervure of secondaries and its 32 . THE ENTOMOLOGIST. branches, but the other veins of this wing are narrow in comparison; outer fourth of primaries black, enclosing a double row of spots of the ground colour; there is also an ill-defined blackish central transverse bar; on the secondaries there is a series of distinct black marginal spots and indications of a submarginal series ; these last are placed in a very faint pinkish streak. Under surface, colour as above, but the venation is less broad, and the only distinct black spots are some small linear ones on the outer margins of all the wings; on the secondaries is a faint pinkish streak parallel with outer margin, most clearly defined at anal angle. Expanse,78—90 mm. _ Four specimens (three males, one female), taken in May and June at Chang Yang. Closely allied to H. mena, Moore, from N. India, but may be at once distinguished from that species by the pinkish streak on both surfaces of secondaries, a character which brings it very near to H. assimilis. HESTINA VIRIDIS, sp. n. 3&. Pale greenish, neuration broadly black; outer third of primaries black, its limit not well defined internally, enclosing a transverse series of large spots followed by smaller ones; these are of the ground colour, and the two last of each series are linear. Secondaries have a marginal and sub- marginal series of ill-defined black spots; outer margin and fringes black, abdominal fold tinged with yellowish. Under surface whitish green ; neura- tion and some dashes between the nervules black; outer margin and fringes black: secondaries have the costa beyond the subcostal nervure and abdominal fold yellow. ?. Similar to the male, but the bar closing the discoidal cell of primaries is almost obliterated, the black of outer third is broken up into a double series of spots below apex, and the venation is less broad. Ex- panse, ¢ 96mm., ? 110 mm. Two specimens from Chang Yang (male June, female July). Allied to H. assimilis, but at once distinguished by the total absence of red markings. HEstINA OBERTHURI, sp. n. Greyish white, venation broadly fuliginous; outer margins with broad fuliginous borders, that of primaries intersected by one and of secondaries by two transverse rows of small spots of ground colour. Under surface similar to above, but there is a bluish black line on all the wings parallel with outer margin. Fringes white, chequered with black. Expanse, 76 mm. Several examples taken in June at Chang Yang, and Septem- ber at Ichang. In some specimens the pale ground colour is much suffused with fuliginous. Unlike any species of Hestina with which I am acquainted. EURIPUS JAPONICUS. Euripus japonicus, Feld. Weiss. Ent Mon. vi. p. 27 (1862). Var. chinensis. One male specimen captured in August, at a place three days’ journey N. of Ichang. ; As this example differs from the Japanese form of the species in the much smaller size of the white spots and streaks on both NEW SPECIES OF LEPIDOPTERA FROM CHINA. 338 surfaces, and in having the basal spot, costal and inner marginal streaks of secondaries yellow instead of white, I have given it the varietal name of chinensis. APATURA FASCIOLA, Sp. Nl. Dark fuscous brown. Primaries edged with yellowish along the costa to beyond the middle, and tinged with the same colour on outer margin; the central area is traversed by a yellow band composed of seven spots, of which the two nearest costa are smaller and the next pair larger than the other three; a white spot towards apex. Secondaries with a central transverse yellow band extending from costa to submedian nervure, and interrupted by the nervules; the outer margin is yellow, tinged with fuscous, and inter- sected by a transverse line of the ground colour, a black spot above anal angle. Under surface opalescent, clouded with tawny on the outer margin of all the wings ; the primaries have a bluish-white spot near apex, below this are three small dots of the same colour and a black dot set in a tawny ring; secondaries with a well-defined ocellated spot near anal angle, and a series of small spots above; the basal half of all the wings is darker than the outer half, and separated by a tawny transverse line, most clearly defined on the secondaries. Expanse, gf 74mm., 2 82mm. Two male specimens taken in July, and two females in August, at Chang Yang. ATHYMA PUNCTATA, Sp. n. g. Black. Primaries with apical and central white spots, shaded on edges with violet-grey ; the former is intersected by the subcostal nervure, and the latter by the rays of the median. Secondaries with a large central white spot, shaded with violet as on primaries; broad submarginal line pale. Under surface rusty brown; primaries have white spots as above; a violet- grey longitudinal streak from the base, interrupted by the ground colour before reaching the centre of the wing where it terminates, is broadly bordered below and outwardly with blackish; there are indications of a violet-grey submarginal line; secondaries white along the costa, central white fascia extends from costa to the bluish-grey abdominal fold; sub- marginal band whitish, tinged with violet and bordered outwardly with a dark browinish shade. Expanse, 68 mm. Two male specimens taken in May and July at Chang Yang. ATHYMA DISJUNCTA, Sp. 0. Fuliginous-black, with white markings. Discoidal streak of primaries terminating in a somewhat triangular head, and followed by an oblong transverse dash; beyond and nearer the costa are three other oblong spots ; central band composed of eight spots, the sixth of which is round and larger than the others, but the fourth is very small or quite absent; submarginal series of linear spots only faintly indicated towards costa, followed by black quadrate spots. Secondaries with central and submarginal bands, the latter composed of linear spots, slightly decreasing in size towards costa; between the bands and also before outer margin are some black quadrate spots. Under surface of primaries blackish, marked with tawny along the nerves ; basal and central spots as above, but the fourth spot of the latter series more clearly defined; marginal series large, those nearest the costa nearly obliterated, and the others intersected by a tawny transverse band ; secondaries tawny, with a black-edged white streak from the middle of the base to the costa, followed by some black dots; central band bordered with blackish, interrupted, and extending only to the abdominal fold; submarginal 34 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. band as above, but the inner edges of the spots are rounded and bordered with blackish; between these bands is a series of conspicuous short lon- gitudinal black dashes, the lower ones edged externally with white; a fairly broad blackish band on outer margin, preceded by an interrupted white one. HExpanse, § 68mm., 2 76 mm. The bands on upper surface are very like those of A. sulpitia, but the form of the discoidal streak on primaries is very similar to that of A. helmannt. I have received a splendid series of this novelty from Chang Yang, taken in June and July. ATHYMA FORTUNA. Athyma fortuna, Leech, Trans. Ent. Soc. 1889, p. 107, pl. vi. figs. 1, la. A nice series from Chang Yang, June and July. In some of the male specimens the white spots forming the central band of all the wings exhibit a tendency to elongation, as in L. sydyi, Lid., var. latefasciata, Mén. (Schr. Reis. p. 29). I propose that this form should be known as var. diffusa. LIMENITIS PRATTI, sp. n. Black, inclining to brown towards base of all the wings. Primaries with a white transverse bar, preceded and followed by obscure whitish ones in discoidal cell; a central series of six quadrate white spots and beyond a transverse series of smaller’red spots, the upper of which are round, and the two nearest costa edged internally with white; submarginal spots white, intersected by a line of the ground colour, that in the second median inter- space large and triangular. Secondaries have two black transverse bars enclosing an obscure red one near base; a central series of seven white spots, followed by a series of smaller red ones; outer margin broadly bordered with white, intersected by an interrupted transverse band. Under surface similar to above, but the costa is whitish and the markings are larger, those in the discoidal cell are well-defined, and below the cell there is a large white blotch, transversely intersected by a blackish band ; secondaries have the costa edged with red, and there are some reddish and black marks on the white basal third; the other markings same as above, but more band- like in character. Expanse, 69 mm. One example taken in July at Chang Yang. This species is more nearly allied to L. popult than any other Limenitis known to me. NEPTIS HESIONE, sp. 0. $. Fuliginous-black, with pale buff markings. Discal streak of primaries broad, partially suffused with blackish, the outer extremity pro- duced and obtusely pointed, two spots near apex, oval and of nearly equal size, separated from each other by the first discoidal nervule, and from an indistinct curved linear spot by the subcostal nerve; a spot in the first median interspace is nearly round and touches both nervules, below are two smaller spots separated by the submedian; submarginal pale and narrow. Secondaries have a fairly broad central band; submarginal band, bordered externally with blackish grey, tapers from costa, attains its greatest width in the submedian interspace, and from thence is attenuated to abdominal margin; between the bands is a transverse series of oblong black spots. NEW SPECIES OF LEPIDOPTERA FROM CHINA. 35 Under surface chocolate-brown; markings white, streaked with ochreous- grey, and clouded with whitish along the costa; discal streak broad, clear and distinct, with a large blackish patch below; apical spots hardly separated ; spot in first median interspace invades the space above and unites below with the enlarged pair on inner margin; submarginal line white tinged with violet, interrupted towards apex by two longitudinal streaks of the ground colour, and preceded by a chocolate-brown band, which is narrowly edged inwardly with blackish grey, and intersected by a transverse series of pale lunules: secondaries with basal, central, and sub- marginal bands; the first traverses the wing from base to costal nerve, where it is cut into by the ground colour ; the second is bordered externally with blackish grey, followed by ochreous-grey; the third is tinged with violet, preceded by an interrupted band of the ground colour, bordered with ochreous- -grey, and followed by a series of lunules, also of the ground colour, edged externally with whitish. Fringes chequered black and “white. Expanse, 56 mm. One male specimen taken in July at Chang Yang. Closely allied to N. armandia, Oberth., but differs from that species on the upper surface in the broader discal streak, closer proximity of the apical spots, and pale submarginal band of primaries; also in the broader central and uninterrupted sub- “marginal bands of secondaries, whilst beneath there are several points of difference. NEPTIS THISBE. Neptis thisbe, Mén. Bull. Acad. Pet. xvii. p. 214 (1859); Schrenck’s Reisen, ii. p. 26, t. 2, fig. 9 (1859); Elwes, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1881, p. 894. An extensive and somewhat variable series from Chang Yang, where the species appears to be on the wing from June to August. Var. themis.— Fringes of primaries almost wholly white at the apex, and black from the fifth subcostal nervule to below first discoidal nervule ; there is no trace of fulvous on the outer margin of secondaries. On the under surface of primaries the spot between discoidal nervules is large, round, and without a trace of marking below it in next interspace ; the cenhrall Banal of secondaries terminates in a large white spot between the subcostal nervules, and there are no markings in the interspace above or between the band and discal streak, which in this form is distinctly white. Three examples (two males, one female). Var. thetis.— Identical with var. themis above, but beneath there is a white mark in interspace below the outer round spot of primaries; the discal streak and submarginal band of secondaries are merely fragmentary; the basal and terminal portions of the former only remain, and of the latter there are some traces towards outer angle. There is also a noticeable absence of brown clouding on secondaries, and the brown band posterior to the white central one is very narrow. Four examples (three males, one female). There are intermediates between each of these forms and the type. NEPTIS ANTILOPE, Sp. 0. Black, with a slight brownish tinge; markings yellow. Discal streak of primaries obtusely pointed, two oblong spots and a dot above towards apex, 36 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. an oval spot below intersected by second median nervule, and a wedge- shaped one on inner margin interrupted by the submedian nervure; sub- marginal band pale andnarrow. Secondaries have central and submarginal bands; the former is somewhat narrow, and the latter tapers towards either extremity. Under surface of primaries chocolate-brown, a broad patch of yellowish occupies the space between costa and median nervure, absorbing the paler discal streak; the outer limit of this patch is marked by some whitish spots, and the upper portion of black suffused patch, which lies between median nervure and inner margin, extends to the narrow reddish brown submarginal band, and encloses a large yellowish white spot ; outer margin has a broad yellowish border, intersected by one paler and one darker indistinct lines; the apical portion of the border extends inwards and amalgamates with the two oblong spots; secondaries yellowish; central band white, edged externally with blackish grey, and followed by a chocolate- brown wavy band, the upper portion of which is broadly bordered with violet-grey ; submarginal band light chestnut. Fringes white, with black patches at tips of nervules. HExpanse, j 58—67 mm., ? 67 mm. Two male specimens taken in June, and one female example in July at Chang Yang. I took two specimens at Hong Kong in March, 1886; these are smaller than those from Central China. This species surperficially resembles N. thisbe. NEPTIS CYDIPPE, sp. Nn. Similar in size and shape to N. thisbe; the markings, however, are very like those of N. antilope on the upper surface, but there are three pale spots from middle of costa of primaries, and the costal spot of apical trio is much larger. Under surface of primaries chocolate-brown, suffused with pale ochreous between costa and discal streak; outer margin broadly bordered with same colour, intersected by a narrow interrupted chocolate- brown band; 3 inner margin to median and first branch dark grey, a blackish patch above in first median interspace; some violet-tinted whitish spots from costa to outer end of discal streak; apical spots whitish, as also are those in the median interspaces, but the outer edges of these last are more or less encroached upon by the marginal border. Secondaries pale ochreous tinged with brownish, and clouded with chocolate-brown on outer portion of costa ; some violet-grey and chocolate-brown marks between the costal and second subcostal veins; central band whitish, bordered externally by a suffused chocolate-brown band, the outer edge of which is irregular; beyond are some chocolate-brown spots, followed by a pale transverse band and some obscure brown spots. Expanse, § 70—77 mm., 2? 84mm. Several specimens of each sex taken in July and August at Chang Yang. NEPTIS BEROE, Sp. 0. g. Brownish black, with yellow markings. Primaries have a broad discal streak interrupted by the third median branch, and continued down- wards as a curved spot, which is interrupted by the second median branch and terminates at the first, below is a somewhat triangular patch intersected by the submedian nervure ; towards the apex are two large oblong spots, separated by the subcostal nervure from a long streak on the costa. Secondaries have broad central and narrower submarginal bands; the costa is broadly glassy. Under surface pale fulvous, outer margins of all the wings paler; primaries have curved discal streak and spots | on inner margin as above, but whitish in colour, the lower spots of the two towards apex is obscured by a greyish suffusion, and the same colour replaces the linear yellow patch on costa; between these spots and two indistinct ones just below middle of costa is a bright chestnut-brown cloud, the narrow NEW SPECIES OF LEPIDOPTERA FROM CHINA. 37 submarginal band terminating in a dark grey cloud on inner margin is of the same colour, and is bordered externally with paler whitish: secondaries tinged with greenish between costal and second subcostal nervule to beyond the middle, where there is a small bright chestnut-brown cloud; the white central band is suffused with greyish at its outer extremity, and has a clouded brownish edging; submarginal band whitish, with a violet tinge, interrupted by the nervules, bordered on each side with dark grey, and preceded by a bright chestnut-brown band tapering from the outer angle to inner margin. Fringes white-chequered, except at fourth subcostal, with black patches at the extremities of the nervules. 2. Darker; streak and bands narrower, spots rather smaller, the patch on costa of primaries represented by a small linear spot and some yellow seales; the costal border of secondaries is not glassy. The under surface is more suffused with bright chestnut-brown, the space enclosed by curved discal streak is black, slightly glossy towards base. Expanse: male, 68 mm.; female, 70 mm. Two males and one female, Chang Yang, taken in June. NEPTIS ASPASIA, Sp. N. Black, tinged with brown; markings yellow. Discal streak of primaries interrupted at the fork by the third median branch, the continuation has its external edge gently curved, and below its extremity is a nearly round spot in the first median interspace. Secondaries broadly cinereous along costal third; central band, which is white on the abdominal fold, runs straight towards outer margin, but is interrupted by the costal border; submarginal band tapers from outer angle, the upper portion obscured by costal border. Under surface chestnut-brown, inner portion of primaries below discal streak and curved extension leaden grey; some violet-grey spots from middle of costa, a large white spot below submedian, and a violet-grey dash above, together with an ill-defined pale violet spot in discoidal interspace are edged externally by an undulated transverse dusky line; parallel with the outer margin is an interrupted pale violet line: secondaries, white central band bordered on each side with blackish grey, curves upwards from second subcostal nervule in the direction of outer angle, and is followed by two wavy narrow greyish bands, each bordered with darker; submarginal band pale violet, bordered with greyish, tapering from outer angle; an indistinct grey - line parallel with outer margin. Fringes white, with patches of black at tips of nervules, preceded on the under surface by a broad dark line. Palpi pale grey, with dense black hairs. Eyes plum colour. Expanse, 80 mm. One example from Chang Yang, taken in July. NEPTIS ANTIGONE, sp. n. Very similar to N. aspasia on the upper surface, but the spot in first median interspace forming continuation of discal streak is larger, rounder, and more completely isolated, whilst the costal band of secondaries is broader, and traverses the wing from abdominal margin, where it is but slightly paler, to middle of subcostal nervure, the submarginal band is also much broader, and commences below the subcostal nervure. Under surface dark ochreous brown, the discal streak proper and a portion of the extension are much suffused with this colour, the spot below in first median interspace is fairly distinct, and only separated by the first median nervule from a white dash extending to inner margin, the enclosed space is black; a curved series of four blue-tinted white spots from middle of costa and a large white one beyond; an obscure brown narrow band commences on the costa, skirts the external edge of white spot, and then turns outwards and downwards parallel with outer margin, terminating in a black cloud on inner margin ; secondaries paler towards base; central band tinged with violet and 38 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. bifurcated towards costa, followed by a broad bluish grey line; submarginal band white tinged with violet, and intersected by a transverse line of the ground colour; there are some indications of a line parallel with outer margin. Palpi white, with blackthairs; eyes brown. Expanse, 78 mm. One example, Ichang, May. NEPTIS ARACHNE, Sp. Nn. Resembles N. beroe and also N. aspasia, in the markings of upper surface, but it lacks the central streak of the former, and the apical spots are more clearly separated in the latter, whilst it differs from both in the rupture of discal streak from its continuation at second median fork. In this species the disconnection is effected, not only by the passage of the third median nervule, but by the interposition of a triangular patch of the ground colour in the fork. Under surface bright chestnut-brown. Primaries ochreous at base and along costal fold, a bluish grey discoidal spot, some ochreous scales at the commencement of the discoidal nervules and a suffused ochreous mark to discal streak below ; beyond is a curved series of four large bluish grey spots, and nearer the apex a pale ochreous spot, above which are some ochreous streaks; dentated submarginal line ochreous, narrowly edged internally with ground colour, preceded by some ochreous suffused patches, and bordered externally by a band of the ground colour; outer margin broadly ochreous, intersected by a transverse interrupted line of the ground colour; discal streak and curved continuation pale ochreous, enclosed space blackish grey, which colour is continued below the first median nervule to border of outer margin ; secondaries ochreous, basal half of costa tinged with chestnut; a broad suffused patch of bright chestnut-brown from outer half of costa to discoidal nervule, and from thence continued as a narrow band to abdominal margin, the patch encloses some bluish grey marks and there are some chestnut spots towards base ; broad central band pale ochreous, suffused — with dark grey beyond the third median and bordered externally with bright chestnut-brown, this is followed after an interval by a narrow transverse band of the same colour, as also is the sinuous submarginal line. Fringes white, with black patches at extremities of nervules, that at fourth subcostal is small whilst those of second and third median nervules approximate, leaving a very slender space of white. Hixpanse, 77 mm. One male example taken in July at Chang Yang. ToLAUS LUCULENTUS, Sp. n. g. Light blue, finely dusted with black scales; costa and outer margin of primaries to below third median nervule broadly black. Secondaries with two white-tipped black tails; costa bordered with black, abdominal margin broadly whitish; two black spots on outer margin towards the black anal angle, which has an orange-brown lunule; fringes white, chequered with black at extremities of nervules and preceded by a black line. Under surface pale greyish white; primaries have linear discoidal spot and central transverse lines blackish ; submarginal line dusky: secondaries have a blackish discoidal bar and transverse wavy central lines; there are also two blackish linear spots, one near base and towards costa, the other about the middle of inner margin ; submarginal line dusky; a black spot at anal angle, and one between second and third median nervules, the first narrowly, and the last broadly bordered with reddish orange. @. Paler; black border of primaries narrower over cell, disclosing a distinet black discoidal spot, beyond which is a whitish cloud. Hxpanse, S 40 mm., 2? 44 mm. Four male and three female specimens taken in July at Chang Yang. Allied to Lolaus longinus, Hew. NEW SPECIES OF LEPIDOPTERA FROM CHINA. 39 IoLAUS CONTRACTUS, Sp. Nl. 3. Black, ornamented with bright dark blue, which on the primaries forms a patch extending from the base to the middle‘of the disc between the median and submedian nerves, slightly encroaching beyond each boundary, On the secondaries the blue forms a broad oblique abbreviated band, its an- terior limit being the second subcostal nervule, and its posterior the first - median, but there is a small triangular mark beyond this latter boundary, extending to the orange spot at anal angle; there are some black spots towards the outer edge of the blue band; the abdominal margin is paler, becoming whitish at the base. There are two tails of equal length, both black with white tips. Under surface of primaries whitish grey; discoidal spot linear white; central transverse line blackish, terminating at the sub- median nervure; submarginal line indistinct; on the middle of inner margin is a fan-like arrangement of long dark grey hairs; central transverse line of secondaries wavy, turning off at a right angle to abdominal margin when opposite anal angle ; outer margin bordered with dark grey, intersected by a band of ground colour; a large black spot on the outer edge of around orange patch before the first tail, and one at angle preceded by an orange streak. @. Greyish black, with a patch of pale lilac-blue on the dise of primaries, and some scales of the same colour towards outer margin of secondaries; fringes grey. On the under surface the lines are more distinct, and the spots larger. In one female specimen the lilac-blue is only shown on the primaries as a discal suffusion. HExpanse, § 38 mm., 9? 40—42 mm. Allied to I. iapyx, Hew. ‘THECLA ELWESI, Sp. Pr. 3. Fuscous brown, the discal area of primaries tinged with reddish orange, especially behind the black bar which closes the discoidal cell. Secondaries with some black spots and orange marks on outer margin at anal angle; tail reddish orange, edged with black and tipped with white. Under surface sandy brown, dusky discoidal bar edged with white, followed by an oblique triangular streak darker than the ground colour and bordered on each side by a white-edged dark line; a dusky line, edged externally with paler parallel with outer margin; secondaries with two white central trans- verse lines, the first edged externally with dusky and not extending beyond the median nerve, the second slightly wavy, bordered internally with dusky, and curved inwards beyond the second median nervule; outer margin bordered with reddish orange, edged internally with pale ochreous, wider towards anal angle, the orange colour extending halfway along the ab- dominal margin; a black spot at anal angle and one in the second median interspace ; fringes white, preceded by a black line which traverses the tail to the white tip. @. Orange-brown, clouded with greyish brown towards the base of all the wings, apex and outer margin black; a black spot on secondaries in second median interspace; fringes whitish, grey at the base and extremities of nervules. Under surface of primaries reddish orange, secondaries rather browner; markings as in the male, except that the first transverse line of secondaries extends farther across the wing. Expanse 50 mm. One female taken in July, and two males captured in August, at Chang Yang. Also two female specimens taken in the latter month, at Ichang; these have the basal half of all the wings suffused with greyish brown, and the marginal border of primaries is broader. The male bears a superficial resemblance to the same sex of T’. betule from Kurope, but it is much larger and the tails are longer and more slender. 40 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. : THECLA ORNATA, Sp. 0. g. Primaries blackish, with a large reddish-orange patch on the disc, intersected by the second and third median nervules; fringes dark grey. Secondaries fuliginous brown, with a short tail at the extremity of the second, and a much longer one at the extremity of the third median nervule; both are black, tipped with white; fringes white, tipped with black and preceded by a black line which towards anal angle is edged internally with whitish. Under surface olivaceous grey; central transverse line of primaries white- edged internally with black; submarginal series of black spots bordered with white and increasing in size towards inner margin: secondaries have a white central line inwardly edged with black, and uniting in the second median interspace with a submarginal line composed of white-edged black spots, and followed bya reddish-orange patch, which is widest between the second and third median nervules, and hardly to be traced beyond the first median branch; from the abdominal margin, above the orange patch, are two short black-edged oblique lines, approximating at their discal ex- tremities; between the termination of these lines and the juncture of central and submarginal lines is a black-edged white curve; a black spot at anal angle, between which, and one in the second median interspace isa pale blue patch edged internally with black; fringes of all the wings olivaceous grey, preceded by a dark line, which is edged internally with white, especially on the secondaries. 2. Fuliginous brown, without reddish-orange patch. Under surface as in the male. Expanse, gf 32—34 mm., 2 35 mm. Two male and one female specimens taken in July at Chang Yang. Allied to T. v-album, Oberth. Etud. d’Ent. xi. pl. iv. fig. 23, but the reddish-orange patch on upper surface of primaries is more in the centre of wing, and the markings of under surface are of a very different character. THECLA RUBICUNDULA, SP. 0. $. Fuliginous-brown. Primaries with a discal reddish orange suffusion. The tail of secondaries hardly darker, narrowly tipped with white; fringes erey. Under surface brown; outer margin of primaries broadly tinged with reddish orange ; central transverse line white, bordered internally with dark brownish ; there are some indications of a submarginal series of black dots; central transverse line of secondaries white, bordered internally with dark brownish, and bidentated before reaching the abdominal margin; outer margin broadly bordered with reddish orange, and preceded by a submarginal series of small black spots, edged internally with bluish; a black spot at anal angle, and one in the second median interspace; between these is a faintly blue triangular spot. Hxpanse, 31 mm. Two male specimens, Chang Yang; June. Allied to Thecla ornata, but the primaries are paler and the reddish orange colour does not form a distinct patch ; on the under surface the red markings at once separate it both from T. ornata and T’. v-album. DIPSAS MINERVA, Sp. Nn. . Pale orange-brown; outer margin of primaries narrowly bordered with black, broader at the apex. Secondaries with a black spot on outer margin between second and third median nervules, and another at anal angle; fringes grey, darker at the tips and extremities of nervules, preceded NEW SPECIES OF LEPIDOPTERA FROM CHINA. 41 by a black line, which traverses the tail to the white tip. Under surface rather paler than above; primaries with an interrupted white submarginal line, edged internally with black, followed by a series of white lunules, edged externally with black, and enclosing reddish orange spots; secondaries have a white submarginal line, edged internally with black, with three deep indentations before abdominal margin, followed by an undulated black-edged white line enclosing some reddish orange spots and two black ones; one of these last is placed at outer angle, and the other, which is edged with reddish orange, between second and third nervules; the orange spots are edged externally with black, intersected by short projections from a white line parallel with outer margin; fringes and tail as above. Expanse, 37 mm. In one of the specimens the border of outer margin and apex is very faintly indicated. Five female specimens taken at Ichang in June. Allied to Dipsas (Thecla) seraphim, Oberth. Etud. d’Ent. xi. pt. 5, fig. 87, from which it differs principally in the arrangement of markings on under surface of secondaries. DIPSsAs COMES, sp. n. @. Closely allied to D. minerva, but the black border of primaries is confined to the apical and costal areas; on the secondaries there is no black spot, but there are traces of a pale submarginal line, which is deeply indented before abdominal margin; the under surface is browner, there are no markings on the primaries beyond the submarginal line; the submarginal line of secondaries starts from a point nearer the middle of costa, has only one deep indentation before abdominal margin, the line following extends only from the outer angle to second median nervule and forms a series of arches interrupting the broad reddish orange marginal border ; there is no black spot at outer angle, and that between the second and third median nervules is smaller. Hxpanse, 38 mm. One female example taken in July at Chang Yang. DIPSAS MELPOMENE, Sp. n. Pale orange-brown ; apex of primaries, tail, and anal angle of secondaries black. Under surface rather browner than above; primaries streaked with whitish along the inner margin, discoidal bar and submarginal line darker, the latter faintly edged externally with whitish: secondaries with dark discoidal bar edged with whitish; submarginal line white, curved, and slightly indented before abdominal margin, followed by a paler shade of the ground colour; a spot between second and third median nervules and one at anal angle black; the marginal border is of the ground colour, intersected by a paler line to the second median nervule, then pale reddish orange to the abdominal margin ; fringes of the ground colour, preceded by a darker line to the second median nervule, from which point to the anal angle the fringes are white, preceded by a black line, which traverses the tail to the white tip. Expanse, 40 mm. One example captured at Chang Yang in August. Allied to 7’. jonasi, Janson, but easily distinguished there- from by the different character of the apical patch of primaries above and the markings on the under surface of secondaries ; the tails are longer and more slender. ENTOM.—FEB. 1890, E 42 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. DIPsAsS THESPIS, sp. n. Pale orange-brown; tail, anal angle, and spot between second and third median nervules black. Under surface pale ochreous-brown, with central transverse and submarginal lines of primaries white, the first bordered internally and the last externally with black: secondaries have an internally black-bordered white central line projecting sharply outwards before reaching the abdominal margin, and a submarginal series of connected black-edged white lunules, the first of which at the outer angle is followed by a black spot; another larger black spot displaces the lunule between second and third median branches; this is surrounded with reddish orange, and the marginal border is tinged with the same colour; a small black spot at anal angle, and there are some short longitudinal black dashes before the. black line at base of the white fringes. Expanse, 33 mm. One example, taken at Ichang in August. Allied to Dipsas (Thecta) lutea, Brem., but differs from that Species very materially in the markings of under surface of secondaries. ae . RAPALA REPERCUSSA, Sp. Nn. 3S. Fuliginous-brown, with strong purple reflections; fringes slightly paler; tail of secondaries black, tipped with white; lobe at anal angle marked with blue and pale orange. Under surface olivaceous-brown ; primaries have a faint pale linear discoidal spot and central transverse line, the latter with an interior edging of fuscous; submarginal line indicated only towards inner margin: secondaries have a dark discoidal bar outlined with white; a waved white line broadly bordered interiorly with fuscous, and preceded by a thin wavy white line, forming a compound band extending only to the submedian nervure, is intersected by the nervules, and exhibits a tendency to become broken up into spots; at its termination are two short parallel white lines running to abdominal margin; sub- marginal line whitish wavy ; a large velvety black spot encircled with orange in the second median interspace; the lobe at anal angle is black, with white fringe, above it is a blue spot, and two small patches, one orange and the other blue separated by a black streak; fringes of abdominal margin white. Expanse, 40 mm. @. Rather browner, and the purple reflection is less intense. Ten males, two females, Chang Yang; July. Allied to Rapala (Deudoriz) manea, Hew. Ill. D. L. p. 238, pl. 9, figs. 40, 41 (1868). In some examples of the male there is a distinct reddish orange cloud just beyond the discoidal cell on primaries; this is faintly indicated in other males and one female specimen. RAPALA SUBPURPUREA, Sp. n. gS. Closely allied to R. repercussa, but the purple reflection is more vivid, and on the primaries almost confined to the lower half of the wing; the lobe at anal angle of secondaries is black, with white fringes tipped with black. On the under surface the primaries are greyer on the inner margin; the discoidal spot is outlined indistinctly ; the transverse line is dark olive-brown, edged externally with whitish, and more obliquely placed: submarginal line pale. The central transverse line of secondaries is dark olive-brown, edged externally with whitish, and internally, towards abdominal, margin, where it forms a distinct W, with tawny; submarginal line dusky; the black spot in second median interspace has an inner border of reddish NEW SPECIES OF LEPIDOPTERA FROM CHINA. 45 orange, between this and black anal lobe is a dark patch powdered with whitish scales. Abdomen below yellowish. Expanse, 38 mm. @. The primaries are rather more uniformly suffused with purple. Nine males, three females; Chang Yang, June and July ; Ichang, July. LycHNA ARCANA, Sp. 0. &. Brown; secondaries with a slender short black tail fringed with white; discoidal spot of primaries black; discal area suffused with pale blue, as also is the basal area of secondaries, which is further adorned with a submarginal row of black spots, the last two bordered internally with orange, and externally with whitish. Under surface pale grey; discoidal spot, central, and submarginal lines of primaries dark grey, bordered with white. The secondaries have three black basal spots; discoidal spot and central line dark grey, bordered with white; the line is much interrupted, especially towards the costa, and is represented on the costa itself by a black spot outlined with white; submarginal line wavy dark grey, and preceding a series of triangular spots of the same colour on the outer margin; two black spots towards anal angle, edged outwardly with metallic-blue and inwardly with orange. 9. Similar to male, but without the blue suffusion. Expanse, 3 31 mm., 2 33 mm. One male, Chang Yang, June; one female, Ship-y-Shan, September. Allied to L. argiades, but differs therefrom in the ornamenta- tion of under surface. — LYcHNA NEBULOSA, Sp. Nn. 3S. Lilac-blue, suffused with fuscous. Primaries have some pale blue scales along the costa, and a distinct black discoidal spot; the outer margin is broadly bordered with black, and the central series of spots of the under surface are faintly indicated. Secondaries have all the margins broadly bordered with black. Fringes white. Under surface pale greyish white ; linear discoidal spot and central series of spots on primaries black; sub- marginal series of dark grey lunules, followed by a series of blackish linear spots on the outer margin: secondaries have a basal series of three, and a central series of eight, black spots; discoidal spot is lear and very narrow, . the markings beyond ave similar to those on primaries, but the spots on the margin in the median interspaces are round and larger; fringes white, streaked with grey, and preceded by a thin blackish line. Hxpanse, 36 mm. One male specimen taken in June at Chang Yang. Somewhat resembles the female of L. argiolus, but differs therefrom in the shape of primaries, shade of blue, and markings of under surface. SATSUMA CHALYBEIA, Sp. n. 3S. Pale blue; costa, apical third, and outer margin of primaries black, as also are the fringes; secondaries with an interrupted black submarginal band; abroad black line before the black and grey fringes. Under surface grey dusted with black atoms, basal half of primaries blackish, discoidal spot, central and submarginal wavy lines black; transverse band of secondaries occupying the central third of wing blackish limited by black wavy lines, submarginal line black, undulating, followed by some obscure dusky spots ; fringes as above. Expanse, 30 mm. One male example, Chang Yang, May. i 2 ~ 44 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. Differs from Satsuma (Thecla) frivaldszkyi, Ld., in having two distinct transverse lines on upper surface of primaries, and in the absence of white markings on under surface of all the wings. SATSUMA PRATTI, sp. n. 3. Fuliginous-brown. Primaries have some blue scales below the median nervure, and the secondaries have a dull bluish reflection. Under surface of primaries brown, suffused with blackish towards the black basal area, an indistinct wavy dark central line bordered with white at costa: secondaries black irrorated with white scales, and a brown cloud towards outer angle, the indented central line broadly bordered with white below costa and on inner margin; submarginal band wavy ill-defined and inter- sected by a pale wavy line. Expanse, 30 mm. One male specimen taken in June, at Ichang. Separable from Satswma (Thecla) frivaldszkyi by the darker colour of all the wings, and by the white markings and blackish ground colour of under surface of secondaries. AMBLYPODIA ANGULATA, Sp. n. @. Costa of primaries slightly sinuous, outer margin dentate and rather concave from apex to middle. Costa of secondaries convex near the base, then concave to the acuminate and vertical apex from whence the outer margin decends obliquely to the middle when it becomes rounded; tails are somewhat spatulate. Black with a strong suffusion of bluish purple, intersected by the black venation, on the disc of all the wings; discoidal spot of secondaries black and bar-like. Under surface of primaries blackish, with a large quad- rate pale grey blotch on the greyish inner margin, preceded by some short brownish grey transverse lines on the disc; central line brownish grey, curved and wavy; submarginal line darker, edged internally with black, twice angulated above inner margin, and followed by some indistinct dark grey-brown lunules: secondaries grey irrorated with black, suffused with violet towards the base and clouded with obscure purplish violet over the rest of the wing; several pale but ill-defined transverse lines. Hxpanse, 40 mm. One female example received from Chang Yang. Amblypodia ganessa, Moore, Cat. Lep. E.1.C. p. 44, pl. 1a, fig. 9 (1857). Var. seminigra. &. Primaries blue paler beyond cell, costa and outer margin deeply bordered with black; the discoidal spot, which is within the costal border, is more intensely black. Secondaries black suffused with blue most pronounced along the central area. Fringes fuscous grey. Under surface pale brownish grey with four whitish wavy edged darker bands, the first two are basal the third is abbreviated the fourth broad and the only one which is clearly defined ; submarginal line slender and interrupted: secondaries greyish brown with four interrupted bands these are of the ground colour, but darker at the edges and bordered with whitish; brownish submarginal line wavy, bordered with whitish and followed by a few brownish linear dots on the margin; fringes pale grey preceded by a darker line. Expanse, 32 mm. One male example, Chang Yang, June. DopoNA MACULOSA, sp. 0. 3&. Black with fulvous and white markings. Primaries have an oblique central band represented by a bar in the discoidal cell and one below to the inner margin; beyond is a slender linear discoidal spot, followed by a larger NEW SPECIES OF LEPIDOPTERA FROM CHINA. 45 double spot intersected by the discoidal nervule; above is a small dot on the costa, and below are three roundish spots, those in the submedian and first median interspaces are out of line and nearer a submarginal series of spots, the last of which is linear and slightly curved, the next round, and the one above dot-like ; the remainder of the series comprises two pairs of white spots, but the initial one of the costal pair is very small; there are two other white spots nearer the apex. On the secondaries the markings comprise an oblique streak from the costa to the submedian nervure, one beyond extending nearly to the anal angle, but interrupted by first pair of median branches; a short bar from the costa broken up by the venation into three spots; a submarginal band also interrupted; all, together with a line parallel with outer margin, are obscure fulvous; the anal lobe and tail are black, the former bordered with whitish. Fringes grey tipped with black. Under surface inclined to brown; all the markings of primaries are similar to above, but rather paler, less interrupted, and with the addition of a basal band and a marginal series of linear spots. Secondaries with a pale fulvous streak along abdominal margin, which unites before the anal angle with one running from the base parallel with submedian nervure, and enclosing a third broader streak 5 an oblique white streak from the costa terminates on the submedian nervure in a point, and beyond is a party-coloured streak, white at the costa, pale fulvous to the second median, and then white again to its termination; the whitish submarginal band is preceded by a black interrupted streak and followed by a black transverse dash from the costa; a broad pale fulvous line, white near costa, parallel with outer margin; anal lobe and tail velvety black edged and fringed with white, above is a whitish cloud. @. Similar to the male, but the markings are paler, much larger, and less interrupted. Expanse, f 39 mm., ? 42—46 mm. Two females, Chang Yang, June; four “males, two females, Ichang, July. Allied to D. egeon, Dbld., from N. India, but easily dis- tinguished by the different characters of the markings. It is also very close to D. eugenes, Bates, and may possibly be only a local form of that species. LEUCOPHASIA GIGANTHA, sp. Nl. gd. White. Primaries with a large black spot on the second discoidal nervule, sometimes extending upwards to the first; a smaller one on the discocellular. Under surface of primaries with the black spots faintly repro- duced. Secondaries have an angulated suffused band indicated by a blackish costal streak, and a curved mark between the discoidal and third median nervules; discoidal cell intersected by a longitudinal black bar; the venation is dark, especially on the secondaries and outer margin of primaries. Head black; collar yellow; thorax black dusted with white; pectus sprinkled with yellow; abdomen white. @. Under surface of secondaries and apex of primaries tinged with yel- lowish, the black markings more band-like, with the addition of a ziczac black submarginal line; all these markings are faintly seen through from above. Expanse, gf 48—62 mm., 2? 72 mm. The specimens of the May brood are without black spot on primaries, the colour is more creamy, and the venation appears more prominent. I propose the name of immacula for this seasonal form. The type is separated from the other species of Leucophasia by the large black spot on primaries, and both forms are dis- tinguished by the yellow collar. A fine series taken at Chang Yang in May and August. 46 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. PrEris OBERTHURI, Sp. Nh. ¢.- White. Primaries: costa bordered with black; nervules edged on each side with black, expanding towards the outer margin, which appears in con- sequence to be deeply bordered. Secondaries black at outer angle and half- way along the costa; nervules bordered with black, and there are streaks of the same colour in the interspaces, pointed towards outer margin and bifur- cated at their inner end. Under surface similar to above, but the streaks in interspaces of secondaries are connected with the borders of nervules; a deep yellow patch at base of secondaries. ?. The black borders of nervules of primaries are not quite so broad as in the male, but otherwise there is no difference in the markings of the sexes. Hxpanse, gf 80 mm., 2? 92 mm. In one specimen the whole of the primaries is black with the exception of the discoidal cell, a broad patch from the base between the median nerve and inner margin, intersected by the submedian and a curved series of five oblong spots beyond the middle of the wing. A fine series taken in April and June, at Chang Yang. Allied to P. acrea, Oberth., but differing therefrom in the character of the marginal borders. DELIAS PATRUA, Sp. n. 3. Black. Costa, inner angle, discoidal cell, and nervular interspaces streaked with grey, the streaks in latter are attenuated towards outer margins, before which they unite with a whitish-centred grey spot, those nearest apex are linear, and the streaks preceding are not always well defined. Secondaries, inner area of the wings within submedian nervure, and a portion of interspace above canary-yellow, each interspace above has a grey streak, those between the median nervules are centred with white, and the upper one is only separated from a broad discal streak by the disco-cellular nervule ; a series of grey spots before the outer margin, those nearest anal angle with yellow linear centres. Under surface black; primaries with the streaks and spots as above but white, the costa is only sprinkled with grey scales, there are two short yellow dashes between costa and submedian nervure towards apex, and the spots nearest apex are more or less yellow: secondaries have canary- yellow markings, a broad patch at the base intersected by the precostal, a broad streak, whitish towards base, in the discoidal cell; inner area as above; a central and submarginal series of spots, but the former are only suffused with yellow to a greater or lesser extent. Fringes grey and black. @. Fuliginous-black, the costa less grey, the streaks are shorter and are not connected with the spots towards outer margin; the inner area above is whitish towards abdominal fold. Expanse, § 88 mm., ? 92 mm, A fine series, Chang Yang, June. Closely allied to D. belladonna, but at once separated by the absence of yellow patch at base of secondaries. PTEROGOSPIDEA DIVERSA, Sp. Nl. Brownish black. Primaries have three subhyaline spots on the disc, and five very small ones towards apex, the central spots form a triangle, a lunar or linear one at end of discoidal cell, one rather larger and more quadrate beyond, and a still larger one below, of the outer five the second is punctiform and placed inwards, the fourth rather outwards, and the remaining two are directly under the first ; a white spot in the submedian interspace under the larger subhyaline one. Secondaries have a broad white central band NEW SPECIES OF LEPIDOPTERA FROM CHINA. Aq terminating on the inner margin opposite a white band on the abdomen, and there are some black spots on its upper external edge. Fringes of primaries black, spotted with white above inner angle; of secondaries white, tinged with grey, becoming darker towards outer angle, and with a slender blackish line at their base preceded by some white spots. Under surface as above, but the white spot in submedian interspace is rather larger, and is followed by a whitish shade: the central band of secondaries is also wider, and encloses two black spots, there is a faint indication of a pale submarginal line; there are some bluish grey hairs at the base. Head and thorax tinged with yellow. Palpi yellowish, and the pectus is tinged with same colour. A nice series from Chang Yang, taken in June. Nearly allied to P. sinica, Feld., but easily distinguished therefrom by the different maculation. PLESIONEURA GRANDIS, Sp. 0. g. Fuliginous brown, all the wings paler towards base. Primaries with a greyish apical patch and three subhyaline spots, one in the discoidal cell, a larger one below and a little beyond in the first median interspace, and a smaller one in the interspace above; fringes pale grey, becoming darker towards apex of primaries. Under surface of primaries greyish, costal half suffused with fuliginous from the base to just beyond the subhyaline spots: perondiancs fuliginous brown, sprinkled with ochreous scales; fringes as above, 2. Similar in colour to the male, but without the greyish apical patch on primaries; the subhyaline spots are larger, the two central ones are only separated by the median nerve. Hxpanse, gf 55mm., 2? 68 mm. Two male specimens taken at Chang Yang, in April, and one example of each sex from Ship-y-Shan, captured in September; these have elongated primaries, whilst those from Chang Yang have broader secondaries. PAMPHILA VIRGATA, 8p. 0. gf. Dark brown. Primaries have a fulvous streak from base parallel with costa to beyond the middle, this steaak is broken up by the subcostal nervules into linear spots, its outer extremity curving downwards, and terminate directly over four fulvous spots placed in the median and submedian interspaces, there are two more or less confluent yellow dashes in the discoidal cell, and the base and inner margin are streaked with fulvous scales. Secondaries tinged with fulvous towards base with some fulyous-centred dashes. Fringes yellow, chequered with dark brown. Under surface of primaries blackish, with centre spots as above, but the costal streak and disccidal spots are not so clearly defined, the apical half of outer margin is suffused with yellow, but the base is not sprinkled with yellow scales. Secondaries yellow, with some spots at the base, an indistinct central band, and two parallel transverse series of black spots before the outer margin, black, more or less obscured with yellow; the abdominal fold is streaked with blackish. ?. Similar in ground colour to the male, but the yellow costal streak is ill defined, except above the one discoidal spot, the central spots are smaller, and all are pale in colour. Expanse, 80—32 mm. A fine series from Chang Yang and Ichang, taken in June and July. I took examples of each sex at Foochau in April, 1886. Allied to P. maro, Fab. 48 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. PAMPHILA MAGA, Sp. 0. gf. Superficially resembles P. virgata, but the thorax is much stouter, and the primaries are without the yellow costal streak of that species, there are two yellow spots in discoidal cell, the lower of which is oblong and much the largest ; beyond are six other yellow spots forming a transverse series, three of these are close together near the costa, one in each median interspace, and one near the submedian nervure. Secondaries have one spot in each median interspace. Under surface of primaries blackish ; costa and upper portion of outer margin broadly suffused with yellow; the yellow spots of the upper surface are, with the exception of the sixth, reproduced, the second to fourth each followed by a black spot, and there is a submarginal series of indistinct black spots between apex and first median nervule; a projection from the yellow marginal border passes between the costal and central spots. Expanse, 32 mm. One male example taken at Ichang in June, and I captured one at Ningpo in April, 1886. PAMPHILA SIMILIS, Sp. 0. $. Exactly identical with the same sex of P. prominens, Moore, except as regards the sexual mark, which in this species is replaced by two subhyaline spots, one fairly large and triangular, the other, just above it, smaller and comma-like. One male example taken at Chang Yang, in June. HALPE SUBMACULA, Sp. N. g. Dark brown. Primaries have a double subhyaline spot in discoidal cell, one in each median interspace beyond, and three forming a short oblique dash just below costa and near apex; there are also two small obscure yellowish spots below the discoidal cell. Secondaries have three central subhyaline spots, two of these are only separated by the second median nervule, and the third is nearer the costa. Under surface dark brown, clouded with yellowish, discal central and costal subhyaline spots as above, but tinged with yellow; the costa is streaked with ochreous to the middle, and there is a submarginal series of ochreous spots extending to first median: secondaries are brown, sprinkled with ochreous scales, with a pale yellowish spot near base of costal nerve, another nearer its middle, and one at its external extremity, the last constitutes the initial spot of a submarginal series of double pale yellow spots, the third of which represents the terminal spot of three, forming a longitudinal streak from the base of the wing; another longitudinal streak below is in connection with the last spot of submarginal series, but its junction therewith is obscured by some blackish markings ; nee of both surfaces pale yellow, chequered with blackish. HEixpanse, 8—40 mm. Five male specimens from Chang Yang, taken in June. CYCLOPIDES CHINENSIS, Sp. 0. Brownish black. Primaries with a short white dash near costa and towards apex, broken up by the nervules into three spots. Under surface of primaries brown, suffused with fuliginous over the discal area, upper half of outer margins bordered with greyish, white dash as above; secondaries brown, inner half thickly sprinkled with greyish scales, and traversed by two obscure darker bands. Fringes dark grey, both above and beneath. Expanse, 3d 82—34 mm., 2? 86—40 mm. Several specimens of both sexes, taken in the neighbourhood NEW SPECIES OF LEPIDOPTERA FROM CHINA. 49 of Ichang in June and August; and one male example, captured in June at Chang Yang. The white spots forming the costal dash vary in number from three to one; in some specimens, where three are present, they are very faint; and in others all the spots are entirely absent from both surfaces. Allied to C. ornatus, Brem., but separable therefrom by the absence of the silver streak on under surface of secondaries. CYCLOPIDES NANUS, Sp. 0. Fuliginous brown. Primaries have six small yellowish spots, one discoidal, and a transverse series of five beyond, two of which occupy the median interspace, and three near costa. Fringes of secondaries and towards inner margin of primaries whitish, spotted with brownish. Under surface of primaries as above, with the addition of a broad stripe of yellowish scales along the costa, and some yellowish patches below apex: secondaries are thickly sprinkled with yellowish, especially on the basal half, which is divided into two parts by a dark transverse line just beyond a pale yellowish discoidal spot, there are central and submarginal series of pale yellow spots; fringes as above. Expanse, 21 mm. Seven specimens, including two examples of the female, taken at Ichang in June. One of the females has the number of spots in the submarginal series on under side of primaries increased to six, by the addition of one to the costal set. I also received specimens of this species from a native collector at Ningpo, 1886. Distinguished from other species of the genus by its small S1Ze. BIzZONE CRUENTA, Sp. 0. g. Primaries white, with crimson markings; a short basal transverse line, united by a streak along the costa with one traversing the wing from costa to inner margin, from the upper outer edge of this last line is a longi- tudinal wedge-shaped spot, followed by two black dots, placed obliquely, not asin B. hamata one under the other; beyond the middle is a second transverse line, uniting at each extremity with a broad apical and outer- marginal border. Secondaries pale crimson, shading to white at the base. Fringes white. Under surface of primaries: central area fuscous, with two ill-defined but contiguous black spots; secondaries as above. Head and thorax pure white, collar faintly flecked with crimson. ?. Similar to the male, but on the upper surface the markings are paler, there is no longitudinal spot before discal dots, and the border of outer margin is not united on the costa with the preceding transverse line; the lower discal spot is not always clearly defined. Expanse, gf: 25—28 mm., 2 24—29 mm. Several specimens from Chang Yang, taken in May, July, and August; one female example taken in July at Ichang. The male of this species is without costal fold or pencil of hairs. SATURNIA OBERTHURI, sp. 0. _ d+. Ground colour of all the wings deep yellow; the discal area of primaries occupied by a large salmon-pink patch, its upper limit being the third median neryule, and reaching the inner margin; a black transverse 50 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. discal bar is set in a reniform spot. of a pinkish brown colour, edged internally with black; basal line black, irregularly wavy; central line, from costa to inner margin, black, and has the appearance of a series of n-marks ; outer line double, wavy, commencing from the apex, where it is white; it loses itself in a large black spot, then continues in a series of symmetrical black waves to the inner margin; submarginal line white, straight; apex suffused with a pale brown cloud; basal two-thirds of costa heavily clothed with thick dark brown scales. Secondaries with the salmon-pink patch and n-like central line as in primaries; basal line curved and indistinet; double outer line wavy, black throughout; white submarginal line wavy, traversing a broad band of dull orange-brown; discal spot very similar to that on primaries, but larger, bordered all round with black, and the bar bordered externally with violet-grey scales. Head yellow, collar and front of thorax blackish brown, remainder of thorax and body golden orange. Under surface with fainter markings; legs chocolate-brown, banded with pink. Expanse, 154 mm. One male, taken near Ichang in August. Mr. C. Oberthur, after whom I purpose naming this species, possesses a male specimen from Cochin China. 29, Hyde Park Gate, S.W. COLEOPTERA AT. CAMBER DURING 1889. By W. H. Bennett. Hastines and the districts around it afford some remarkably good hunting-grounds for the coleopterist. By far the best of these (as far as my experience goes) is to be found near Rye, a quaint old town of considerable interest from an archeological point of view. Our business, however, is with the entomological features of the place. Immediately on leaving the town our hunting-ground begins. There are, at the foot of the hill on which the town stands, some miles of flat marshy land, intersected by more or less brackish ditches, the haunts of the Octhebii, &c.; and a mile or two off, near the mouth of the harbour, is a small range of sand-hills, similar in character to the well-known Deal sand- hills. They are not of large extent, only a mile or so in length, and very narrow. Judging, however, from the number of special sand-hill species found there we may, I think, safely conclude that at some former period they must have been much more extensive. The following are the best species I have taken there during 1889 :—Dyschirius salinus, plentifully, apparently associated with Bledius unicorns and B. tricornis, and also with Heterocerus sericans. Dyschirius eneus also occurred, but I could not find any Bledii at the same place with it. In March I took two specimens of Masoreus wetterhallii on moss, but could never find any more; so I suppose it is rare here. In moss, in early spring, I found Amara bifrons (not rare), A. rufocincta (one), GOLHOPTERA AT GAMBER DURING 1889. 51 Harpalus rotundicollis, anzius, and puncticollis, and a single specimen of H. cordatus. Acupalpus consputus was rare by the side of a ditch, and the only Bembidiums that were worth mentioning were B. mannerheimi and B. varium. From the ditches I got Hydroporus parallelogrammus (plenty), Agabus conspersus, Hydrobius oblongus, Octhebius margipallens, O. bicolor, and O. eratus in plenty, and O. punctatus and O. exaratus rare. Under tidal refuse, on one occasion, O. rufimarginatus was to be found in the utmost profusion. It is curious that, although I take this species every year at Camber, I have never taken a © single specimen in the water, but have invariably found them under tidal refuse from the river. ; A few very good Staphylinide occurred. Philonthus quis- quillarius, and var. dimidiatus, and Actobius signaticornis, under decaying vegetable matter almost in the water; Bledius tri- cornis (common but very local), B. unicornis ditto, B. opacus very sparingly. The rare B. crassicollis, hitherto only recorded from Deal, also turned up, but in very scanty numbers, the most determined searching only resulting in one or two speci- mens aday. As might have been expected, Trogophlceii occurred in numbers on the muddy sides of the ditches. T’. corticinus swarmed in the spring, and TZ’. bilineatus and elongulatus were both common. In carrion there occurred Homaliwm riparium (one), H. fossulatum, and H. oxyacanthe; also Aleochara algarum and A. obscurella in numbers. On the sand- hills I met with Anisotoma calcarata and A. dubia; and at the same place, in dead birds, I found Saprinus maritimus (common), S. metallicus, and S. immundus (sparingly) ; also a fine series of Nitidula 4-pustulata, and on one occasion I beat out of the dry carcass of a dog Cryptophagus pilosus and Dermestes undulatus. Among the Byrrhide, Syncalypta hirsuta was not rare among moss and stones, while on the banks of a ditch I got a nice series of the queer Scymnus-like Limnichus pygmeus. Heterocerus obsoletus was common, and J. sericans I got in numbers for the first time, but it is very local. Helops pallidus occurred sparingly, and deep insand. Among the weevils I got Metallites marginatus (two), Hydronomus alismatis, Bagous lutosus (one), and B. tempestivus. This last species seems excessively local here ; I found it at one ditch only, and there it occurred in dry roots of grass in the utmost profusion. Some idea of the numbers can be gathered from the fact that I counted fifty in my paper at once after shaking a few handfuls of grass. The only other species worth mentioning were T'anysphyrus lemne (cora- mon), Phytobius leucogasta, Baris t-album, Phlaophagus spadix, and Hyperaspis reppensis. I have paid no attention to the Lepidoptera, but I have no doubt many good species occur. I might mention that a few 52 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. weeks ago, in an afternoon’s hunting, I got more than fifty pups of Gymnancycla canella. 11, George Street, Hastings. AN ENTOMOLOGICAL TOUR ON THE TABLE-LAND OF MOUNT ARTHUR. By G. V. Hupson, F.E.S. (Concluded from p. 12.) Turspay, January 24th, was occupied in collecting about Salisbury’s Opening, round the base of Gordon’s Pyramid. The sun was very hot, and nearly every tussock was enlivened by the presence of Argyrophenga antipodum, which is pre-eminently the butterfly of the table-land. It will be seen how widely the speci- mens of this insect taken here differ from those from Christchurch and the Dun Mountain, and individuals from other localities would probably exhibit further aberrations. The number of ocelli on the wings varies exceedingly; one specimen in my collection has them almost completely suppressed. | Of the large Crambi, Crambus creneus is the commonest species, but is with difficulty distinguished from C. isochylus on the wing. Crambus siriellus is a finely-marked species, and a good series can be obtained with a little perseverance; but I understand from Mr. Meyrick that it is by no means confined to the alpine or subalpine regions, being found extensively on the low-lands. The brilliant little Crambus helistes may be seen flying about like swarms of small flies, in wet places, and is usually very common near the track. Where it leaves the forest, a fine species of Hepialus occurred, of which I managed to secure four specimens in all. It is said to be only a variety of Hepialus variolaris, a low-land insect; but I feel almost sure that it is an abundantly distinct species. Other species taken were Arcteuthes chrysopeda, Notoreas paradelpha, and a curious light form of Chrysophanus boldenarum, which was abundant on the shingle round the stream. The morning of Friday, 25th, was devoted to the limestone caves, which are often rather difficult to find, but directions can be easily obtained from Mr. Heath, or the miners. In one of these a very remarkable orthopterous insect occurred. I regret to say that I was only able to obtain three male specimens. They are extremely active, and can leap two or three feet at a time; their capture is consequently attended with much difficulty in a dark cave, where one can only look about with a single candle. I much wanted to ascertain the food of these insects, but the caves seem devoid of any kind of fungoid vegetation, which I should imagine TOUR ON THE TABLE-LAND OF MOUNT ARTHUR. 53 that they would be likely to eat. No Coleoptera were observed ; and in fact the only other insect was the luminous dipterous larva, which on examination proved identical with those found on the banks of streams in the forest round Wellington. In the afternoon we visited a singular gorge, chiefly remarkable for its steep sides and a large rock at the entrance, in the middle of the stream, somewhat resembling a sphinx in shape. This place is well worth visiting, and can be easily found by following down the first large stream which crosses the southern end of Salisbury’s Opening. A peculiar species of Ranunculus was abundant on the steep sides, and many other rare looking plants. The insects taken were numerous, comprising, amongst the Geometrina,— Larentia chionogramma, Cidaria purpurifera, Epyaxa semifissata, Larentia clarata, and Boarmia productata. Of the Pyralidina, the genus Scoparia was, as might be expected, strongly repre- sented, the following species being taken flying about the rocks: Scoparia philerga, S. cymatias, 8. trivigata, Xeroscopa niphospora, X. cyameuta, X. rotuella, Diptychophora wterrupta, Gicophora griseata, and many other Micro-Lepidoptera. In fact, the locality is so productive that I devoted two other afternoons to collecting there, and should strongly recommend any entomologist visiting the table-land to give it his close attention. On Sunday, January 27th, I decided to work Mount Peel and the neighbourhood, and made an early start in the morning, arriving on the top of the mountain at about eleven o'clock. On our ascent, Notoreas paradelpha was common at about 4000 feet, where a black species of Pyronota also occurred. The first snow was met with at about 5000 feet, and shortly afterwards we again fell in with Hrebia pluto, but not so commonly as on Mount Arthur. As, however, Mount Peel is so much better suited to collecting, a larger and finer series was taken here than on the former. I was also astonished to meet with the odd little Chrysophanus boldenarum up here. The butterfly is said to frequent river-beds in the South Island, but I am inclined to think that it is far more widely distributed, and have seen large numbers in the Wellington Province. A fine species of Locustids was also abundant on the rocks, and completely protective in its colouring ; the same species occurred on Mount Arthur, and in both localities the insects were quite invisible when motionless. On returning, a visit was made to Lake Peel, where several specimens of the alpine Cicade (Cicada montana, Hud., MSS. name) were secured, as well as Stathmonyma hectori, and other interesting insects. Monday, 28th, was devoted to setting specimens and collecting in the gorge; and on Tuesday we left the table-land, meeting with three specimens of Dodonidia helmsii on the track, all of which were unfortunately out of reach, 54 : } THE ENTOMOLOGIST. Perhaps a few notes on the low-land insects observed in this locality may be of some interest, as showing the range of altitude exhibited by many species. Amongst the butterflies, Vanessa gonerilla and Chrysophanus salustius were occasionally met with at about 3200 feet; they did not exhibit any noticeable divergence from the type. Agrotis nullifera was once taken at light, also Scoparia diptheralis, both being normal forms. Crambus flexuo- sellus, Boarmia productata, and B. melinata occurred occasionally from 2000 to 8500 feet, but were not very common; in all the specimens the markings were somewhat darker than usual. Petalura carovei, the great dragonfly of New Zealand, was very abundant in swampy localities round Salisbury’s Opening. I did not see any specimens above 4000 feet, while the smaller Libellula — smithii, Agrion colensonis, and A. zealandica were swarming almost everywhere, extending up to the top of the mountain. The ordinary flesh-flies (Calliphora quadrimaculata, Sarcophaga lemica, &c.) were, as usual, everywhere. I noticed many speci- mens on the top of Mount Arthur, while eating my lunch. I am quite at a loss to understand what supports such large numbers of these insects in such remote localities, and can only conjecture that they are endowed with an extremely keen sense of smell, and travel great distances in search of food. Among Coleoptera, Pyronota festiva was everywhere abundant, and was perhaps slightly larger and more brilliant in colouring than the ordinary form, although I think specifically identical. Ceratognathus foveolatus occurred under the bark of the mountain birch; but, as I have before mentioned, I did not devote sufficient. time to this order to judge at all accurately of its prevalence. An inspection of the insects taken, arranged according to the elevation at which they occurred, will, I think, at once show that as the mountains are ascended the Lepidoptera become decidedly darker in colour. This has long been observed in other countries, but I think it is interesting to be able to contribute farther evidence from New Zealand. Respecting the cause of this. peculiar phenomenon, there seems to be little doubt that it is owing to the low temperature existing at high altitudes, as the same effect has been produced artificially by retarding, by means of an ice-house, the development of three species of HKuropean moths (Selenia illustraria, S. illunaria, and S. alnaria), of which Mr. Merrifield gives a most interesting account in the ‘ Trans- actions of the Entomological Society for 1889.’ Lord Walsingham has long ago suggested that a darker colouring or melanism is advantageous to alpine or arctic insects, as it enables them to. absorb the sun’s rays much more rapidly than if they were of a lighter hue; and he instances, as an example, the simultaneous” emergence of a white and a black insect from the pupain a stormy, and cold climate, such as we have in the alpine regions. A passing, TOUR ON THE TABLE-LAND’ OF MOUNT ARTHUR. Ys) gleam of sunshine would enable the black insect to dry its wings, fly away, and propagate its species before the white one was nearly developed, and consequently there would be a continual selection - in favour of the darkest varieties. This theory, I believe, is the true explanation of the singular prevalence of melanic species at high elevations, and may of course be equally well applied to those dark varieties and species of insects which have, hitherto, been almost invariably taken in the arctic regions. ‘That there is a marked tendency to a darker coloration in the Lepidoptera from the Mount Arthur district as we ascend in altitude, I do not think anyone can for a moment dispute, who examines the representative collection now before the Society. For those wishing to learn further particulars in connection with this most interesting subject, I must. refer them to the abstract of Lord Walsingham’s paper contained in the ‘ Entomo- logist’ (Entom. xvi. 81). In conclusion, I should like to give a very striking instance of protective colouring, which I observed when on a previous visit to the Table-land in 1888. While gathering some small branches from a birch tree, I discovered a beautifully variegated larva imitating exactly the delicate hues of the lichen-covered twigs. After feeding on the birch leaves for a few days it spun up, and emerged a very grey form of Declana roccog on June 7th. I have often seen the larva of this insect, as before mentioned (‘ Transactions,’ N.Z., p. 190, 1888), round Wellington, where, however, it does not in the least resemble the curious caterpillar found on the table-land. ‘This circumstance, I think, gives us a hint as to the means by which alpine insects may have assumed some of their peculiarities. In connection with my previous visit to the table-land in 1888, I should also mention that it was three weeks later in the year than in 1889, and I noticed great differences in the insects observed. For instance, in February, 1888, Stathmonyma anceps was very abundant; Hrebia pluto, scarce; Rhyssa antipodum, one taken and three or four seen; Cladopais mirus, very common. In January, 1889, I found S. anceps was rare, 1. pluto very abundant, and of A. antipodum and C. mirus I neither saw or captured a single specimen. This shows that there is a rapid succession of insect life on the mountains, which can only be properly studied by numerous and prolonged visits of entomologists. Wellington, New Zealand. 56 THE ENTOMOLOGISI. ON THE OCCURRENCE OF HESPERIA LINEOLA IN ESSEX. By A. J. Spinuer. Tue discovery of Hesperia lineola as a new British butterfly is an event of great interest to all entomologists, and in this case there is every reason to believe that the insect, although probably confined to one or two counties, will be found pretty plentiful where it does occur. ‘ During my residence in Essex in 1885-8, I frequently came across the species referred to. In 1885 Colias edusa appeared sparingly in clover fields, and to obtain a series I spent many August mornings among the fragrant clover blossoms. Here I first noticed H. lineola, and although I suspected at first that my captures might be this species, yet their seeming abundance, and the fact that they flew with ordinary H. thawmas, led me to dis- regard this theory, and to accept as a solution of the problem that they were a local variety, due probably to their occurrence upon a chalky soil. In 1887, which was an exceedingly hot summer, the Pieride appeared in vast numbers in the clover- fields, and, expecting from the great heat that C. hyale or C. edusa would appear, I again assiduously searched the clover flowers. Neither C. hyale nor C. edusa appeared, but H. thaumas and H. lineola did, and in numbers that rivalled the “ whites,” nearly every field in one district producing these ‘‘ skippers” in abun- dance. Still considering H. lineola to be but a local variety of H. thaumas, I did not capture the large numbers I might have taken, but after netting them simply selected those specimens which had the black bar least developed, in the hope of obtaining extreme varieties. I was particularly anxious to obtain males in which the black bars were altogether wanting, and consequently netted large numbers, letting those go which did not come up to my expectation of what a variety ought to be. The species was also plentiful in 1888. I have now thoroughly overhauled the specimens in my cabinet, and find that I possess sixteen H. lineola in my series of H. thaumas. In order that no doubt may exist upon the matter, I have forwarded a pair to the Editor of the ‘Entomologist’ for identification. [The specimens are certainly referable to H. lineola.—ED. } How long this butterfly has existed in Kissex is a question I feel unable to determine. But I resided in 1874—6 at Stanstead in that county, and although in several of my entomological peregrinations I collected within a couple of miles of the spot where I recently found it so plentiful, yet I never met with H. lineola there. I may say that although its head-quarters in my district were RHOPALOCGERA IN SWITZERLAND. 57 a few miles from my late residence, yet I was in the habit of meeting with this form all around the neighbourhood,—some- times in clover-fields, sometimes settled on flowers in corn-fields, and occasionally flying in grassy lanes. The time for its appearance would be the latter half of July and the beginning of August. Butterflies, as a rule, are scarce in that part of Essex. In 1875 Colias edusa and C. hyale occurred plentifully, but Vanessa polychloros is the only local species I have found in fair numbers. Leucophasia sinapis occasionally occurs singly, likewise Thecla w-album and L. argiolus ; and in 1887 7. quercus more frequently. The common skippers, S. alveolus and T’. tages, are very local but fairly abundant; but H. sylvanus is met with everywhere with H. thaumas. The only fritillary I met with during four seasons was a single wandering A. paphia, in a country lane,—most probably a rambler from some distant wood. Even such a common species as L. egeria seems to be non-existent. Butterflies being thus comparatively scarce was probably the reason why I paid so much attention to what I then considered to be a local form of H. thaumas, but which I now know to be H. lineola. Chinnor, Oxon, January 10, 1890. Hesperia lineola, a description of which is given by Mr. Hawes (Entom. 8), occurs in abundance, the first week in July, on the marshes near Purfleet, Shoeburyness. I possess five specimens only, but could, had I been disposed, have taken many scores last year.— F. G. Wuirrnte; 2, Cambridge Terrace, Lupus Street, S.W. RHOPALOCERA IN SWITZERLAND. By R. S. Sranpen, F.E.S. On my return to England, after an absence of six years on the Continent, 1 have been surprised and disappointed to find how strong a hold exclusive British Entomology still has upon the average collector. It is natural enough that we should treasure and make the most of insects that are unknown else- where, but how extremely limited is the list of them. The British Isles, as was remarked once by Mr. Bates, are but a ‘“half-starved fragment” of the great palearctic realm, and it seems to me that to limit one’s researches to a small corner of a large area is to take an extremely narrow view of an important science. In these days of cheap locomotion, too, it is hard to under- stand why the young student, who has long since exhausted his observations—for example, on the British butterfly—should not ENTOM.—FEB, 1890, F 58 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. burn to know something of its much more numerous congeners on the other side of the Channel. When one thinks that in little more than twenty-four hours one can reach the best collecting-ground in the South of France or the Swiss Alps, where in one day an active man may secure more species than the whole summer through in England, it seems strange that insular predilections should still so largely prevail. And what . proper estimate, for instance, can we form here of the true characteristics of that alpine genus Hrebia, with its meagre quotient of two, as compared with thirty distinct species and a vast number of varieties on the Continent of Europe alone? Or of our ten Lycenide against fifty or more on the Continent ? For the benefit of those who are unfamiliar with the aspect of a Swiss Valley, from the lepidopterist’s point of view, in the month of July, I may be allowed, perhaps, to recall a stroll up one of them, net in hand, on a warm day towards the end of that month. For most species the end of July is late, at the ~ lower end of a valley, but there is often consolation higher up, where species that were ragged 2000 ft. below have here only just emerged. Where all are so beautiful and so prolific in insect-life, it is difficult to make a selection; but the one of which I have the most grateful recollections is the Visper-Thal, off the Valley of the Rhone. A friend and I explored it together in July, 1885. From Visp to Stalden is an easy walk of two hours along a pretty valley, where the vine is still in cultivation ; a noisy stream rushes over its rocky bed beneath you, and the snowy peak of the Balfrein blocks out all further view ahead. The only rarity I met with here was a single specimen, much worn, of the var. lycidas of L. zephyrus. Until a year or two previously, Berisal, on the Simplon, was the only locality for this insect. I took two females of it also on the Gemmi in 1886. This is one instance among many of the fact before referred to, viz., that, other conditions being favourable, the same insect may be found at widely varying altitudes, a difference in this particular case of some 4000 ft. ; We stayed the night at Stalden, a most picturesque old village at the junction of the Saas and Zermatt valleys. At 6 o’clock the next morning we set out for Saas-im-Grund (5000 ft.), a three hours’ walk, but expanded by us into nearly five, by reason of the many snares which beset our path—notably on approaching our destination, when the sun had full possession of the narrow valley, and species new to us were occurring at every step—the most abundant being Polyommatus virgauree, flitting dazzlingly among patches of its namesake, the golden-rod, and Lrebia tyndarus and goante scattered generally over the meadows. We spent five days at Saas, working each day in different directions ; but the most remunerative in species was one on which we walked up to Mattmark Lake (7000 ft.). RHOPALOCERA IN SWITZERLAND. 59 In the immediate neighbourhood of the Saas Hotel five interesting members of the Lycenide occur, viz., optilete, pheretes, orbitulus, eros, and donzelat, the deep violet of the first and the silvery grey of the last three being particularly striking when seen for the first time. A little further on a group of fritillaries enliven the scene—Melitea maturna, phoebe, aurelia, dictynna ; Argynnis niobe, with its var. eris, A. pales, and var. napea. Par- nassius apollo also occurs here pretty abundantly; and a little higher up, where the valley narrows, we took quite a modest series of P. delius, hovering gracefully along the margin of the stream, where they appear to suck the flowers of Saxifraga aizoides, on which also the larve are said to feed. Here the scenery begins to grow wilder; huge masses of rock shoot up above the larch, spruce, and birch, with which the slopes are still clothed, the boulders in the river are mightier, and there is a weird feeling of desolation ahead. We are now over 6000 ft. above sea-level, and the alpine Erebias are at hand—munestra, evias, gorge, ewryale. Ona barren slope, just before reaching the lake, I took a worn specimen of the very local Gineis aéllo, abundant some years on the Simplon. The approach to the Mattmarksee is almost diabolical in its savage grandeur. A few scattered bushes of the alpine rose and a little brushwood are the only signs of vegetation; the narrow pass is choked with rocks and stones, and the Allalein Glacier forms a natural dam between the lake and the valley. From out of it rise colossal pyramids of cleft ice sheer against the sky, and from an ice grotto at the lower end issues the River Visp. In this wild spot, on a towering slope of loose shale—with not a particle of vegetation visible, and where a false step meant broken bones, if not something worse—E. glaciulis was quite abundant, with an occasional var. alecto. But collecting under these conditions is too exciting to be agreeable, and we.soon clambered over the little rocky pass down to the shore of the muddy lake, where a stunted kind of vegetation again appeared, and where we again came across a few specimens of Lycena pheretes, orbitulus, and eros, in much finer condition than those we took 2000 ft. lower down. LHrebia lappona was also common and fine at this spot. There is a small inn here, where fair accommodation and Italian wines may be had. At Saas-im-Grund also is a capital hostelry—the Hotel du Monte Moro—where board and lodging are only 5s. per diem; so that a fortnight’s excursion to this valley from England may be accomplished easily and com- fortably for from ten to twelve pounds. I append a list of Rhopalocera, observed or taken, between Visp and Mattmark, in the third week of July, and shall be glad to give information about other valleys and hotels to any one desiring it. F 2 60 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. The language of the Canton Vallais, where Visp lies, is German, but as it adjoins a French canton many of the people speak that language also. Kane’s ‘Handbook of Huropean ~ Butterflies’ will be found a most useful vade mecum. List referred to above. —P. podalirius, machaon, P. apollo, delius, P. brassice, rape, napi var. bryonie, callidice; L. sinapis; C. phico- mone; P. virgauree var. zermattensis, hippothoé var. eurybia, alci- plion, var. gordius; L. #gon, argus, optilete, zephyrus var. lycidas, pheretes, orbitulus, astrarche, eros, icarus, eumedon, escheri, donzelii, minima, semiargus, arion, var. obscura; V. urtice, io; M. maturna, aurinia var. merope, phoebe, didyma, var. alpina, dictynna, athalia, parthenie ; A. euphrosyne, pales, var. napea, latonia, niobe, var. eris, paphia, var. valesina; M. galatea; EH. epiphron var. nelamus, me- lampus, mnestra, ceto, evias, glacialis, var. alecto, lappona, tyndarus, gorge, goante, wethiops, euryale; Ci. aéllo; S. hermione; P. mera ; ii. ianira, lycaon, hyperanthes; C. satyrion, pamphilus; 8. carthami, alveus; N. tages; H. thaumas, lineola, sylvanus, comma. Framingham Earl Hall, Norwich, December, 1889. ON THE VARIATION OF HELIOPHOBUS HISPIDUS AT PORTLAND. By N. M. Ricuarpson, B.A. I think that I can give an explanation of the confusion that has arisen with regard to the violet tinge of Heliophobus his- pidus at Portland. I sent to Mr. Tutt on Oct. Ist, 1888, speci- mens taken during September, and on Oct. 15th answered a letter of his asking about the violet tinge. Itis probably a part of this letter that he quotes (Entom. xxii. 1386), and so far as I remember I had not at that time noticed any distinct violet tinge. This year I found that many specimens, when alive and for some time after death, were distinctly tinged with violet, or perhaps more accurately pinkish-lilac, but that after a few weeks this tinge entirely disappeared. At the present time, though I kept for myself several strongly tinged specimens, I cannot find a trace of this violet tinge in any of them. Hiibner therefore probably figured the moth alive or when very recently killed. I could not, however, say of any of the Portland specimens, even during life, that their “ pale markings were of a delicate violet”; on the contrary, they are very pale ochreous, some of them being almost white: the violet is nothing more than a tinge, far less intense than the pink colour of a fresh specimen of Xylocampa lithoriza, and is, as I have said above, very evanescent. Itis spread over the whole of the fore wings, but is most striking on the hind margin and fringes. GAS-LAMP ENTOMOLOGY. 61 With regard to the varieties of H. hispidus found at Portland, I wish, in the first place, to correct the apparent meaning of a quotation which Mr. Tutt makes from a letter of mine (Hntom. xxii. 137), “‘ This (var. pallida) is a more common var. and very pretty.” As he does not give the context, it would appear that I meant ‘“‘more common” than his var. argentea (which repre- sents, I suppose, the commonest form at Portland), whereas I have little doubt that I referred to a very small (1 in. 2 lines) and dark var. (his var. obsoleta?), of which I have only taken two Specimens, one a good specimen of the extreme form, and one a bad specimen somewhat resembling it, which is the one I sent to Mr. Tutt. Ihave seen no others just like these two specimens, which differ from the ordinary form in being smaller, darker, and having less distinct though similar markings. All the other Portland specimens that I have seen resemble each other in the general style of their markings and in size (about 1 in. 5 lines), but vary a good deal in the shade of their ground colour, from very pale greyish brown to almost black. There is,as Mr. South says (Hintom. xxii. 282), very little variation in the arrangement of the markings. Between these two extremes there is every intermediate form, and it would be impossible to make any line of division, as a graduated series could be arranged in which the differences between consecutive specimens would be almost imperceptible. The bulk of the specimens are neither very dark nor very light, but the very light ones are commoner than the very dark ones. I have seen nothing that can be called a variety amongst the females; they vary a little in size, but are far more constant in shade of ground colour than the males, and never very light or very dark; they are much less handsome than the males, and of a less graceful shape. I do not possess any Torquay specimens, so cannot un- fortunately compare them with those from Portland. Montevideo, near Weymouth, Dec. 21st, 1889. GAS-LAMP ENTOMOLOGY. By J. ARKLE, Wuy a moth should rush to a street-lamp, and decline to waste its energies in a straight course for the moon,—why, in other words, the insect should be attracted by artificial light, and shun that which is natural,—is a matter that has exercised the minds of philosophers, ancient and modern. Between the moral drawn from the question by the early Greek, and the speculation of the latter-day scientist, one thing to the entomologist is certain, that by taking moths “at light” he can add captures to 62 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. °~ his collection which otherwise he might seldom, if ever, make. Among the methods of taking moths at light, these observations will be confined to the working of gas-lamps, to a method followed by me for years, and, lastly, with reference to captures wade personally, with the exception of a solitary insect. Perhaps our best hunting-ground here is a lonely road about half a mile south of the city. Along one side stretches a plantation of miscellaneous trees and undergrowth, chiefly oak ; on the other is a footway, with lamps two hundred yards apart. Beyond this open fields stretch away into the country. A hawthorn hedge bounds the road on either side. I rarely take a net, my only apparatus being a cyanide bottle -—the cyanide (of potassium) being covered by a layer of cotton- wool—and a twelve-foot ladder, taken close by a few silent friends from a neighbouring graveyard. The bottle is an ordinary pomade-bottle; it fits the waistcoat-pocket, and so, with the aid of the cotton-wool, prevents the insects from rolling about. ‘The ladder I prefer to all other appliances, because the outside, inside, and framework of the lamps can be examined. Again, the use of the ladder enables the entomologist to work with little interruption, the collector being taken as a rule for a “‘gas-man.” Nevertheless, the night is sometimes varied by incidents more or less amusing. You become “a character well- known to the police”; nay, it is likely enough that the stalwart officer on the beat, in spiked helmet and greatcoat, may assist in “running in ’”’—to the cyanide bottle—a refractory insect. Many moths, not even singed by the flame, rest inside the lamps; many of course on the glass outside; but others, such as Pecilocampa populi and Asteroscopus sphinx (cassiea), ile close to the framework inside, outside, and under the lamp, so that they are invisible to a spectator on the footway. Again, a female, finding herself imprisoned, will often deposit her eggs in the lamp, or she may be captured, taken home, and made use of for breeding purposes. All this can be best effected by means of a ladder. I have carried mine, to be modest, one hundred miles. It is well to have in one’s pocket two or three chip-boxes to accommodate eggs or females. My only companion, in nine cases out of ten, is a trusted stick. All moths are not equally attracted by the lamps. I never took a single hawk-moth, or a T’eniocampa, although the latter might be swarming on the sallows near. P. populi comes well to lamps; not so Hriogaster lanestris, its near relative. Up to 1889 I had only one record of Plusia gamma, when in that year the insect changed its character and became a nuisance. I never took a Dicranura vinula. But my experience goes to show that the great majority of moths, males chiefly, come to lamps, and more especially the Geometers. Among the latter, Hybernia, GAS-LAMP ENTOMOLOGY. 63 Cidaria, and the “Thorns” are especially conspicuous. Arctia caia, Spilosoma lubricipeda, and S. menthastri are always certain to come in their season by the dozen. I helped an A. caia one night no less than three times out of my net, and over the hedge, until it returned a fourth time and fell a victim to a bat. A. fuliginosa I never even saw. Hepialus humult rarely allows itself to be trapped, although dancing over the grass by the dozen; and H. lupulinus never, though equally common. The best nights for lamp-hunting are those that are warm, dark, and still. Insects are very sensitive to temperature, therefore a thermometer below 50° F., marks a paucity of sport. Few moths, if any, will be abroad in moon or starlight. A strong wind is equally unfavourable. If the weather-vane points at all to the east, the entomologist may certainly rest indoors. __ I have always observed two chief flights of moths in a night. With the dusk appear the Geometers; these are afterwards followed by the Noctuas; and this flight goes on till eight o'clock. After an apparent rest of a couple of hours, the second flight begins at ten, with diminished Geometers but increased Noctuas, and continues till midnight. The entomologist may then turn in and empty his cyanide bottle. He should have in readiness a large wide-mouthed pickle bottle, half-filled with chopped and bruised laurel leaves. On the top of the leaves, which should be well pressed down, a piece of perforated card should be placed, and fitting the bottle. On this the insects may be laid, when they will remain perfectly natural and relaxed for a week or more. Moths of a green colour, like the Emeralds, should be set at once; in fact, they should be removed from the cyanide bottle as soon as killed, pinned into a pocket-box, and set on reaching home. This is the secret in preserving the exquisite tint of an insect like Geometra papilionaria. The entomologist at the top of his ladder on a favourable night looks into a veritable insect world. Thousands of gnats, many in their last struggles for existence, cover the bottom of the lamp. These gnats, when seen on the wing at the approach of dusk, are sure harbingers of successful sport. If it be the month of August, half a dozen Noctuas may be inside, sullen and quiet. A beetle or two, with numerous earwigs and three or four Geometers, swell the company. Some of the lepidopterous insects are scorched by the flame, but the greater proportion are fit for the cabinet. The whitish eggs on the glass inside are probably those of Luperina cespitis. Outside there will be more earwigs, a G. paptlionaria if birches are in the neigh- bourhood, Noctuas, more Geometers; and all these, as a rule, will be as fresh as if straight from the chrysalis. Spiders are feasting busily on the dying gnats, and a bat flies up and down and about, taking, the meanwhile, a liberal tithe. The great pest 64 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. to the collector is a red ichneumon; a friend labels it, with a query, Ophion. This insect is a little larger than a wasp, and possesses a sharp and down-curved sting or ovipositor, which it can use in a very unpleasant manner. I have often small lumps the size of a pea, and more, raised on the back of my hands by these creatures, although the pain is by no means equal to the sting of a wasp or bee. The ichneumon gets into the lamps, or buzzes outside by the dozen, and seems to angrily resent all intrusion. The whole scene reminds one of the early Greek and his moral, viz., that these seductive lights are as fatal to the insect tribes as the sinful pleasures of this world are to women and to men. I will now append a list of Chester captures. ‘Those marked with an asterisk are rare :— January.—Cheimatobia brumata, Hybernia defoliaria, Phigalia pedaria, ( pilosaria). Frpruary. — H. rupicapreria, H. marginaria (progemmaria), P. pedaria. Marcu.—Selenia bilunaria (illunaria), P. pedaria, Anticlea badiata, Anisopteryx @escularia, H. rupicapraria, H. marginaria, Eupithecia abbre- viata. ApriL.—S. bilunaria, H. marginaria, A. escularia, A. badiata, Triphosa dubitata. May.—S. bilunaria, A. badiata, Melanippe fluctuata, Cidaria suffumata. JUNE. — A. badiata, Coremia unidentaria, Melanippe montanata, M. fluctuata, Timandra amataria, Camptogramma bilineata, Cabera pusaria, Acidalia aversata with var. remutata, Rumia luteolata (crategata), Caradrina quadripunctata (cubicularis), Arctia menthastri, A. lubricipeda, Triphena pronuba, Agrotis eaclamationis, A. segetum, Leucania comma, Scopula olivalis. JuLy. — Phorodesma pustulata* (bajularia), by Mr. J. Lyon Denson, Chester; Uropteryx sambucaria, A. aversata with var., A. inornata, C. exanthemata, Geometra papilionaria, Abraxas grossulariata, S. illunaria var. juliaria, Cidaria fulvata, Metrocampa margaritaria, Iodis lactearia, Camptogramma bilineata, Phibalapterysx vittata (lignata), Arctia caia, Liparis similis (auriflua), L. pallens, L. conigera,* Noctua augur,* N. plecta, Mamestra brassice, M. anceps,* Xylophasia monoglypha ( polyodon), Gram- mesia trigrammica* var. bilinea, C. morpheus. C. alsines,* Luperina cespitis, Plusia gamma, P. iota,* Hepialis humuli (?), Ebulea sambucalis, Perinephele lancealis, Cidematophorus lithodactylus, Scopula prunalis, S. lutealis, Zanclognatha tarsipennalis, Diurnea fagella, Lemnatophila phryyanella, Tortriz viburnana, T. rosana, Teras contaminana, Platyptilia gonodactyla, Crambus tristellus. Aveust.—G. papilionaria, Pseudoterpna pruinata (cytisaria), Hypsipetes sordidata (elutata), the dark form; A. grossulariata, Epione apiciaria, Cro- callis elinguaria, Eugonia alniaria (tiliaria), Cidaria truncata (russata), Coremia unidentaria, C. designata (propugnata), M. fluctuata, C. pusaria, Eubolia limitata (mensuraria), E. cervinata, Boarmia repandata, T. dubitata, C. aversata, S. illunaria var. juliaria, Halia vauaria (wavaria), Neuronia popularis, L. testacea, Noctua rubi, L. cespitis, L. pallens, A. caia, Ancho- celis lunosa, Orthosia lota, Calymnia pyralina,* C. trapezina, Bryophila perla NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 65 (a very diminutive form), Triphena ianthina, T. orbona, T. pronuba, P gamma, Cenobia rufa, L. guenéei,* Rhacodia caudana, Conchylis straminea, Scoparia truncicolella, Tortricodes hyemana, Paraponysx stratiotalis, Botys ruralis (verticalis). SEPTEMBER.—E. alniaria; C. truncata, vars. centum-notata, comma- notata, perfuscata; C.immanata and var. marmorata,* M. fluctuata, E. apiciaria, C. testata, Hydrecia micacea, A. pistacina, A. lunosa, Xanthia fulvago (cerago), X. flavago, X. citrago, Nonagria arundinis (typhe), Cirr- hedia xerampelina,* Amphipyra tragopogonis, L. similis. OcroBreR. — Oporabia dilutata, Himera pennaria, C. miata,* A. pista- cina, Diloba ca@ruleocephala, Hydrecia nictitans, Scopelosoma satellitia, O. lota. November. — O. dilutata, H. pennaria, C. miata,* Hybernia defoliaria (four well-marked forms), C. brumata, O. lota, O. macilenta, Pecilocampa popult, D. ceruleocephala, Xylina ornithopus (rhizolitha),* S. satellitia, Asteroscopus sphina* (cassinea). DecemBer.—C. brumata, H. defoliaria, S. satellitia, P. populi. 2, George Street, Chester. ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES, CAPTURES, &c. On THE NEED OF THE REVIVAL OF THE ‘ EnToMoLoaists’ ANNUAL’ — In a short notice of vols. ix. and x. of the ‘ Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club ’(Entom. 24), a remark is made on the need of the collation and indexing of the proceedings of the various local and metropolitan scientific clubs or societies. This undeniable want appears to me to have been, practically, the very one so ably met for many years by Mr. Stainton and others, in the ‘ Entomologist’s Annual,’ which has now been defunct for sixteen years. Would it not be practicable for a conclave of our working entomologists to collate the various papers and notes published in the different journals since the ‘ Annual’ disappeared, and publish the results, with such plates as could be afforded ; and then to continue the work year by year? It can hardly be doubted but that subscriptions or contributions would be obtainable to supplement the deficit, if any, of the funds needed to bring out such a work: that is, sup- posing the sale by itself did not suffice. I have never, myself, ceased to regret the disappearance of that prime necessary to working entomologists, the annual yellow volume; and I feel sure a very large number of us would gladly aid in its resuscitation. Will not some of our leading entomologists move in the matter ?—(Reyv.) O. P. CamBriper; Bloxworth Rectory, January 11, 1890. HEsPERIA LINEOLA, Ochs.—In his record (Kutom. 3), of the interesting discovery of Hesperia lineola as a British butterfly, Mr. F. W. Hawes seems to indicate that there is some divergence of opinion as to the specific distinctness of H. lineola and H. thaumas. Besides the rather slight but constant colour differences, there are also structural differences between the two species. ‘These are shown in the genital armature of the males. It is impossible to give in words a good idea of this structure, but in the ‘ Transactions ’of the Linnean Society, Second Series, Zoology, vol. i., pl. lvii. figs. 26 and 27, will be found illustrations of the parts—F'. BucHanan Wut. 66 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. Norge on CiDARIA IMMANATA FROM IcELAND.—After careful examina- tion of the specimens of Cidaria that I captured in Iceland during July and August, 1889, Mr. South arrived at the conclusion that all are referable to Cidaria immanata, and none to the closely allied C. truncata (russata). By far the larger proportion of the specimens of C. immanata were taken at Arnefjord, Dyrafjord, and Onundafjord, on the west coast of Iceland, July 30th and 31st, and the greater number belong either to the dark typical form, or to the reddish one so common at Rannoch. The Rannoch form, so far as my observation went, is, on the whole, the most abundant, though typical C. immanata is widely distributed, occurring at Saudarkrok and Akureyri on the north, and Hskefjord on the east coast. I only captured five specimens of C. immanata at Reykjavik, and these were all of the Rannoch form. Its comparative scarcity in the neighbourhood of the capital may be attributed to the fact that it was then (July 26th), only beginning to emerge from the chrysalis. Its scarcity at Isafjord, on the west coast, and at all the fjords on the north and east coasts (after it had appeared in plenty elsewhere), can hardly be assigned to the supposition of its disappearance at so early a date as the first week of August; it is far more reasonable to suppose that the higher latitude of some districts, and the more Alpine character of other regions, or both causes combined, account for its absence or scanty appearance. It is perfectly true, that as I landed at thirteen fjords where no previous visit of any entomologist has been recorded, to my knowledge, I had no means of knowing the best locality for insects during the one or two hours or one day that I was en- abled to spend there; but, on the other hand, it must be borne in mind that at certain of these fjords above-mentioned Geometride were easily dis- covered, occurred in plenty, and very near the landing-place, and also that my experience of the rarity of moths at Siglufjord tallies with that of Finsterwalden in 1856, this being the only place adjacent to the Arctic Ocean that was similarly surveyed by the German Expedition of that year. Var. marmorata, among the Iceland specimens, is somewhat sparingly represented. Of the form of marmorata in which the reddish tint is suffused over the whole of the fore wings, instead of being confined to the base and extremities, as in the ordinary type of this var., there are only two specimens, and these are from Dyrafjord. There is also one spe- cimen of “ pythonissata” of Milliére, from Arnefjord. As regards Icelandic varieties, I took two specimens of this moth, shortly before leaving Reykjavik, that I named “ gornensis,” as found in the sloping meadows above “ ejorn,” or the lake in rear of the cathedral, but which I found to have been previously discovered by Staudinger, and by him named “ thingvallata,” from Thingvellir, the place of its capture. The name cjornensis may, however, possibly be allowed to stand, in reference to an intermediate form between the ordinary marmorata and the thingvallata of Staudinger, of which J also took two specimens, one above the cjorn or lake, and the other a few days later, at Dyrafjord. It is remarkable that this last var. exactly corresponds to one in Mr. South’s collection, taken at York.—(Rev.) F. A. Watker, D.D. Sucartnc. — My own experience quite agrees with all that has been written recently, respecting the comparative failure of sugar in attracting Lepidoptera. Ithink the subject of interest, and should like to see the opinions of experienced collectors as to the cause of this unproductiveness, which has been noticed by so many. Somewhat indifferent health has NOTHS, CAPTURES, ETC. 67 necessitated my confining my sugaring-grounds to the trees surrounding our house, and in our own neighbour’s garden. ‘There is a tolerably good variety, comprising elm, lime, poplar, willow (Salix alba), with hedges of hawthorn and blackthorn. In some years my sugar-patches rendered a good return of moths, my captures numbering about fifty different species. Now, for three or four years past, night after night, sugaring has been almost of noavail. Can it bea case of inherited instinct? and are the rising gene- rations of moths getting too wise to be trapped by the sugaring baits? The evolutionists tell us many wonderful stories; can they help us to arrive at some conclusior in this instance? Why is it that certain species of Lepidoptera are so rare? Is it to be attributed to the female laying but a limited number of eggs, to a delicate constitution in the larva and pupa, to more than ordinarily persistent attacks from ichneumon flies and other enemies, or, more probably, from a want of knowledge of the habits of these species? In the year 1878 I had the good fortune to capture at sugar the specimen of Leucania albipuncta mentioned in my list. The late Mr. Buckler was very anxious to obtain ova, and asked me to do my best in procuring some for him. In company with a friend, I have yearly made a strict search in hope of finding another, but without success. Again, in the case of Laphygma exigua, taken here in a clover-field by my brother last year ; although we tramped the same field day after day, over and over again, both last year and this, not another was to be seen. It is easier to understand why some insects should be local; this may arise from the food-plants being confined to definite areas; but why a moth, capable, I should suppose, of by no means a long-sustained flight, such as these two species, should turn up only here and there singly, remains to me inexplicable. We cannot, I think, conceive that these, like the swift and strong-winged Sphingide, which perhaps often are so, are immigrants from distant lands; there can be little doubt of their being “ true-born Britons”; and it seems to me likely that many species are rare, mainly on account of some particular and curious habit of concealment of which we are not cognisant.—JosEPH ANDERSON, Jun.; Chichester. Sugaring seems to have been rather a failure this season in most places ; but in South Devon, where I was staying early in September, I found it by no means unproductive. Some twelve common species of Noctuz were abundant, while a few specimens turned up of Noctua glareosa, &c., and one each of Thyatira batis, Hydrecia micacea, Noctua umbrosa, and Luperina cespitis. A few common Geometride, such as Cidaria truncata and Larentia viridaria, also came to the sugared patches. All these were taken from six or eight trees skirting the north-west side of a wood. The moon was shining during each of the six nights that I sugared, which were for the most part cloudless—R. M. Pripravx; 9, Vyvyan Terrace, Clifton, Bristol. Forcine pups or D. carit.—In the ‘ Entomologist,’ xxii. p. 202, I read the words, “ By all means force your galii pupe.” Not being the fortunate possessor of galii in pupe at the time, I obtained three, as much for the experiment as otherwise. I commenced forcing under the direc- tions given by Mr. J. Arkle, placing my pup under a glass, beneath which I placed a small thermometer, keeping the whole near a fire. The highest temperature reached 120° Fahr., the lowest 40°. I placed my three pup beneath the glass on Noy. 11th, and on Dee. 15th the first emergence took place, the second on the 26th, the third on the 30th of the 68 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. same month. Free and frequent damping with tepid water is one of the most essential things connected with forcing pupe. I am of opinion dryness is far more fatal than heat. — T. Watrour ; 9, Dudley Terrace, New Somerby, Grantham, January 6, 1890. LeEpIDoPTERa IN 1889.— New Forest.—On July 15th last I arrived at Brockenhurst to spend the two succeeding days collecting Lepidoptera. The following were among my observations :—Apatura iris: I captured a fine female, the only one I saw during my short stay. It was resting with outspread wings upon the wet ground in the shade, undoubtedly beaten from the oaken foliage overhead by the torrents of rain that fell during the night and early morning ; it being still quite early in the day when I found it. Limenitis sibylla was fairly plentiful, but mostly in worn condition. Argynnis paphia, plentiful and in very fine condition: I took one male with a pale yellow spot on each of the primaries, and a female with two straw-coloured spots on each primary ; I secured ten of the var. valesina, all except one being in the finest condition ; eight of these I took on the 17th. Considering A. paphia was not so abundant as usual, valesina was out in large proportion. In a low-lying part of the Forest, where the wild gladiolus grows, many species of Diptera swarm, such as the great Tabanus bovinus, and the tormenting blood-drinking Hematopota pluvialis, whose bite is only too well known. Tn this particular spot I noticed A. paphia, especially the females, were all in the most perfect condition and in great numbers ; it was here, too, where I found the beautiful Calopteryx virgo. Argynnis aglaia I found very abundant on a rough grassy opening, settling on the thistle bloom. I took a fine series (but mostly males) in a few minutes. A. adippe appeared very scarce ; I noticed only two or three, and they were much worn. Lycena @gon was out in abundance ; some of the males were of large size. Satyrus semele | found just out on the wing; males in plenty, but one female only. Lithosia quadra: I took but one specimen, a female, at rest on the trunk of the knight-wood oak. Vanessa polychloros: not one specimen seen, and I heard of none being taken this year in the Forest. It is now many years since I had the pleasure of taking this fine insect ; in the years of 1872-3 it absolutely swarmed in South Suffolk, since which time I have taken but one solitary specimen, and this was at rest on palings in the Croydon district in 1874.—F. W. FRoHawkK; October, 1889. Rotherham. —In this district the year 1889 opened with cold winds and much wet, the insects usually appearing in February and March being much behind time, and the season did not fairly commence before April. Larve searching during April was not a success as compared with 1888, when the abundance of several species was remarkable, although 7. fimbria was fairly plentiful if well searched for on the docks and low herbage. At the end of April and first week in May the sallows were in bloom, and I found plenty of work, insects being abundant ; but owing to the difficulty of getting at the sallows, many of them being in the thick brush, a patch of trees were sugared in the hope that we might be fortunate in taking a few stragglers. I was very agreeably surprised to find that, notwithstanding the close proximity of the sallows, a number of Teniocampide visited the sugar, including P. leucographa, P. rubricosa, T. munda, and T. populeti, as well as other insects, hybernated S. satellitia and C. vaccintt being very abundant. During the first half of May very few visits to the woods were made, the weather being wet and cold, and towards the latter end of the NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 69 month there was a very heavy thunderstorm, accompanied with hail, which had the effect of beating a great number of larve from the trees, — some never to get up again: this was plainly evident in the case of T. w-album, for when we worked the elms, on several occasions in vain, a few pupe only were taken from the low bushes and ground herbage later on. During June sugaring was persistently carried on two and three times weekly, with results almost nil; from the 9th of the month to well into July no rain fell; the nights were remarkably still with heavy dew; no insects came to sugar, although plenty were flying; the low bushes and ground herbage were covered with a sweet sticky substance, which proved a successful counter attraction to our sweets. Larva beating was usually carried on after the sugaring, commencing just before daybreak, and, to make up for disappointment in the matter of imagos, larvee were fairly plentiful,—that of C. flavicornis, though difficult to beat during the daytime, now comes down quite easily ; in addition to that insect B. parthenias was plentiful; a few G. papilionaria ; also P. populi, N. hispidaria, and C. paleacea ( fulvago). Both these last are new to the district, the latter especially so, as I am assured by an eminent Yorkshire entomologist that before it turned up here in 1888 only two specimens are recorded for this county. The larva of D. bifida has not shown up at all, and [ only saw two or three of N. dictea, N. dicteoides, and N. dromedarius. WN. ziczac was fairly plentiful; but the pretty little L. halterata, usually abundant most years, has been exceedingly scarce.—JoHN N. Youne; 85, Fitzwilliam Road, Rotherham. Monmouthshire.—At the beginning of August, 1889, Argynnis paphia was extremely abundant along the banks of the Wye ; there were literally thousands to be seen in the course of a walk, in splendid condition. A. adippe was also present, though not in the same abundance as A. paphia; but I did not see any specimens of A. aylaia. I took several of Vanessa c-album in fine condition. I also took two specimens of Thecla w-album, and saw others. There were a few Thecla guercus about, though these were not by any means plentiful. Several of the commoner butterflies were conspicuously absent: thus I saw none of the genus Lycena, and no Hesperide. The only moth I captured was a solitary specimen of Angerona prunaria, I saw great numbers of larve of Huchelia jacobee on the ragwort, and succeeded in rearing some of them. I found also many troops of young larve of Bombyx quercus: they were nearly all attacked by a kind of slug, owing probably to the wet summer. The most abundant insects in the locality were certainly Argynnis paphia and A. adippe. I noticed that all the Lepidoptera seemed much attracted to the banks of the river.—G. L. Patren. Colas EDUSA IN 1889: AppiTIONAL Recornp—YorKsHIRE.—I saw on the 5th Sept., 1889, a fine male specimen, whilst driving near to Bishop Wood, on the Selby and York road. —SamueL Watxer; 75, Union ‘Terrace, York, January 4, 1890. ACHERONTIA ATROPOS IN 1889: an ADDITIONAL REcorD —SomERsET- SHIRE.—To the list in the ‘ Kntomologist’ of localities in which Ache- rontia atropos appeared last season, I can add Clevedon, Somersetshire. Several larvee and pup having been found, a friend, —a very careful col- lector,—was successful in rearing many imagines. All his pupsw were placed on the top of earth covered with a thick layer of moss, which was kept very damp. ‘lhe box with the pups was placed against a 70 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. wall at the back of the kitchen range, so that the heat coming through the wall, kept up a warm temperature. The imagines commenced to emerge at the time they usually do in the natural state.—-T. B. Jerrurys; Bland- ford, January 6, 1890. SPHINX CONVOLVULI IN 1889: ADDITIONAL RECORD, SussEx.—A specimen was taken at the head of the old pier here in September, apparently attracted by a gas-light. The length of the pier is 1130 feet, and surely an exceptional place to find this insect ?—Louis MiaDEn ; 15, Elm Grove, Brighton. Enromotogy of Ho~tanp AND Betetum.—I should be glad if any readers of the ‘ Entomologist’ could give me the names of publications containing information respecting the above, especially relating to the Forest of Ardennes; also where I may obtain a list of the butterflies of the above-mentioned countries.—W. H. Bara; Ladywood, Birmingham. Erratum.—In my “ Notes on Agrotis ashworthii,” in January number, the bottom line on page 6 should read ‘the back of each segment two oblong marks of intense,” &¢.—WILLOUGHBY GARDNER. SOCIETIES. EntomotoeicaL Society or Lonpon.—January 15, 1890, the 57th Annual Meeting.—The Right Honble. Lord Watstneuam, M.A., F.RB.S., President, in the chair. An abstract of the Treasurer’s accounts, showing that the finances of the Society were in a thoroughly satisfactory con- dition, was read by Dr. Sharp, one of the Auditors. The Secretary then read the Report of the Council, from which it appeared that the Society had lost during the year several Fellows by death and had elected 24 new Fellows; that the volume of Transactions for the year extended to nearly 600 pages, and comprised 23 memoirs, contributed by 20 authors and illustrated by 17 plates; and that. the sale of the Society’s Transactions and other publications is on the increase. It was then announced that the following gentle- men had been elected as Officers and Council for 1890 :—President, The Right Honble. Lord Walsingham, M.A., F.R.S.; Treasurer, Mr. Edward Saunders, F.L.S.; Secretaries, Mr. Herbert Goss, F.L.S., and the Rey. Canon Fowler, M.A., F.L.8.; Librarian, Mr. Ferdinand Grut, F.L.8.; and as other Members of Council, Mr. J. W. Dunning, M.A., F.L.S., Captain H. J. Elwes, F.L.S., Mr. F. DuCane Godman, M.A) EReS!,.Dr. (P: B: Mason, Pa:S:, Prot; R. Meliola shaker: Mr. R. South, Mr. Henry T. Stainton, F.R.S., and Mr. Roland Trimen, F.R.S. Lord Walsingham nominated Mr. J. W. Dunning, Captain Elwes and Mr. F. DuCane Godman, Vice-Presidents for the Session 1890—1891, and he then delivered an Address. After remarking on the attractive beauty of some of the larger diurnal Lepidoptera, and the brilliant metallic colouring of certain species of Coleoptera, the influence that such magnificent examples of the wealth of design in Nature might have upon artistic taste, and the =~ consequent refinement and increased enjoyment of life, Lord Walsing- SOCIETIES. eel ham referred, in illustration of the practical usefulness of entomo- logical studies, to the successful importation into California of the Australian parasites infesting the scale insect (Icerya purchasi), which had proved so noxious to the orange plantations. Through the efforts of Prof. Riley, upwards of 10,000 parasites had been dis- tributed and had since spread very widely, so that in many localities the orange and other trees hitherto thickly infested with this noxious insect had been practically cleared of it by their aid; he also referred to the successful fertilisation of red clover in New Zealand by the importation of impregnated queens of the common humble- bee, and to the uses to which the silk produced by various exotic species of Bombycide had now been successfully applied. Reference was then made to the investigation instituted by Mr. Francis Galton, and to the experiments of Mr. F. Merrifield, with the view of determining the percentage of hereditary transmission to successive offspring by different generations of successors, and to the valuable auxiliary such experiments and the researches of Professor Weismann, Mr. Poulton, and others might prove to the study of the laws of heredity, protective resemblance, and natural selection. It was then observed that even if the study of Entomology could claim to have conferred no greater benefits upon the human race than to have afforded to many members of our urban population an inducement to improve their minds and recreate their bodies, it would have contributed in no small degree to the sum of human health, happiness, and morality ; in connection with these remarks he quoted the words of the Abbé Umhang in his obituary notice of Henri de Peyerimhoff, ‘J’ai connu plus d’un jeune homme qui s’est passionné pour une branche de Vhistoire naturelle, et je n’en al vu aucun s’écarter du chemin de la vertu et de l’honneur.” Atten- tion was then drawn to the enormous numbers of species of Insecta as compared with the numbers of species of other orders of the Animal Kingdom, and an approximate estimate was made of the extent of the field of Entomology, and of its relation to other branches of biological study. In connection with the subject of the principal works in Entomology continued or completed during the year, special mention was made of the ‘ Biologia Centrali Americana,’ by Messrs. Godman and Salvin, and the ‘ Revisio Insectorum Familie Manti- darum,’ by Professor Westwood. In conclusion, Lord Walsingham referred to the losses by death during the past year of several Fellows of the Society and other entomologists, mention being made of Mr. F, Bond, Dr. Signoret, Mons. Puls, Colonel C. J. Cox, Pastor Holmgren, Dr. Franz Low, Dr. Karl Venus, and the Rev. J.G. Wood. A vote of thanks to the President for his services during the year and for his address was proposed by Mr. H. T. Stainton, seconded by Prof. Meldola, and carried. Mr. Elwes then proposed a vote of thanks to the other officers of the Society, which was seconded by Dr. Sharp and carried. Lord Walsingham, Mr. Goss, Canon Fowler, and Mr. Grut replied.—H. Goss, Hon. Sec. Tue Sours Lonpon EntromotoaicaL AND Naturau History Socrery. —December 12th, 1889, T. BR. Billups, President, in the chair. Mr, 72 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. A. Beaumont, of Lewisham, was elected a member. Mr. R. Adkin exhibited very strongly marked specimens of Peronea sponsana, from the New Forest. Mr. South remarked that nearly all the examples of this species he had taken at Haslemere were of this form, although the markings were not quite so dark. Mr. Barrett said that he had had considerable experience of collecting at Haslemere, but had never met with this form, which was evidently a local race. Myr. Tugwell exhibited pale grey specimens of Teniocampa gracilis from the London district, and reddish examples of the same species from the New Forest. Mr. Ince, a large collection of spiders from Switzerland. Mr. Carpenter, varieties of Hybernia defoliaria. The Secretary read a note from Mr. T. D. A. Cockerell, upon ‘‘The Colours Red and Yellow,” and Mr. South made some observations thereon. January 9th, 1890.—The President in the chair. Messrs. I". H. Atkinson, of Pimlico; C. F. Johnson, of Highbury; and F. Grover, of Westminster, were elected members. Mr. Hawes exhibited specimens of Hesperia lineola, and remarked that he first met with this species flying with H. thawmas, and was of opinion that H. lineola appeared when H. thaumas began to get worn. Mr. Carrington also showed examples of H. lineola, taken by himself about twenty miles from where Mr. Hawes captured his. Mr. Weir exhibited Continental examples of H. lineola, also a specimen which he had taken many years ago, but was not certain whether in Kent or Sussex, and an example of H. thaumas from Sussex, which bore a very close resemblance to H. lineola. Mr. South exhibited the specimens of Peronea sponsana from Hasle- mere, referred to at the last meeting, and made some observations on the named varieties of this species. Mr. R. Adkin, a short series of Nepticula fulgens, received from Mr. Vine, of Brighton. Mr. Car- rington, an example of a butterfly which had been sent to him for identification, and was stated to have been captured in England, the species being Syrichthus andromede. Mr. Billups, Andrena nigro-ene and its internal parasite. Stylops, taken at Dulwich, 1889; and on behalf of Mr. Bennett, of Hastings, a living series of Andrena clarkella and its rare parasite Nomada borealis, taken from its nidus, on the 6th of the month, at Hastings. A communication was read from Mr. Strong relating to an immense swarm of moths at Williamstown about the end of October last.—H. W. Barker, Hon. Sec. LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE EnromonocicaL Society. — The annual meeting of this Society was held on January 13th, in the Free Library, William Brown Street, Liverpool. The President, Mr. 8. J. Capper, F.L.S., delivered an address, in which, among other matters of interest to entomologists, brief reference was made to the history of the Society since its foundation in 1877. The inaugural meeting was held at Mr. Capper’s house, at Huyton Park; the original members were eleven in number; and the first President has been re-elected, year by year, up to date. Meetings are held on the second Monday in each month, and entomological visitors will be sure of a cordial welcome. Lists will be issued on arrival, in addition to the ordinary Lists of the Ist an , NATURALISTS’ SUPPLY STORES, > = "81, PARK STREET, WINDSOR. | See Proprietor, E. EDMONDS, Naturalist and Taxidermist. (6S iy Manufacturer of Entomological Apparatus and Cabinets to Mees =—S—tsétne Ras my and Evo Connon. Dealer in British and Foreign Birds’ Eggs and Skins, Macro-Lepidoptera, Natural History Books, &e. Full price Catalogue on application. Specialty :—LIVING OVA, LARVA, and PUPA. é pe _ (No larger Stock in Europe). eae _ Now in Stock, same species as last month (with few exceptions). Price List _ on application. Ss ore pe _ Just arrived by steam-ship ‘ British Priuce,’ from Philadelphia, A LARGE - consignment of FINE HEALTHY COCOONS of S. Cecropia, T. Cynthia, and T. SS Promethea, 5s. 6d. per. doz. (4 doz. of any one species for price of 3 doz.). Also’ dated to arrive about Feb. 8th, Fine Pupe of AMERICAN SPHINGES, In- seryptus, Geminatus, Modesta, Myron, Versicolor, Celeus, Abotii, Dahlii, and Hippophaes. Also Ziltys, T. Polyphemus, H. Io. A. Luna, E. Imperialis, and Attacus, Orizabar, &e. Will also arrive in a few days from Mantchouria, Cocoons of A. Pernyi. Also from Assam, A. Mylitta, A. Atlas, and A. Selene. SE C : inst., which will be the last issued of the Winter Season. The Summer List will be ready early in March, followed by fortnightly supplements of Species in Stock. _ Entomologists desirous of Lists and Supplements can (by forwarding 1s. in half- _ penny stamps, on newspaper wrappers), receive every List issued in 1890. | Entomologists’ duplicates (ova, larvee and pup), bought or exchanged. 31, PARK STREET, WINDSOR (Five doors from the Great Park Gates). No connection with any other firm in Britain. T{OR SALE.—The BUTTERFLIES and MOTHS of the late Tuomas Wrson, _ Holgate. No reasonable offer refused for large or small quantities. Apply Butterflies, or Orthoptera. S. WALKER, 75, Union Terrace, York. {OR SALE. — Healthy Pupe of T. Rubi, Lucina, Fuciformis, Rubricollis, Lanestris, Carpini, Advenaria, Lunaria, Heparata, Temerata, Pictaria, Alternata, Pulveraria, Piniaria, Conspicuata, Affinitata, Unifasciata, Linariata, Subfulvata, Subumbrata, Isogrammata, Pygmeata, Lariciata, Albipunctata, Vale- rianata, Nanata, Vulgata, Minutata, Assimilata, Exiguata, Sparsata, Sexalata, Hexapterata, Hastata, Badiata, Berberata, Certata, Corylata, Sagittata, Comitata, Faleula, Furcula, Palpina, Dodonea, Or, Orion, Flammea, Capsophila, Cucubali, Dysodea, Glauca, Absinthii, Myrtilli, Canella, &. Also very fine specimens of British Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, Diptera, &e. A large assortment of Natural History Books. Price Lists free from W. H. HARWOOD, Coucuester. TO ENTOMOLOGISTS. \ ESSRS. T. & W. SALVAGE have been asked to collect LEPIDOPTERA (Macro and Micro) in the Channel Islands this season, A few subscribers are wanted. Yor full particulars apply to T. W. SALVAGE, 12, Monrazat Roap, Bricuton. CON TENTS. - Biitorial Notice, Richard South, a5 tes Species of L pi from _ Chins J. H. Leech, 26. Coleoptera at Camber during 1889, Bennett, ARES ee Tour on Toke Table-land of Mount Arthur, G. V. Hedson, iv er the Occurrence of Hesperia lineola in Essex. A. J. 8; es and Ea Bee ee 56. Rhopalocera i Switzerland, R. S. Standen, 5 Be the V; tion of Heliophobus his Was at Portland, N. M. Richardson, 60 asta Entomology, J. Arkle, es Enromonocicat Norzs, Here &.—On the Need of the Revival of the ‘ Entomologists’ Annual,’ Rev. O. P. Cambridge, 65. Hesperia lineola (Ochs.), . Buchanan White, 65. Note on Cidaria immanata from Iceland, Rev. — De Walker, 66. Sveene Joseph Anderson and R. M. Prideaux, 66. _ Foreing Pupe of D. Pere alpole, 67. va Hog, in 1889:— New Forest, F. W. Frohawk, 68 ; Rotherham, John 68; Monmouth- shire, G. L. Patten, 69. Colas edusa in 1889, Samuel Walke r 08. Acherontia atropos in 1889: an Additional Record—Somersetshire, T’. ee EL, 69. Sphinx convolvuli in 1889: Additional Record—Sussex, Louis aden, 70. ntornclons of Holland and Belgium, W. H. Bath, 70. Erratum, Willoughby Gardner, 70 catenin Rintorislbeleed Society of London, H. Goss, 70. South London ~ Entomological and Natural istory Society, H. W. Barker, Ti, Lancashire y and Cheshire peo. Society, 72. . Communications sani over from Messrs. F. W. Biddle, M. Ee J. H. Fowler, J. B. Hodgkinson, G. V. Hudson, Miss M. Kimber, Mrs. Nicholl, Messrs. i es. Ww. W. Smith, F. A. Walker, 8. Walker, and others. YR. 0. STAUDINGER & BANG- HAAS, Buasewitz, Dai i thetn 2 new Price List, No. XXXII., they offer more than 10,000 Species of well-named LEPIDOPTERA, 750 kinds of prepared Larve, numerous living ee &e., from all parts of the world; also the finest Exotic and European co — and HELLS. “THOMAS COOKE & SON, Naturalists, Dealers in Entomological Apparatus, &e. = ‘ (Late of 518, NEW OXFORD STREET), 30, ee seal paced hes STREET, W.C. JAMES GARDNER, _ MANUFACTURER of ALL KINDS of ENTOMOLOGICAL APPARATUS, 29 (late 426), OXFORD STREET (Nearly opposite Tottenham Court Road). PRICED LISTS ON APPLICATION. All Articles Gansamteade exchanged if not approved of. Friends and Odabeunees . are requested to note the gee as mistakes occur daily. WEST, NEWMAN “AND co., PRINTERS. 54, HATTON. GARDEN, LONDON. E.C. “EDITED BY RICHARD SOUTH, FE. Ss. “with: THE ASSISTANCE OF |} ome BILLUPS, Be Oo ORR DS SHARP, P28, FHS, fe. ay ken _W. LUCAS DISTANT, F.E.S., &. | | EDWARD A. FITCH, F.LS.,F..8, | W. WARREN, MA, I bist | MARTIN JACOBY, FES. — | J.J. WEIR, F.LS., F.258., Be | « TELLBECH, BA, FLS, PES. | FB. WHITE, MD. PLB . ayer a “ By mutual confidence he ala OY ‘i b Great deeds are done and great discoveries made.” — ie Mee “wast, NEWMAN & 00. 54, HATTON GARDEN; Ai, ) "srry, MARS : iz 4L | HAMILTON, KENT « 00., Tan, st va _G. MEEK, Naturalist, — : oe BROMPTON ROAD, rae as Da nel os Boros, 63., is, 1s. cM 2s. end 3s. Se Tin, with ae ey i) and a4 Mypehos Ue iM Battle ne ite ee Is. Pivilow @ me } a aati nay ee ena Se 6d. 5 Oss. Aiea and Drying Houses, complete, — ' 10s. 6d., 12s, 6d., 15s., and 20s. i et Box, 6d., 1s., and 1s. 6d. Postal Box, bs ; Pocket Lanthorns, 4s., 5s., and 10s. 6d. Zine Oval Pocket Box, 1s. 6d., 2s., and 2s. 6d. Pupa Diggers, 2s. and 8s. Brass Chloroform Bottles, 4s. The new ' Glass Killing Bottle, charged ready for use, 1s., 1s. 8d., and 1s. 6d. Alarge — assortment of British Insects kept in Stock. Cabinets of every pears made to order ; aha iven. New Price Lists sent on receipt of St when accompanied by Post-office Orders, will receive immediate Ppineinn nea? office Orders to be cade payable at Brompton Road, 8.W. _ Entomological Cabinets, from Twelve Shillings to Forty Guineas, : - kept in Stock. Show Rooms for Cabinets. Ha ; Be a hn HE ~ BLACK ENAMELED ENTOMOLOGICAL PINS E.G MEEK, ~ Naturalist, 66, BROMPTON ROAD, LONDON, SW. Sample Card and (i akigriann with catia forwarded wpon has of stamp. 4 THOMAS COOKE & SON, : Revoralist Dealers in Entomological Apparatus, . : HN (Late of 518, NEW OXFORD STREET), a MUSEUM STREET, OXFORD STREET, W.C, “WILLIAM WESLEY & SON, Scientific Booksellers & Publishers, 98, ESSEX STREET, STRAND, LONDON. “The following recently published circulars fief! a portion of their stock ;— JATURAL HISTORY AND SCIENTIFIC BOOK CIRCULAR: No. 97. — ps Contents: ICHTHYOLOGY ; Reptilia and Amphibia ; General Zoology, including i Ancient Works, Biographies, Classification, Darwinism, Manuals, Periodicals, Trans- ‘actions of Societies; Anatomy, Physiology, and Embryology. Price 4d. i JATURAL HISTORY AND SCIENTIFIC BOOK CIRCULAR: No. 98.—Contents: — amp. All orders, — Mammalia; including Cetacea, Sirenia and Pinnipedia. Ornithology; including — : } au and Nests. Faunas of Britain, the Continents of - 1urope, Africa, Pe biceni Australasia, ‘Zoological Voyages and. Geographical Works. Price 6d. — THE ENTOMOLOGIST. ~Vou. XXIII.) MARCH, 1890. [No. 322. THE EVOLUTION OF INSECT-GALLS. By T. D. A. CockERELt. Pror. G. J. Romanes, in ‘ Nature,’ November, 1889, p. 80, has a letter on the subject of galls. After quoting Mr. Mivart’s remarks on the “ disinterested”’ nature of galls, he himself also says that he hasalways considered gall-formation ‘‘ one of the most important facts in organic nature with reference to the theory of natural selection ;” and this because it is ‘‘ the one and only case in the whole range of organic nature where it can be truly said that we have unequivocal evidence of a structure occurring in one species [the plant] for the exclusive benefit of another” [the gall-insect]. The assumption then is that the various forms of galls are formed solely, and have been evolved only, for the benefit of the gall-insects themselves, a phenomenon which Prof. Romanesjustly regards as very exceptional. But the exception seems to me to be only apparent and not real. Let us consider the probable phases in the evolution of galls. Doubtless there were internal plant-feeding larve before there were galls; and, indeed, we have geological evidence that boring insects date very far back indeed. ‘The. primitive internal feeders, then, were miners in the roots, stems, twigs, or leaves, such as occur very commonly at the present day. These miners are excessively harmful to plant-life, and form a class of the most destructive insect-pests known to the farmer: they fre- quently cause the death of the whole or part of the plant attacked. Now, we may suppose that the secretions of certain of these insects caused a swelling to appear where the larve lived, and on this excrescence the larve fed. It is easy to see that the greater the excrescence, and the greater the tendency of the larve to feed upon it, instead of destroying the vital tissues, the smaller is the amount of harm to the plant. Now the con- ENTOM.—MARCH, 1890. G 74 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. tinued life and vitality of the plant is beneficial to the larve, and the larger or more perfect the gall, the greater the amount of available food. Hence natural selection will have preserved and accumulated the gall-forming tendencies, as not only beneficial to the larve, but as a means whereby the larve can feed with least harm to the plant. So far from being developed for the exclusive benefit of the larve, it is easy to see that, allowing a tendency to gall-formation, natural selection would have developed galls exclusively for the benefit of the plants, so that they might suffer a minimum of harm from the unavoidable attacks of insects. But here it may be questioned—Have we proof that internal feeders tend to form galls? In answer to this I would point out that gall-formation is a peculiar feature, and cannot be expected to arise in every group of internal feeders. But I think we can afford sufficient proof that wherever it has arisen it has been preserved ; and further, that even the highly complex forms of calls are evolved from forms so simple that we hesitate to call them galls at all. Let us first take the Hymenoptera, which form so many galls. The North American oak-galls, formed by species of Cynipide, afford every gradation of character. They may be divided into sections; the galls in the first section being so essen- tially part of the branch that they cannot be removed without taking away part of the branch or twig with them. The second section comprises galls on the branches, but of a different substance from the branch, so that they can be removed without taking a portion of the branch with them. ‘Then of leaf-galls we ~ have again two sections, one consisting of galls which cannot be separated from the leaf, the other of galls which are separable from the leaf-tissues.* Finally, there is a section comprising galls on the roots. To take individual instances: the gall of Andricus cryptus, Ashm., is hidden under the bark, so as to be invisible externally. The gall of A. gemmarius, Ashm., is tubular or fusiform. But a third species in the same genus, A. pomiformis, Bass., forms a globular polythalamous gall. A. piger, Bass., forms a swelling of the leaf; but A. virens, Ashm., forms a true globular leaf-gall. So that, although we cannot actually observe the evolution, its stages have been preserved for us in certain species. Diastrophus fusiformans, n.sp., forms merely fusiform swellings of the stems of Potentilla in Custer County, Colorado; but D. potentille, Bass., forms oblong spongy galls. The rose-galls also show us various stages of evolution. In Custer County, Colorado, we have three kinds of leaf-galls on roses. thodites rosefolie, mihi, forms galls which are nothing * See ‘On the Cynipidous Galls of Florida,’ by W. H, Ashmead, THE EVOLUTION OF INSECT-GALLS. 75 more than flattish swellings of the leaflets. The galls of R. globosus, n. sp., are globular, and very little attached to the leaf ; and R. spinosellus, n. sp., makes globular spiny galls on the leaves, like those of R. bicolor in miniature. Of rose-galls on the stems we get first fusiform or irregular roughish galls on the stems and branches, formed by R. fusiformans, n. sp., and occurring at West Cliff. Next are globular smooth galls, the product of R. ignota, Osten Sacken, and larger and roughish globular galls formed by R. tuberculator, Riley. Finally, the galls of R. bicolor, Harris, are globular and excessively prickly, while those of R. rose, Linn., develop moss-like hairs. Some sawflies, as’ Phyllecus integer, Norton, are simple internal feeders in twigs; but species of Huwra and Nematus form true galls. In North America nine species of sawfly galls occur on the willow. Turning to Diptera the same gradations of types are to be observed. The swelling produced by Cecidomyia destructor, Say, is hardly to be called a gall, and is quite inconspicuous—yet how destructive! Compare this with the white, woolly, conspicuous galls of Trypeta bigelovie, n. sp., produced in abundance at West Cliff, Colorado, on Bigelovia, and yet apparently not injuring the plant seriously at all. Cecidomyia, which reaches its maximum of destructiveness in the non-gall-making species, as C. destructor, yet has myriads of forms producing genuine galls. Thuson Carya are eight species of galls produced by Cecidomyia. The Dipterous willow-galls of West Cliff, Colorado, are very instructive. A species doubtfully referred to Cecidomyia salicis- nodulus, Walsh, produces an elongate fusiform hard woody swelling of the stem, hardly a true gall at all. C. silicis-saliqua, Walsh, makes broader reddish fusiform swellings, which are very conspicuous. Then C. salicis-batatas, Walsh, or an allied species, forms large irregular potato-shaped galls at the end of the twigs. Among Lepidoptera we have any number of internal feeders, which there is no occasion to enumerate; but Gelechia galle- solidaginis, Riley, forms genuine galls on Solidago. Many other Lepidoptera have been bred from galls, but in most cases the evidence points to their being mere inquilines. I think I have now given sufficient evidence to show that we have all the gradations from mere stem-borers to complicated galls, and the idea that they evolved in the way I have indicated is irresistible. The study of galls and the rearing of gall-insects is a most fascinating pursuit, offering much chance of new (liscovery. Galls may be collected in the early spring, and as the warm weather comes on they yield their inhabitants without any G2 76 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. special Ritentien: It is surprising to me that galls and their inhabitants are not more a subject of study among entomo- logists.* West Cliff, Custer Co., Colorado, January 23, 1890. NOTES on toe ECONOMY or RETINIA RESINELLA, Lin. By R. Avxin, F.E.S. In the spring of 1888, I heard from Mr. Salvage, who was then collecting in the neighbourhood of Forres, that a number of the twigs of the Scotch fir (Pinus sylvestris, L.) had attached to them nodular masses of resinous matter containing larve, which he believed to be those of Retinia resinella, and I sub- sequently received some of the twigs from him. These I placed in sand, kept moistened so as to “prevent the twigs becoming unnaturally dry, and allowed them to remain out of doors until the imagines emerged; in the interim observations were made, with a view, more especially, of ascertaining any facts that might have a bearing upon the opinion that had been expressed, that the larva of this species occupied a period approaching two years in feeding up. Hxamining the twigs externally when received, it was evident that the resinous nodules were invariably fixed to wood of the previous year’s growth; that what should have been the leading shoot of the then present year was much dwarfed, and in some cases represented by little more than a bud, giving the impres- sion that it had been mined at some anterior period. This at once suggested an examination of the interior, but as it would have been necessary to open several twigs to gain any satisfactory information in this direction, and as such a proceeding was calculated to kill the larve, it was postponed until such time as the moths should come forth; only a sufficient number of the nodules being opened from time to time to ascertain the condition of their tenants. In due course the desired conditions were fulfilled, and it was then found that the most satisfactory method of arriving at the object in view was by cutting longitu- dinally through the twig and nodule together, the fibre of the former and the semi-crystalline substance of the latter yielding readily to the persuasive dissecting knife, and thus exposing to view in section the workings made by the larva throughout its life. ‘These may be briefly summarised thus :—A narrow gallery under the bark of the twig, on the side opposite to that to which the nodule is attached, commences at a point nearly level with the * Note.—I am indebted to Dr. C. V. Riley and Mr. W. H. Ashmead for identifi- cation of several of the galls mentioned. The new species will be fully described hereafter, ECONOMY OF RETINIA RESINELLA. 77 centre of the nodule, thence proceeding to the base of the young shoot, which is completely hollowed out, and entering the nodule, which is divided into an inner and an outer chamber, at the upper end of the latter, the inner apparently being reserved for pupation. The order of procedure in the formation of these workings would appear to be as follows :—The young larva upon leaving the egg eats through the bark of a twig near the extremity of the old wood, and taking a course in the direction of growth, keeping always on the same side, soon reaches the young growing shoot, upon the soft wood of which it feeds, probably consuming it during the summer of its first year. It now becomes necessary that it should provide for passing the winter, and having weakened the terminal shoot by reducing it to a mere shell at its base, it is desirable that it should provide a more substantial habitation in which to weather the storm ; it is probably at this time that the bark is again pierced, but on the opposite side to that by which the larva entered, and by a larger hole, through which the sap would flow readily, and, congealing as it reaches the air, at once begin to form a resinous mass, which by its own weight, would spread in the direction of the trunk of the tree, the larva as it does so following its movement, and, by removing the bark as it becomes covered, increase the flow of the resinous juices until the nodule has attained a sufficient size; being hollowed out the meanwhile into the chambers above referred to, and the domicile completed in which the larva is to spend the remainder of its existence. It was after having attained this stage that the larve under notice were first observed in the early days of May, 1888; they were still small, and showed little signs of growth until the end of that month; but from this time they grew rapidly, and by the end of June had the appearance of being full fed, in which con- dition they remained until the spring of 1889, the pupal stage being reached by the 20th April, and the imagines emerged between 25th May and 8rd June. During the time that the larva is in the nodule, it appears to reside in the outer of the two chambers, and to gain what sustenance it requires from the juices that ooze into its apartment from the tree. Thus the time from the finding of the larve to the appearance of the imagines was some thirteen months, and it is evident that the larve when first noted, had already been feeding for some considerable time, and had indeed completed the earlier stages of their existence; there appears, therefore, to be no doubt that this species does occupy a period of two years in completing its metamorphoses. Wellfield, Lingards Road, Lewisham, February, 1890. 78 THE ENTOMOLOGIS®. RHOPALOCERA AT DIGNE. By Mrs. NicHo.u. THE butterflies of Switzerland are nearly as well known to British entomologists as those of our own island. Hvyerybody goes to Switzerland, and many people catch butterflies during their holiday, and consequently the chance of finding a new variety, or a new locality for a species, is but very slight. This, however, is by no means the case in the South-eastern depart- ments of France. Hautes Alpes, Basses Alpes, Isére, and Var, present a wide and little-explored field to the butterfly hunter, and if the district were thoroughly worked it is more than probable that new varieties, and even new species, might be found there. ‘The country is very mountainous, and presents a great variety of geological formation, combined with a climate far warmer than that of Switzerland; and although the general character of the mountains is bare and stony, yet there remain many forests of birch, beech, oak, and pine, and many rich mountain pastures, where the flora is even more varied and beautiful than that of the Swiss Alps. The inns of this country are generally reported to be exceed- ingly bad, but this is now no longer the case. Digne, Barcelon- nette, and Briaugon possess excellent. hotels; and good clean mountain inns, affording excellent accommodation, are to be found at Ville Vallouise, Monetier, La Grave, and La Bérarde. So the entomologist need not fear any great discomfort if he should be tempted into a voyage of discovery into a country | which is probably rather less known than Japan to the ordinary English tourist. We arrived at Digne on June 10th last, and remained there until July 2nd. We then went to Seyne and Barcelonnette, returning to Digne on July 9th, and remaining there till July 17th. I append a list of the more remarkable insects which I took at Digne during these two periods. The weather was generally fine and hot after the first week we spent there ; but the season was fully a fortnight late, owing to the cold and wet which had prevailed south of the Alps during the months of April and May. It was, however, too late for the greatest of the local rarities,— Thais rumina, var. honorati,—one of the most striking and beautiful of HKuropean butterflies, for which the neighbourhood of Digne is the only known locality. I succeeded in purchasing one from a peasant farmer who collects and sells them to Staudinger; but the season had been a very bad one: he had but two left in stock, and my specimen cost 25 fr. I believe that in a good year they can be had for 10 fr. It was also too late for the local Erebia epistygne, which flies on the high limestone ridge of the Dourbes during March and April; but this is always plentiful. RHOPALOCERA Ai’ DIGNE. 79 Between June 9thand July 2nd I caught the following butter- flies :— Papilio alexanor.—Common all round the town. Parnassius apollo.—Near the Baths; not plentiful. Thais rumina, var. medesicaste. — Common at the Baths, and in a little gorge running up into the ridge of limestone rocks behind the town. Euchloé belia, var. ausonia.— Common on the limestone ridges. EH. tagis, var. bellezina (nearly over).—On the Dourbes. Leucophasia sinapis, var. lathyri.—Generally common. Thecla ilicis, vars. cerri and esculi.i— Common. Lycena iolas (nearly over).—Two only, near the Baths. Erebia evias and E. epistygne.-—On the Dourbes. Cononympha dorus.— Common. Spilothyrus lavatere.—Common. Argynnis adippe, var. cleodoxa.— Common. A. daphne.— Common. Between July 11th and 16th, at Digne, I took the following :— Thecla roboris.—Plenty about the oak trees in the little gorge running into the back of the “town rocks,” all, however, a good deal worn, and had evidently been out some days. ‘This rare insect probably flies for a very short time, as it was certainly not on the wing before July 1st. I scarcely found any after July 12th. Lycena meleager.—Very common. L. admetus, var. rippertt. —Common on lavender blossoms. Libythea celtis —Not uncommon (partial to clematis). Vanessa egea.—Plentiful. Parnassius mnemosyne.—Common at the foot of the precipice of the Dourbes. Satyrus circe and S. briseis—Very common. S. jidia.—Just coming out on the last day I had at Digne. Melanargia galatea, var. lewcomelas.—One only. Syrichthus carthami.—Common. 8S. alveus.—Common. Ialso took a remarkable var., I think of S. alveus, in which the under side of the hind wings is brilliant red-brown—a bright shade of burnt sienna. Erebia ligea.—In the forest on the side of the Dourbes. HL. glacialis, var. pluto—On the Dourbes. Had I remained a few days longer I should have taken H. scipio in plenty on the Dourbes. I got a good series of this handsome insect a week later, in Dauphiné. Melanargia iapygia, var. cleanthe is common at Digne in the month of August. Besides these butterflies I took a good many beautiful species of Heterocera, but these I bave not yet named. I failed to find the rare Clostera alpina, which is frequently met with on poplar trunks near the town. Merthyr Mawr, Bridgend, Glamorganshire. 80 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. ON THE PHYLOGENETIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WING- MARKINGS iw CERTAIN GENERA or raz NYMPHALIDA.* By F. A. Drxzy, M.A., F.E.S., &e. Tue varied markings exhibited by the members of the genus Vanessa and its immediate allies (including the Argynnide), can all be reduced to one simple type, consisting essentially of four series of dark spots running in a direction almost parallel to the outer borders of both fore and hind wings. This pattern in its simplest form is seen in the genus Argynnis, and in a more highly specialised and decorative condition in the genera Pyra- meis, Grapta, and Vanessa. The earliest type now extant is, perhaps, furnished by the female of Argynnis diana, in which the primitive pattern of spots is beginning to be established by a lightening of the dark blue ground colour in certain areas of the wing. “JOTOIA quoiedsusiy, steeesoes 4 QQT0IA JUOIBASUBLT, ecccccccccce *JOTOTA juoredsues J, x*peoput jafora Aysits A190, See eesee AGTOTA Anysrys GCN seeeeeeceeereaseereeeserees “BIOTA. PIIOROTO SS PCOIGIIOIO Fe) (OTN dooq "9" -GAnBUL JUdIBdsUBIIUOG °° 1OJUDI] *JO[OIA Ajrepn sary sreee “Q970IA JUOIBdSUBI}IUOG ecccce ‘ated AIOA ‘Ja[OIA Ayoreg eocccccce "TN “JOTOIA Lang V steeee coreNT “JOTOLA 3/9242 dosq @oeseeseeoeeeese “UMOIG qysryT e@eoeeeeseonee + x" MOG qqsry srl .ATUO pomopjed ATIYSITG ecccccccccce {-pomoyjod ATUO Coe cecccccececceveces + 091, @ecvccceseceeceessocccece {0791¢ eeececeeesessceeseccscece tong “* ystaoqfed yy S11 QyST SBGIHGSOSIOIIOS. «TNO Wy SryT es | x°AJUO pamozped oT eeeeeeereneers sgort09 TIN seesaeeerseeesseeeeeees “QQTTOK) ‘yaep smiea { pamozjad ATUG ccc cceccecccees “a0jf00 IST "+ TMOIG-MOTIAA TOJTINVAT eecccccce ‘0 Ajaatyu9 JSOUTW ececeveaeeeeeoe ese “UMOIG-I2TFOH chisel Ginilejoieeresiaisie*micwise ea" OIA T BBHEHOOOHIOOIAGO! CE LeVO) qysvy “NHAYD TARLYW “SHIOGdG GAUNOION-ALIHA\ NO SLINFOVAY ONINIVLG JO LOada “LH TIOIA TAHLAW -muvnjaq shsoprydup “ -pynunquowu addimpayy seeseeees (-mrupsnd) DLaqvO “= -pIMLYINSSOLH SHLDAQL “=-piinnoasM whsadosnipy ‘psommonau w1roydobo ry JT nesses os enydvsboyqune “Fr vreeeeees 5 qunabhas SuOLD “ gpquapovUL HISOYIAC srreeeeeeres “asd DI9hUOLOP reese emmy daong DLAVY mes onriny 0189Y)40q “ -Lasnyquau vuosojrdy ssrees yay py dLownjvy ssreseessnmuuny snporda FT tereeeees enphigns SIUaUTy meeeseees 1 LD9 WSSAUD A 999990106 DIBLUUY)A TT PEOBOD000" OP AVIS RITA) SUCH ay “HNIGOL “SalIOddS HO HNVN CHEMISTRY OF INSECT COLOURS. 291 As a matter of convenience, in publishing, we will reserve the tables of results in yellow, red, chestnut, blue, and green, until next month (although naturally they follow on here), and take the results afforded by the remaining and far less important colours. First as to brown. ‘This class is really intended as a sort of appendix to chestnut ; for under the latter term are included all brown or chestnut colours that are affected by my reagents, whilst as brown are grouped together all the “ indifferentists.” It is, perforce, a somewhat heterogeneous assemblage, including many different browns, and two or three odd chocolates that I hardly knew how to dispose of, and therefore finally grouped with the browns. The insects experimented upon were the following :—Orgyia antiqua, Bombyx quercus (male and female), Orthosia macilenta (2), Mamestra oleracea, Cidaria suffumata, Coremia ferrugata, C. munitata, and the chocolate (a) blotches and (0) lines on (a) Rumia crategata and (b) Phalera bucephala. On the average twelve or thirteen reagents were used to test each of these species ; and, in spite of their heterogeneity, they agree admirably in being a most thoroughly unsatisfactory assem- blage. There is nothing really definite to report of any of them, except that in nearly every case the effect was nil. The most especially impervious were P. bucephala, B. quercus, and C. suffumata. In one or two instances O. antiqua faded somewhat, and ammonia left it “darker and duller.” RR. crate- gata faded a good deal, too, under the influence of the alkalis. O. macilenta was changed to lighter and yellower, and M. oleracea to a duller brown than the normal. Metallic spots and markings.—I had looked forward with very great interest to experimenting on these colours (sic), but they have proved wofully disappointing. Unfortunately I had only two or three metallic marked specimens on which to experiment, and it would be somewhat premature to conclude that all would behave similarly ; but at any rate there is complete unanimity in the few results that I have, and I shall hope for an opportunity of supplementing these later. The species experimented on were Argy ynnis paphia, Plusia gamma, Euplexia lucipara, and Dione passiflorae. A. paplia. This was tested by twenty-four reagents, and the silver was left unaffected in each case, with a doubtful excep- tion as regards nitric acid, which perhaps removed a little. D. passiflore.* Tested by the chosen seven reagents (see * A Floridan species of the Nymphalins, with magnificent blots of silver on under surface of hind wings. ‘This was one of a large number of specimens for which I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. Geo. C. Griffiths, of Bristol. Iam also heavily indebted to Dr. Crowfoot, of Beccles, for similar generosity ; and gladly take this opportunity of acknowledging the kindness of these gentlemen, as well as 222 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. p- 187*), and also alcohol, and quite unaffected by any; except that nitric acid (50 p.c.) seemed to have removed much of the “silver,” and exposed the brown wing beneath. P. gamma. Hight experiments were made on this, and all with- out effecting any change. / E. lucipara. The doubtful bronzy markings on this were also tested, and without any different result. Of the remaining colours equally there is nothing satisfactory to report. There are various half-tints and indeterminate shades very difficult to classify, and yielding nothing but negative results when treated. There is, for instance, what I have called greyish, under which head I placed the fore wings of Acronycta psi and of Phalera bucephala. These have been examined by means of most of the reagents, and with practically no results, except that the first seemed in several instances to become a trifle lighter; and the second certainly assumes avery sickly, washed out, indefinite appearance.t One somewhat interesting exception may, however, be noted: the grey of A. psi is turned quite black by argentic nitrate ; but this (like the reactions of white wings with hydriodic acid) is probably due to simple staining. Cream. An example of this is afforded by the hind wings, and also by the “ buff tip,” of Phalera bucephala. I have examined their behaviour with about a score of reagents each, and the results are all negative. In some cases the cream of the hind wing was a trifle “gone,” or the wings partly transparent,—but that was all; and the buff tip was still more obdurate. In concluding the list I may point out that hundreds of Lepi- doptera, chiefly among the Noctue and Geometre, display colours (save the mark!) that would defy any attempt to classify,—half- of several other correspondents—viz., Messrs. J. Anderson, jun., Carlier, Farren, Jackson, Jones (of Delawarr), and J. J. Weir. With regard to these tropical species, I have decided not to tabulate any of the results with those previously obtained from English species ; for it seems very un- desirable to mix up a few tropical species with thesé now, while reserving for some ~ later date the main body of results that I hope to obtain from extra-British Lepi- doptera. Onthe other hand, several colours very sparsely represented by British species are common in exotic, and it seemed equally foolish to pay no heed to these when discussing the present results, and to be hampered by the limits of unnecessary ignorance. I therefore picked out for immediate experiment, from the specimens sent me, some that appeared likely to afford specially interesting results ; and these results, although untabulated, I shall quote in their proper connexion when discussing the various colours. I seem to owe this explanation alike to my corre- spondents, who might perhaps be surprised at finding so little apparent use made of the specimens that they sent me, and to the general reader, who might be puzzled by finding tropical species alluded to in subsequent pages, whilst not mentioned in the tables. * After the list of ‘‘six’’ reagents, add ‘‘ and acetic acid.”’ + Apparently this is due to the bluish grey scales flaking off, and thereby exposing a lower stratum of scales of lighter hue. TWO DAYS COLLECTING IN NORMANDY. 9233 shades of a dubious brownish greyish hue, that can be called nothing in particular. These I have, at least for the present, left alone, feeling fairly certain (a view quite confirmed by the experiments on bucephala, O. macilenta, A. psi, &c.) that no results —at least of a very definite character—would be forthcoming. The number of heads under which I have grouped the colours may Seem very few; but there are only a few distinct colours, and under yellow or red, e.g., are included many different shades and hues. I have endeavoured. in these preliminary trials, to examine types of each chief colour in each of the large groups,* so far as possible, and intend now to extend my investigations to foreign representatives of— more especially—Rhopalocera and Bombycide (and Sphingidee), since in these divisions there chiefly occur the brilliant colours : some interesting results may be expected perhaps among some of the Geometre, but I have small hopes of the Noctuze, among which bright colours are scarce, and indefinite half-shades the rule.t Some further reference will be made to this below; and it now remains to discuss the significance of the foregoing results, and offer such interpretation of them as we can. I propose to consider them under two heads: first, taking their chemical aspect; and secondly, their biological or phylo- genetic,—in which connexion I shall explain what seems to me their bearing on Variation. (To be continued.) TWO DAYS’ COLLECTING IN NORMANDY. By Jonn Henry Leecnu, B.A., F.L.S., &o. I wave been frequently asked by British entomologists if I knew of a good collecting-place on the Continent within easy reach, affording a pleasant change for a short holiday, and the prospect of yielding a good return in the way of rare British insects, in addition to a few that have not as yet been recorded from England. The task of combining a short journey, a good collecting locality, and a modest expenditure, was by no means an easy one. As a boy I was fairly well acquainted with some parts of the coast of Normandy, especially the neighbourhood of Havre, and having very pleasant reminiscences of Tancarville (about 25 miles from Havre) I determined to give it a trial this season. Accompanied by Mr. South and Mr. H. McArthur, I left London at 9.45 on Friday night last (June 13th), and arrived at Tancarville by mid-day on Saturday. At first sight the locality bids * T.c., of course, as represented in England. | A few experiments have already been made on Coleoptera, Neuroptera, and Diptera, 224 : THE ENTOMOLOGIST. fair enough to produce no end of rarities in their season. The little village nestling at the foot of the wooded hills, and over- shadowed by the noble ruins of the old castle from which it takes its name, faces the River Seine, and is separated therefrom by a broad stretch of marshy meadow land reclaimed from the river. On both sides are high limestone (?) cliffs rising several hundred feet sheer from the plain, and crowned with forest growth. Except on the low ground near the river, extensive woods meet the eye in every direction. The woods explored by us are in all stages of growth, some having been apparently cleared this year, while other parts appear to have been left untouched for ages. All the usual forest trees abound. In some parts birch—accompanied by bil- berry, heather, and brake-fern—is luxurious ; in others Huphorhia, hemp agrimony and foxglove form a striking feature. The ground at the base of the cliffs, especially towards the river, affords good collecting, and is very sheltered and warm. Sugaring was found to be most productive higher up the hills, especially the hill-side facing the castle. Behind the village is a swampy valley, full of willows, sallows, sedges, reeds, &c., that should produce, among other things, many species of Leucania. Although the weather, for the most part, was cloudy, and the nights rather raw, and succeeding a long spell of bad weather, we managed in our two days to get together a good long list of captures. The season was evidently a late one, judging by the species taken and the large proportion of freshly-emerged specimens. I can recollect, as a boy, taking, amongst other species in August, Papiho machaon, Argynnis latona, Vanessa antiopa, Grapta c-album, Colias edusa and C. hyale, Satyrus semele, Melanargia galatea, and Calli- morpha hera,—the last common on the flowers of hemp agrimony. The following notes may be of assistance to anyone who proposes to visit the locality during the season :—Leave Waterloo 9.45 p.m. for Southampton, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday ; the train runs alongside the steamer, which leaves at midnight, arriving at Havre between 8.30 and 9 the following morning. Return fares, 1st class, 40s.; 2nd class, 30s. Take no luggage except such as can be carried by hand. Drive at once to the railway-station, and catch the 9.28 a.m. (next train 12.28 p.m.) to St. Romain: 1st class, 2 f. 20 c¢.; 2nd class, 1f. 65c. An omni- bus takes you from the station to the town of St. Romain for 30 c. At the hotel ‘Du Nom de Jesus’ an excellent lunch can be had for 2f. 50 c. or 8 frances, and acarriage obtained to drive to Tancar- ville (about 11 kil.) for 6 or 7 franes, or, if informed beforehand, the landlord of the hotel at Tancarville will send a carriage to the station of St. Romain for 8 francs, which would save time. At Tancarville there are several inns, the best of which is the ‘Hotel du Havre’; the charges are 7 to 8 francs per day, including excellent cooking and very good cider. The travelling expenses TWO DAYS COLLECTING IN NORMANDY. 995 for the complete return journey, Ist class, for one person, amount to exactly £3; of course it would be something less for two or more people, as the cost of carriage, &c., would be shared; a considerable saving could also be effected by travelling 2nd class. It would be well to advise the landlord of the hotel at Tancarville, so that he could reserve rooms, as the accommoda- tion is rather limited, but no doubt beds could be obtained outside. For the return journey, trains leave St. Romain station at 4.5 p.m. and 7.30 p.m., the latter allowing plenty of time to catch the steamer, which starts at 9 p.m. on Mondays, Wednes- days, and Fridays. The train arrives at Waterloo by 10 a.m. The entomologist ought to be able, by leaving London at 9.45 on a Friday night, to spend from 11 a.m. on Saturday to 6 p.m. on Monday at Tancarville, and arrive back in London by 10 a.m on Tuesday. List or LEPIDOPTERA TAKEN AT TANCARVILLE, JuNE 14TH To 16TH, 1890. RaHopaLocera. — Pieris brassice and P. rape. Euchloé cardamines. Gonopteryx rhamni, a few small larvee on buckthorn. Argynnis selene. Vanessa urtice. V. cardui, one very worn female ; deposited seven eggs in achain. Melanargia galatea, larva. Pararge egeria and P. megera. Epi- nephele ianira. Thecla rubi. Lycenaicarus. Syrichthus malve. Nisoniades tages. Hesperia sylvanus. HETEROCERA. Bomsycrs.—Zygena filipendule, one larva about half-grown. Hy- lophila prasinana, two specimens: these, from their splendid condition, appeared to have just emerged from pup; one example has very distinct streak and blotches of red on the costa and inner margin of fore wing. Calligenia miniata, a female; deposited a number of eggs. Lithosia sororcula (= aureola). Euchelia jacobee. Arctia villica. Spit- losoma lubricipeda and S. menthastri. Hepialus hectus. Porthesia similis (= auriflua). Leucoma salicis. Dasychira pudibunda. Orgyia antiqua, larva. Bombyx neustria, larva, common. JB. quercus, larva. Odonestis potatoria, larva. Dicranura vinula, one very small larva. Pygera pigra (= reclusa), larvee, also very small. Noctua. — Thyatira batis, at sugar. Moma orion, sitting among herbage. Acronycta psi, at sugar. A. rumicis. Gortyna ochracea, larves in stems of hemp agrimony. Xylophasia rurea, at sugar. Pachetra leucophea, one very fresh example taken at exuding sap of birch tree; on each side of this birch were other trees which had been sugared. Apamea basilinea, at sugar. Miana strigilis, at sugar. Rusina tenebrosa, at sugar. Agrotis exclamationis, at sugar. Noctua brunnea and N. festiva, at sugar. Triphana pronuba, at sugar. Tethea retusa, larva, on willow. Huplexia lucipara, at sugar. Aplecta prasina (= herbida) and A. nebulosa, at sugar. Hadena thalassina and H. contiqua, at sugar. Cucullia verbasci, larvee common on Verbascum and Scrophularia ; many very small, a few nearly full grown. Chariclea umbra, at sugar. Hrastria venustula, beaten out of undergrowth in the wood above Castle, H. fasciana (= fuscula), disturbed ENTOM,—JULY, 1890, R 226 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. from herbage at the edge of wood below Castle. FHuclidia glyphica. Rivula sericealis. Zanclognatha grisealis. Pechypogon barbalis. Hypena proboscidalis. GrOMETRE.—-EHpione advenaria, among bilberry above the Castle. Rumia luteolata (= crategata). Metrocampa margaritaria. Boarmia repandata, not common ; one example of var. conversaria sitting on the cliff, but quite beyond reach. B. consortaria. Tephrosia luridata (= extersaria). Iodis lactearia. Zonosoma linearia (= trilinearia). Asthena luteata and A. candidata. Acidalia ornata. Cabera pusaria and C. exan- themata. Bapta bimaculata (= taminata). Panagra petraria, almost passé. Minoa murinata (= euphorbiata). Abraxas grossulariata. Lomaspilis marginata. Larentia viridaria (= pectinitaria). Hupithecia linariata, H. plumbeolata, aud EH. castigata. Hypsipetes trifasciata (= impluviata). Melanippe montanata, M. galiata, and M. fluctuata. Anticlea rubidata. Camptogramma bilineata. Cidaria corylata. Anaitis plagiata. PYRALIDES.—Scoparia ambigualis, S. cembre, and S. dubitalis. Pyrausta aurata (= punicealis) and P. purpuralis. Hnnychia octomaculata. Eurrhypara urticata (= urticalis). Scopula olivalis. Botys fuscalis. Ebulea crocealis. Perinephele lancealis. PrrropHori.—Platyptilia bertrami and P. gonodactyla. Mimeseoptilus pterodactylus (= fuscodactylus). Letoptilus microdactylus. Aciptilia penta- dactyla. Alucita hiibneri? Crambus pratellus, C. pascuellus, and C. hor- tuellus. Rodophea consociella, larve. Tortricks.—Tortrix ribeana and T. viridana. Argyrotoza conwayana. Penthina pruniana and P. ochroleucana. Hedya ocellana and H. dealbana. Aspis udmanniana, larve. Sericoris urticana. Roxana arcuana. Ortho- tenia striana. Sciaphila subjectana. Phoxopteryx myrtillana and P. lundana. Grapholitha penkleriana. Batodes angustiorana, one worn male specimen. Pedisca profundana. LEphippiphora brunnichiana. Carpo- capsa grossana. Stigmonota nitidana (= redimitana) and S. flexana. Dicrorampha politana, D. petiverella, and D. plumbagana. Catoptria hyper- icana, common. Symethis oxyacanthella. Xanthosetia hamana. Chrosis alcella (= tesserana, fine and well marked). Conchylis straminea. Tinez.—Endrosis fenestrella. Besides Lepidoptera, many species of insects belonging to other Orders were met with; but, excepting the beetles, we did not secure as many samples as we might have done. Mr. Billups has been good enough to identify the specimens taken, and has reported on them as follows :— The Coleoptera are represented by 39 species, ranging from the Cicindelidee down to the Chrysomelide. Cicindela campestris, L., was the only species met with repre- senting the first-named Family, and appeared fairly plentiful. Anchomenus parumpunctatus, F., Amara lunicollis, Schiod., and Harpalus rujicornis, F’., being the representatives of the Carabide : of these there was only one specimen of each taken. Of the Staphylinide two species only were met with, — Philonthus politus, F., and P. marginatus, F., and these sparingly; the Coccinellide being represented by several specimens of Coccinella 14-punctata, LL. Among the Scarabeide, Aphodius fossor, L., ENTOMOLOGY OF THE PORTSMOUTH DISTRICT. DOT and A. hemorrhoidalis, L., two specimens only, but the deficiency was well made up by the abundance of Hoplia philanthus, Sulz. A type of Agrilus angustulus, Ill., represented the Buprestide ; whilst a specimen each of Athous hemorrhoidalis, F., and Limo- nius minutus, L., did duty for the Elateride ; the representatives of the Telephoride being a solitary male of Drilus flavescens, Ol., male and female of Telephorus flavilabris, Fall., and a male of Malachius bipustulatus, L. Helops striatus, Fourc., was some- what plentiful among the Tenebrionidz, while the Pyrochroidze had a single representative in a male of P. serraticornis, Scop. Several specimens of both sexes of Gidemera noblis, Scop., and CZ. lurida, Marsh, appeared for the Gidemeride ; the deputies of the Curculionide being Otiorhynchus tenebricosus, Hbst., O. preipes, F., Phyllobius alneti, F., Liophleus nubilus, F., Barynotus obscurus, F., and Attelabus curculionides, L., several specimens of each. The Cerambycide were represented by five species,— namely, Agapanthia lineaticollis, Don., of which there were seve- ral examples of both sexes ; Saperda cascharias, L., a type only; S. populnea, L., several specimens; and one each of Rhagiwm inquisitor, F’., and Pachyta cerambyciformis, Schor. The Chry- somelide were represented by a pair of Timarchia levigata, L., and one specimen of a species closely allied to it, but which I have not yet been able to determine; a single specimen of Cryptocephalus aureolus, Suf., also a type of Chrysomela polita, L. Of the genus Lina there were several specimens of L. populi, L., while the remainder consisted of one specimen each of Gonioctena oliwacea, Forst., Haltica coryli, All., and H. ericeti, All. Several fine specimens of Homoptera were also met with in Triecphora sanguinolenta, Panz.,* while the Diptera had a repre- sentative in a beautiful specimen of the genus Syrphide. A very fine female of Trogus alboguttatus, Gr., represented the Family of Ichneumonide. CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ENTOMOLOGY OF THE PORTSMOUTH DISTRICT. By W. T. PrEaARce. Coup we compare a list of the fauna of this district of fifty years ago with one of the present time, we should find that modern improvements (?) had exterminated many interesting forms of life from our midst. Fifty years ago Portsmouth and Portsea were surrounded by a wall, on which seven species of ferns were to be found; Southsea and Landport, by fields and market gardens. Southsea Common was a marsh, the home of rabbits and occasional hares ; * This insect ig abundant all over the district. R 2 228 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. in summer the haunt of the nightjar and many warblers; and in winter a hiding-place for the majority of our species of ducks. Lycena corydon could then be taken here, and Aporia crategi was common in Elm Grove. (Vide a paper read by Mr. H. Moncreaff before the P. and G. Natural Science Society.) The wall was demolished nearly twenty years ago; of the ferns I have only found three species on the island. Southsea has become a well-known watering-place, and Landport the busiest part of the town. ‘The rabbits have a feeble hold on the north of the island; hares are very scarce; the nightjar I have never seen or heard here. JL. corydon occurs very sparingly on Portsdown Hill, and A. crategit has been extinct for twenty years. My notes are taken from a list of the fauna of the district, compiled by myself and members of the Portsmouth and Gosport Natural Science Society. The district proper is the whole of the land south of Portsdown Hill, enclosed by parallel lines drawn from the east and west ends to the shore; but I shall not confine myself strictly to these limits, as very little has been written on the insects peculiar to this district. The Rhopalocera are divided among the several families, as follows :—Pieride, 8 species; Nymphalide, 18; Apaturide, 1; Satyride, 8; Lycenide, 10; Hrycinide, 1;,. Hesperiide, 5: total, 46 species. Two of them are now extinct, thus reducing the total to 44 species, all of which are to be found within ten miles of Portsmouth Town Hall. PIERIDz. Aporia crategi.—Once common in Elm Grove, Southsea, but has now been extinct for about twenty years. Pieris brassice.—Common. In the evening of August 8th, 1887, in Alder Marsh, near Gosport, Mr. T. H. Larcom and myself stood on one spot, and without moving counted, within a space of not more than six square feet, over two dozen (I believe it was twenty-nine) specimens of this species and P. rape, which were resting for the night on the bramble bushes. A few days previously I counted over fifty white butterflies in the Bury Road; they were, no doubt, a portion of the swarm that visited the southern counties during the autumn of that year. The larve of P. brassice and P. rap@ were very numerous in October and November, 1888, at Gosport. P.rape.—Quite as common as P. brassicae. P.napi.—Common, but rarely so common as brassice and rape. P. daplidice.—Portsdown Hill is the only locality in the district where this insect has been taken. Mr. J.J. Moore took two specimens here; Mr. H. Moncreaff, one; Mr. Taylor, one; a fifth is said to have been taken by another collector; and a sixth was seen by Mr. Larcom and myself on some chalky ground, August 22nd, 1886. I am unable to obtain the dates of the above captures, but none are very recent. Euchloé cardamines.—Generally common throughout the district. I have several specimens with the inner margin sulphur-yellow. A few years ago Mr. Larcom obtained a male with an orange blotch on the under wing near the hind margin; so far as I can discover it is not a pupal stain. ENTOMOLOGY OF THE PORTSMOUTH DISTRICT. 999 Colias edusa.—May be met with throughout the district nearly every year. It was very abundant during the last edusa year, and since then was most abundant in 1885, when Mr. Larcom and myself met with seventy- five specimens. In 1886, twenty-seven specimens were taken, but none in 1887 ; in 1888, eight only, and those not in the district; in 1889, thirteen specimens. C. hyale—Scarce; a specimen on Portsdown, August 16th, 1885, Mr. Larcom. NyYMPHALIDA. Argynnis selene and A. euphrosyne-—Common in woods north of Ports- down Hill. In May, 1887, Mr. Larcom found a variety of A. euphrosyne in Stakes Wood, the silver spots cn the hind wings being very large and almost confluent ; the black spots on the upper side formed lines, converging from the centre. A. adippe.—Occurs some years rather freely in Stakes Wood. In 1881 it was almost impossible to walk through the coverts and see a thistle-head unoccupied by one or more specimens. It also occurs in Havant Thicket and Scratch-face Lane, Stakes. The woods at Southwick and the Forest of Bere are also probable localities. A. paphia.—In the same localities as A. adippe. An old collector, Mr. H. Shelston, tells me he once found the variety valesina in Stakes Wood; neither Mr. Larcom or myself have found it nearer than Lyndhurst. Several specimens of the type were taken years ago at Great Salterns, by Mr. J.J. Moore. Iam sorry to say Great Salterns and Highgroye, the only happy hunting-grounds left on Portsea Island, were closed to the public in 1889. Melitea aurinia (artemis).—The only locality in this district is Purbrook Common. In 1883, it was abundant; in 1884, it was scarcer ; in 1885 and 1886, not one was to be seen; in 1887, about twelve females were seen by Mr. Larcom and myself; in 1888 and 1889, none; on May 26th of the present year, I hunted for more than an hour, and did not meet with a single speci- men, and I have not heard of any being seen this season. Vanessa polychloros.—This insect appears to be disappearing altogether from this district. In 1880, Mr. Larcom took a brood of larve at Gosport, and neither of us have seen the species there since. Although stray speci- mens have occasionally been reported to me from other parts of the district, I have not observed polychloros since August, 1883, when I saw two speci- mens at Warblington, near Havant. V. urtica—Uusually common; often abundant. V.%o0.—Often common; but rarely so numerous as V. urtice and V. atalanta. V. antiopa.—One caught at Cosham, by Mr. Tranton, July 29th, 1872. Recorded by Mr. Taylor, Kntom. vi. 192. V. atalanta. —Common; often abundant. V. cardui.—Most eccentric in its appearance. Very abundant in 1879, common in 1880 and 1881, very scarce in 1882 and 1883, common in 1884 and 1885, scarce in 1886, none in 1887, a few in 1888, and a few hybernated specimens only in 1889 (the above are my own experiences only). V. c-album.—Recorded in Newman’s ‘ Butterflies and Moths,’ by the late Mr. Buckler, as occurring at Farlington. The larva was taken at Purbrook, by Mr. J. J. Moore, in 1886. Neither Mr. Larcom or myself have yet met with this species in any part of the district. Limenitis sibylla.—This species is probably to be found in all the woods in the district. It is sometimes common in Stakes Wood; I know a collector who took over forty specimens there in one day. The other localities are Havant Thicket; Scratch-face Lane, Stakes; the woods at Southwick; Forest of Bere; and the Grange Wild Grounds, Gosport. 230 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. APATURIDA, Apatura iris.—Mr. R. Stent has seven specimens, taken by himself at Southwick ; it has been seen by Mr. Larcom and myself, and captured by Mr. Leech, in Stakes Wood. In 1888 a specimen was taken by Mr. Larcom in the Forest of Bere. SATYRIDE. Melanargia galatea.—I have but one record of this species from Gosport, and that only of a single specimen met with many years ago by Messrs. Lacey, Woodman, and Stevens, and captured by the latter. It is common at Fort Purbrook, Portsdown Hill; it occurs in Stakes Wood and Scratch-face Lane: I once met with it near Leigh Park. There are probably other places in the district that I am not yet acquainted with. Pararge egeria.—Local, and rarely common. Stakes Wood; Scratch- face Lane, Stakes; Havant Thicket; and Southwick. P. megera.— Common throughout the district. Satyrus semele.—Portsdown Hill, not common; Hayling Island and Browndown, common. Epinephele ianiran—Common throughout the district. I have a very curious male, taken on Portsdown Hill in 1888; the right upper wing appears to have been tied round the centre in some way whilst developing. E. tithonus—Common in every hedgerow. SH. hyperanthes.—Common in the woods and lanes north of Portsdown Hill. The variety arete has been taken at Crook-horn, by Mr. Larcom and myself. Cenonympha pamphilus.—Common throughout the district. Specimens having the ocelli on the under side of the lower wings well developed are occasionally taken. Lycunipm. Thecla quercus.—In woods throughout the district. It occurs, or used to occur, in a small copse at Great Salterns, Portsea Island. 7. w-album. —One at Southsea many years ago, Mr. H. Moncreaff. T. rubt.—Local. Grange Wild Grounds, and Browndown, Gosport; Stakes Wood. One at Eastney, W. T. P. Polyommatus phicas.—Generally distributed, and common in places. A specimen of the var. schmidti was taken some years ago by Mr. King, at Highgrove; it has since been destroyed by mites. Lycena egon.—Mr. Stent tells me this species used to be common on Portsdown Hill; it is now very scarce. L. astrarche (agestis)—Portsdown Hill, not common; Scratch-face Lane, Stakes, one, W. T. P. L. icarus (alexis)—Common. I have two males, with the wings partly white, from Portsdown. Mr. Larcom has a specimen of what I take to be the var. icarinus from the same locality; examples showing some variation in the markings of the hind wings are occasionally taken. LL. corydon.—This species used to occasionally occur on Southsea Common; it is now only to be found on Portsdown Hill, and there only in small numbers. In August, 1888, I counted fourteen females and three or four males; and on August 4th, 1889, I saw eleven females, but no males; this was the only date last year that corydon was met with, so that I believe there is reason to think this species will soon be entirely eliminated from our district. Mr. MeArthur told me of another place on the hill where it was said to occur, but neither Mr. Larcom nor myself could find it there. L. argiolus. —Sparingly. Scratch-face Lane, Stakes ; common, Grange Wild Grounds, A SUCCESSFUL MOTH-TRAP. 931 Gosport. A few years ago Mr. Larcom had a brood of larve on the ivy in his garden, in Shaftesbury Road, Gosport. L. minima (alsus).—Ports- down Hill, common, but rather local. ERYCINIDH. Nemeobius lucina.—In glades in Stakes Wood, not common. A few years ago Mr. Larcom and myself met this species in a meadow between Stakes and Purbrook, but only once. HESPERIIDA. Syrichthus malve (alveolus).—Purbrook Common, few; Stakes Wood, and Scratch-face Lane, Stakes, common. Nisoniades tayes.—Portsdown Hill, few, eastern end, north of Portsdown Hill; common, in woods and lanes. I have never found it south of the hill. Hesperia thawmas (linea).—Most abundant throughout the district in and near woods. H. sylvanus.—Generally distributed, and generally more abundant throughout the district than H. thaumas. H. comma.—Used to oocur on Portsdown Hill, near Paulsgrove. The spot where it was most abundant was taken into the chalk-pit about ten years ago, and the insect has now disappeared. Mr. Larcom and myself paid several visits to the spot during the past six years in hopes of finding this species, but were always unsuccessful. The Heterocera of this district I estimate at about 800 species. A list of these I hope to publish at no distant date ; that is to say, as soon as I can obtain definite information respecting doubtful species, rarities, and other species not on my list. 101, Mayfield Road, Seafield, Gosport, June, 1890. A SUCCESSFUL MOTH-TRAP. By W. M. Curisty, F.E.S. During this and the last three seasons I have used a motb- trap which I had constructed from my own designs, and as it has proved so useful in obtaining me many specimens of Lepido- ptera, I thought some account of it, and the work it has done, would interest the readers of the ‘ Entomologist.’ The accom- panying diagram of the trap, I think, explains itself; I will, however, venture to describe the details. A, B. CG, D, 1s a box, having a partition, E, F, to separate the lamp-chamber from the moth-chamber. In the centre of this partition is a glass window, a, through which the lamp shines. The box is open at B, c, and there is a door in the back, a, p, through which the lamp may be taken out for cleaning and trimming. ‘There is a chimney, 4, coming out through the top to carry off the heat and smoke of the lamp ; around the lower part of the lamp-chamber there are ventilation holes to admit air to the lamp and prevent the box becoming very hot. 939 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. B, K, and Cc, K, are two sheets of glass converging from the front of the box, down from the top corner, B, and up from the lower corner, c, toward a point, K, in the centre where they do not quite meet, but provide a long narrow entrance across the centre of the box through which the moths can pass in the direction of the light, towards which they are guided and assisted by the converging plates of glass. The opening I find most convenient is about 14 in. wide. When inside the box the moths are not very likely to find their way out again through the slit xk. D C The moth-chamber referred to above is the space, &, F, C, K, B; and having got the moths in, the next thing is how to get them out when the trap is examined next morning. At first I had the roof of the box to open as a lid, and the plates of glass in the front to slide out, but the objection to both these plans is that the opening is so large that the moths may fly out while you are trying to box them inside the trap. I now have small sliding doors, (L, L), two on each side, only large enough to admit the hand and killing-bottle. This arrangement is safer than the other, but not very convenient. I have no arrangement for automatically killing the moths like that described on p. 103 of Dr. H. G. Knagg’s little book, but I am thinking of trying the effect of a bag of bruised laurel leaves placed inside the moth- chamber. The killing-drawer attached to the American moth- trap above alluded to seems to me too intricate for practical A SUCCESSFUL MOTH-TRAP. 933 work, and any one setting up a moth-trap which has to stand out of doors in all weathers will soon find that the more simple it is in its construction the better. The doors, drawers, lids, &c., are sure to warp, and either stick or become loose, and, in fact, to be _a general source of trouble and annoyance. The lamp I use is an ordinary paraffin duplex lamp with reflector, such as are used to hang up against walls. Care must be taken that the flame of the lamp should be in the centre of the box, and on a level with the opening, x. It may be asked, What condition are the moths in when you visit the trap in the morn- ing? To this I reply that, taking them all round, they are in better condition than I expected they would be before I had tried the trap. On an average the specimens are nearly as good as those attracted by light into a dwelling-house; these last have to be netted in the room, and are liable to damage themselves against the ceiling and about the lamp before they are caught. Looking at my section of the box it will be seen that a good deal of the moth-chamber is in shadow, owing to the partition, E, F, being opaque, 7. e., wood, and only having a small window in its centre. This gives the moths a chance of settling down quietly out of sight of the lamp, and I think that many of them do so. Many of the moths taken in the trap are absolutely perfect. I do not think that, as a rule, the Geometers injure themselves at all inside the trap. Of course there are exceptions: Melanippe montanata, for example, generally flies about and spoils itself. On the other hand I have this season taken about twenty specimens of Odontopera bidentata; most of these were absolutely fresh, and none of them were worn, so that I believe I found them in the same condition as when they entered the trap. Most of the Bombyces and Noctue spoil themselves more or less. Still, there are a good many to be found quite perfect, without the fringes being in the least frayed. As to numbers caught, the trap is very seldom empty; I often find a dozen moths within and not unfrequently more. I have taken as many as fifty in one night. I consider this kind of moth-trap a most valuable adjunct to the usual means of collecting Lepidoptera; and as it can be used every night, and all night, with only the trouble of lighting it once in the evening, the advantages are obvious. I append a list of moths taken in my trap, which has been set either in or close to large woods of oak, beech, and the usual kinds of copse and underwood growing upon a chalk soil. At Emsworth, in May, June, and July, 1887—90 :— S. ligustri, N. mundana, E. jacobea, 8S. lubricipeda, S. menthastri, Hepialus, one, June 5, (sylvanus or lupulinus), D. pudibunda, D. faleataria, L. camelina, N. trepida, P. bucephalus, D. coryli, A. ligustri, L. conigera, L. lithargyria, L. pallens, X. monoglypha, M. persicariea, R. tenebrosa, A. 934 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. segetum, A. cinerea, N. triangulum, N. festiva, T. gothica, D. carpophaga, A. advena, H. dentina, H. adusta, T. pastinum, E. advenaria, M. margaritaria, E. dolobraria, P. syringaria, 8. bilunaria, O. bidentata, C. lichenaria, H. abruptaria, B. repandata, B. roboraria, C. biundularia, or C. crepuscularia, C. luridata, C. punctularia, G. vernaria, I. lactearia, E.. porata, E. linearta, EH. annulata, L. didymata, A. remutata, A. aversata, A. marginepunctata, T. amataria, C. pusaria, A. pictaria, P. petraria, N. pulveraria, L. viridaria, E.. plumbeolata ?, E. nanata, E. satyrata, M. albicilata, M. unangulata, M. montanata, M. fluctuata, A. badiata, A. derivata, C. ferrugata, P. tersata, P. vitalbata, C. corylata, C. russata, C. dotata. The following moths were taken with the trap on the coast of Kintyre, Argyllshire, between Aug. 2nd, and Sept. 2nd, 1889 :— L. impura, T. fulva, H. nictitans, H. micacea, C. graminis, L. testacea, M. literosa, C. alsines, A. tritici, A. cursoria, A. precox, N. xanthographa, T. janthina, X. fulvago, X. flavago, E. lutulenta, P. chrysitis, S. anomala, Rh. luteolata, C. elinguaria, A. bisetata, O. filigrammaria, L. didymata, H. subfulvata, T. variata ?, C. immanata, C. testata. There are generally some Micros in the trap but I cannot name them; neither can I specially refer to the various kinds of flies found therein. Watergate, Emsworth. ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES, CAPTURES, &c. CAPTURES AT THE “ Sattows.”—The sallows in this district were out early this year, some bushes being in full bloom by the 15th March. I was not able, unfortunately, to pay them a visit till the 8th April, and then the insects had become scarce, my only captures being 1 Teniocampa gracilis, 3 T. stabilis, 1 T. gothica, and 1 T. pulverulenta (cruda). Some friends of mine, however, went to High Beech on the 15th March, and found insects jn great abundance and fine condition, the captures being T’. stabilis (very common), 7’. instabilis (common), 7’. gothica (very common), T. cruda (very common), 7. vaccinii (common), T. munda (rare, 2 or 8 specimens only). Solitary specimens of T’. stabilis, T. gothica, T. gracilis, and T. instabilis, have also been taken with the net, during this month, and in fine condition. —C.NicHotson; 202, Evering Road, Upper Clapton, N.E., May 30, 1890. THE CHEMistry oF Insect Cotours.—I am much obliged by the references quoted by Mr. Cockerell, in his note on the subject last month (Entom. 200), some of which references he had already been kind enough to apprise me of by a private communication. Regarding Mr. Hopkins’ investigation, it is quite true that I had overlooked the account given in the ‘Chemical News’ of last August, and this owing to the fact that I was out of England when the number in question appeared, and had apparently omitted to look up the back numbers on my return. Mr. Hopkins’ paper was read before the Chemical Society, but has not, so far, been published in their journal; otherwise, of course, I should have seen it in full there. I did, however, see a brief extract of it in one of the scientific journals, but this abstract was so meagre as to have given me a very imperfect knowledge of the nature and extent of Mr. Hopkins’ work. Had I been better informed on the subject, I should have made some reference to his work in the first SOCIETIES. 235 section of my article. As it is, however, we seem to be working on by no means the same lines. Of M. Berge’s work, I am at present entirely ignorant. With regard now to the questio vewata of the cyanide effect. As Mr. Cockerell will have seen by last month’s contribution, my experiments have all been made with solution ; and a solution of potassic cyanide ought, of course, to be far more efficacious than a cyanide-bottle. However, acting on Mr. Cockerell’s hint, I have made a set of experiments in a damp and heated cyanide-bottle. The details will be best reserved until, in my article, I come to speak of the Colias colours. At present it is sufficient to say that I have got no red, so far. Mr. Cockerell’s little theory of the impurities does not, I am afraid, help matters much. Such substances as carbonate, sulphate, or chloride of potash, &c., would, even in concentrated solution, have probably no effect at all on insect colours ; how they could act when in a solid mixture, either cold or warm, I am ata loss to understand; and this remark applies with still more force to silica. As to potassic ferro- cyanide, I may refer Mr. Cockerell to my last month’s contribution ; if it had any effect at all in solution, it would turn Colias white; mixed with solid cyanide, it would be as harmless as the carbonate, &c. As to ammoniacal compounds, similar remarks would hold good; but ammonia itself in solution has a very powerful effect on Colias yellow, but it turns it pure white (see next month). ‘The mere vapour of strong ammonia is very slow to act, but eventually a similar effect is produced. So far, therefore, we seem no nearer getting concordant results as to this reddening of Colias. Finally, with regard to the white of Lycenide, I think Mr. Cockerell will find that dealt with in this month’s section of my article (see p. 219).— F, H. Perry Coste; Ravenshoe, Burnt Ash Hill, June 8, 1890. SOCIETIES. EntomoLoctcaL Soctety or Lonpon.—June 4th, 1890.—The Right Hon. Lord Walsingham, M.A., F'.R.S., President, in the chair. Mr. George William Carter, M.A., F.L.S., of Lime Grove, Knottingley, Yorkshire ; and Mr. I. Newstead, of The Museum, Chester, were elected Fellows; and Mr. Oliver Goldthwait and Mr. John W. Downing were admitted into the Society. ‘The Secretary exhibited, on behalf of Mr. J. Edwards, Norwich, two specimens of Ilybius subaneus, Er., and a single specimen of Bidessus wnistriatus, Schr. Mr. Champion alluded to the fact that the only recorded British specimens of the first-mentioned beetle had been taken many years ago at Peckham. ‘The species is very closely allied to J. fenestratus, F., but the posterior tarsi of the male have the joints externally margined at their lower edge, whereas in the male of the last-mentioned species they are not margined; this character was very plain in the male specimen sent by Mr. Edwards. Lord Walsingham, in alluding to the exhibit, referred to the list of Norfolk Coleoptera compiled some years ago by Mr. Crotch, which appears to have been lost sight of. Mr. Verrall exhibited a specimen of a fly in amber, belonging to a genus allied to the genus Psyehoda. Mr. M‘Lachlan alluded to the damage done by insects to orange-trees in Malta, and stated that the Rev. G. Henslow had lately been studying the question ; one of the chief depredators was the widely-spread “ fly,” Ceratitis citriperda, well known as devastating the orange. He found, however, that another and more serious enemy was the larva of a large Longicorn beetle (Cerambyx 236 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. miles, Bon.), which bores into the lower part of the stem and down into the roots, making large galleries; in all probability the larva, or that of an allied species, is the true Cossus of the ancients. Lord Walsingham stated that a species of Prays, allied to P. oleellus and our common P. curtisellus, was known to feed in the buds of the orange and lemon in Southern Europe. Mr. Pascoe, Mr. Champion, and others took part in the discussion which followed. ‘The Secretary, on behalf of Miss Carr, exhibited a portfolio of drawings of Indian Lepidoptera and their food-plants. The following papers were communicated, aud were read by the Secretary :—* Notes on the species of the families Lycide and Lampyride contained in the Imperial Museum of Calcutta, with descriptions of new species, and a list of the species at present described from India,” by the Rev. H. 8. Gorham ; and “ A Catalogue of the Rhopalocerous Lepidoptera collected in the Shan States, with notes on the country and climate,” by Mr. N. Manders, Surgeon, Medical Staff. The latter paper contained a very interesting description of the chief physical features of the Shan States and neighbouring parts of Burmah.—H. Goss & W. W. Fowuer, Hon. Sees. THE Sout Lonpon Entomonoeicat AND Naturau History Socinry. —May 22nd, 1890.—J. T. Carrington, F.L.S., President, in the chair. Mr. 8. Edwards exhibited Lepidoptera from China and India, including examples of Papilio nigarus; also Coleoptera, belonging to the family Sagra, from Africa. Mr. Hawes, ova of Gonopterya rhamni, L., and made some interesting remarks on the way the eggs were deposited. Mr. Frohawk also showed a microscopical drawing of the ovum of the same species, and a coloured drawing of a small plant of buckthorn about three inches in size, upon which he had found seven ova. Mr. Nussey exhibited living larvee of Geometra papilionaria, L. Mr. C. Fenn, a very long series of Saturnia pavonia, L., reared from eggs obtained by a female captured at Bournemouth: the specimens were exceptionally large, and the males very brilliantly coloured. He also showed long series of both sexes of Spilosoma mendica, Clerck., which he stated were reared by him from ova obtained from a female taken at Eltham, the larve being fed on the common broad-leaved plantain ; forty-three imagines were bred—twenty-one male and twenty-two female. The females varied little from the ordinary type, with one exception, which was curiously blotched with dark grey on the left superior wing ; the males varied from the usual Hnglish type up to a dull pale yellowish grey, and quite 50 per cent. diverged more or less from the usual form. The pupe had been exposed to the weather in a very cold and damp spot, which he thought rather bore out Mr. Tutt’s theory that moisture is the cause of melanism or colour variation. Mr. R. Adkin remarked that these specimens showed more variation than was usually found in specimens of this species from English localities, and asked whether anything was known of the male parent, and whether the female differed from the type. In answer, Mr. Fenn said he knew nothing of the male, and there was nothing special about the markings of the female parent. Mr. Tutt pointed out that the variation in the male was somewhat similar to the Irish form known as var. rustica. Some observations were made by Messrs. South, Tutt, Carrington, Adkin, and Fenn, on pup of Lepidoptera laying over for two or more years. June 12th, 1890.—The President in the chair. Messrs. G. B. Rye, of Putney ; H. McArthur, of Brompton; and A. Ward, of Brighton, were elected members. Mr. Wellman exhibited Acronycta strigosa, bred from SOCIETIES. 237 pupe: received from Cambridge ; Nemeobius lucina, L., bred from ova; and Kupithecia venosata, Fb., which had been two years in pupe, and were received from the Isle of Man. Mr. Nussey, Acronycta myrice, Gu., from Rannoch. Mr. F. Warne, Nemeobius lucina, L., Macroglossa fuciformis, L., &e., from Horsley. Mr. Robson, a banded variety of Zonosoma punctaria, L. Mr. Tugwell, Nemoria viridata, L., and a prettily marked male resembling the Rannoch form of Biston hirtaria, Clerck. Mr. R. Adkin, small and brightly marked specimens of Herbula cespitalis, Schiff., from the Land’s End, on behalf of Mrs. Hutchinson; also larve of Larentia cesiata, Lang, from the Grampian Hills, feeding on heather ; and cases and imagines of Psyche villosella, Och. Mr. R. Adkin further showed nests of a species of wasp attached to heather from Bournemouth, and from which the imago had just emerged. Mr. Billups said the species was Humenes coarctata, L., one of the solitary wasps, and the only representative of the genus in Britain: he then described the habits of the insect, and exhibited various parasites belonging to the families Ichneumonide, Chrysidide, Syrphide, and Staphylinide, to the attacks of which insects the Vespida are particularly subject. Mr. Billups also exhibited nests of solitary wasps from Borneo, with their maker; also a very fine nest of a social wasp, Palopeus architectus, St. Farg, with imago from Kentucky. Mr. Henderson, some abnormally large specimens of Paniscus cephalotes, Holmer., bred from larve of Dicranura vinula.—H. W. Barxer, Hon. Sec. BirMIncHAM EntomotocicaL Socrety.—May 19th, 1890.—Mr. R. C. Bradley in the chair. Mr. P. W. Abbott showed Trachea piniperda and Eupithecia abbreviata from Sutton Park. Mr. G. W. Wynn showed Trachea piniperda from Marston Green, from which place it had not hitherto been recorded. A number of local captures of Lepidoptera were reported for entry in the book provided for the purpose of recording them. June 2nd, 1890.—The President, Mr. W. G. Blatch, in the chair. Mr. G. W. Wynn showed Bombyx rubi from Sutton Park. Mr. H. M. Lee showed a small wasp, which was taken carrying off a large Tipula. Mr. R. C. Bradley showed a box of Tortrices. Mr. W. G. Blatch showed Coleoptera from Ludlow, new to the Midland list, as follows :—Trechus longicornis, Perileptus areolatus, Homalota fragilis, H. longula, H. deli- catula, H. subtilissima, Acobius signaticornis, Lathrobium angusticolle, Medon vripicola, Thinobius linearis, T. longipennis, Acrulia inflata, Trichonyx markelit, and a species of Scop@us, which may be new. Mr. Blatch also showed Homalota fallaciosa, Acidota crenata, and Mycetoporus angulatus, from Sutton Park, the last being new to the Midland list. Mr. H. Stone showed galls on yew, also some on a species of Abies, the latter being apparently produced by a number of minute Acari, seated at the base of the leaves and causing the stem to swell.—C. J. Watnwricut, Hon. See. Penarth Entomotocicat Socirty.—This Society, formed in 1888, held its second Annual Exhibition and Conversazione on April 10th, in the Public Hall, Penarth. ©. T. Vachell, M.D., of Cardiff, presided. The growing importance of the Society was manifested by the large gathering of scientists from the surrounding districts. The locality of Penarth is particularly rich in its Fauna and Flora; this, and the fact of there being no entomological section in the Cardiff Naturalists’ Association, has contributed to the rapid growth of this Society, so as to render its re- organization on a larger basis desirable. Several gentlemen of position and 238 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. influence in the county have consented to become Vice-Presidents, and arrangements are in progress which—with the zealous prosecution of research shown by the members hitherto—augur a successful and useful future. At the meeting referred to a very large number of cases, containing specimens of local and exotic Lepidoptera and Coleoptera, were exhibited. Sir J. IT. D. Llewellyn, Bart., contributed some of the gems of his magnifi- cent collection, supposed to be the most complete in Wales, or the West of England ; Mr. Evan John, J.P., of Llantrissant, sent a collection of the rarer Lepidoptera of Glamorganshire ; Mr. G. C. Griffiths, of Bristol, forwarded some cases of exotic Lepidoptera: these, added to the extensive collections of several of the members, formed an Exhibition which has not hitherto been equalled in this part of the kingdom. During the evening the Rev. J. H. Hodson, B.A., gave an interesting address on the uses and pleasures of Entomological study, and referred to the destruction of the Scale Insect, in the orange groves of California, by the importation of Coccinellide. He also alluded to the pleasure derivable from the study of the habits of ants and beetles, and to the interesting topic of insect mimicry. Mr. J. Storrie, Curator of Cardiff Museum, displayed, by the aid of several microscopes, a number of beautifully prepared sections of insects, and other microscopic objects. ‘The members of the Society are actively engaged in preparing a list of local Lepidoptera, which it is hoped will be of some value as a contribution to Kntomological Science. OBITUARY. Dr. R. C. R. Jorpan, late of Edgbaston, Birmingham, died on the 24th of May, at Teignmouth, Devon, his native place. His grandfather was a banker in that town ; his father a solicitor, the head of a firm which still flourishes there. Dr. Jordan himself was born in 1825, and had therefore nearly completed his 65th year. He received his early education at Exeter Grammar School, whence he proceeded to King’s College, London. Here he soon distinguished himself, carrying off, among others, the Warne- ford prize, and was shortly appointed house-physician to King’s College Hospital. Later on, when in 1852 he took his M.B. degree, he was awarded the gold medal for proficiency in physiology. For thirty-three years Dr. Jordan practised as a physician in Birmingham, winning the esteem and friendship of high and low alike. For the necessitous poor, indeed, he had especial tenderness and regard; he often would return professional fees when he thought the circumstances of his patients rendered payment onerous; and there were perhaps few men in the profession—so writes the ‘ Birmingham Daily Post,’ from which many of the particulars about Dr. Jordan’s life have been derived—who did more gratuitous work. Such a habit, though it brought practice and ensured gratitude, did not lead to an adequate professional income; and when at last his health gave way, and it became necessary for him to leave the Midlands, and seek rest and invigoration from the balmy air of his native place, the affection felt for him by his friends found vent in a private sub- scription, as a parting testimonial to the man who had spent himself so freely for the general good. Unhappily, as the event proved, the change came too late, and the hopes that had been indulged in of his recovery OBITUARY. 239 have been disappointed. As a naturalist, perhaps, Dr. Jordan’s name was not very familiar to the outside world; to those who knew him best his loss will be great. From his early boyhood he had been a lover of Nature, and a careful observer also. His father and grandfather before him were both good ornithologists, and began a work with coloured illustrations of the birds of Devon, but only one or two volumes were published. He himself had a thorough knowledge of the birds of his native county, particularly of the coast species. His first contribution to entomological literature was nearly fifty years ago, in Newman’s old ‘ Entomologist’ for 1842, being simply a record of insects, principally Micro-lepidoptera, taken by him when a boy on the coast near Teignmouth. Since then he had been steadily observing the habits not only of Lepidoptera, which was his special branch, but also of Hymenoptera, and had gradually, in conse- quence, amassed a goodly collection, both British and Palearctic. He travelled abroad a good deal at various times, first trying Germany, then Switzerland, &c., and more recently Norway. He was, however, never what is known as a Collector. It would give him quite as much pleasure to see a rare creature alive as to have it in his collection, and much more to watch its habits in its native haunts; and he was thus much more a practical worker (if a quiet one) and a field naturalist than a cabinet naturalist. He was an old correspondent of Zeller’s and Wallengren’s, and also of other Continental entomologists, and never entertained the “insular preference ” until recently so common among British entomologists. Dr. Jordan was also an excellent botanist (he took the gold medal for this in his College course in London), and has left a considerable herbarium of British and Swiss plants. His contributions to entomological literature were not voluminous: the principal ones that I have come across are enumerated below; but though his fame as an entomologist may be limited, to those who knew him best and mourn him most the memory of the man will remain. ‘‘ Hver the ashes of the just Smell sweet and blossom in the dust.” Note on the singular situation of a bee’s nest in snail-shells. Zool. 1848, p. 336, pl. 1. Galls produced by Cynips quercus-petioli. Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. 1854, Ser. 2, pl. 3; Proc. p. 40. List of Lepidoptera captured in the vicinity of Teignmouth. Entom, 1842, pp. 394—396. Varieties of Lepidoptera and their causes. Ent. Mo. Mag. i. p. 58. Aquatic habits of a Hymenopteron. EH. M. M. i. p. 186. Description of the larva of Pt. brachydactylus. E. M. M. i. p. 215. A few days among the Micro-lepidoptera of South Devon. EK. M. M. li. p. 193. aNittes on double-brooded insects. EH. M. M. iii. p. 20. On the similarity of the insects of North America and England. K. M. M. iii. p. 41. Notes on variation in Lepidoptera. H. M. M. iii. p. 251. Note on Pt. isodactylus. HK. M.M. iv. p. 30. Notes on the larva of Pt. plagiodactylus, and on Killopia fasciaria var, prasinaria, 1.M, M. iv. p. 185. 240 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. On the abundance of certain insects in certain years. EH. M. M. v. p- 134. Scoparia zellert in South Devon. EH. M.M. vi. p. 14. Parasites on Pterophori. EH. M. M. vi. p. 138. Notes on the Skandinaviens Fjadermott of H. D. T. Wallengren. KH. M. M. vi. pp. 119, 149. Four days at the Drachenfels. EH. M. M. vii. p. 174. On the origin of British Lepidoptera. EH. M. M. viii. p. 45. On a probably new species of Platyptilus. HK. M.M. viii. p. 187. Notes on mimicry. EH. M. M. viii. p. 261. _ On mounting small objects for microscopical observation. EH. M. M. 1X. p. 273. Note on the first recorded occurrence of Thalpochares parva in England. KB, M. M. x. p. 40. Note on the purchase of European Lepidoptera. EH. M. M. xii. p. 188. Notes on some Swiss Lepidoptera. H.M. M. xiii. p. 57. Notes on the Butterflies and Sphinges of Zermatt and vicinity, observed in June and July, 1878. EH. M. M. xvi. p. 86. Irruption of Vanessa cardui and Plusia gamma into Devon. EH. M. M. xvi. p. 196. ees on the Lepidoptera of the Valais. EH. M. M. xvii. p. 267. Comparison of the Pterophori of Kurope and North America, suggested by Lord Walsingham’s Pterophorids of California and Oregon. EH. M. M. xviii. pp. 73, 117. On European species of Lepidoptera with apterous or subapterous females. EH. M. M. xx. p, 219. Appeal on behalf of Danaus chrysippus and Hypercompa hera. KE. M. M. xxii. p. 211. Review of ‘ British Butterflies and Moths,’ by the late Wm. Buckler, Ray Society, vol. i. EH. M.M. xxiii. p. 18. Note on the larva of Notodonta torva. HK. M. M. xxiv. p. 9. Note on Sesia conopiformis and Platyptilus fischeri. HK. M. M. xxiv. - 42. F Mamestra brassice feeding on oak; Note on migration of insects. K. M. M. xxiv. pp. 63, 64. Note on small birds and the Lepidoptera eaten by them. EH. M. M. xxiv. p. 86. An entomological ramble at Bergen, Norway, August 20th, 1887. K. M. M. xxiv. pp. 127—180. Note on Parnassius delius in Wales. EK. M. M. xxiv. p. 185. Note on Ephestia semirufa in Devon forty years ago. EH. M. M. Xxly. p. 274. A walk in Jersey. EH. M. M. xxv. pp. 49—852. Melanism in Birmingham and South Devon. EH. M. M. xxv. pp. 102, 103. Note on Triphosa dubitata. HK. M. M. xxv. p. 136. ~ Note on Acidalia immorata. HK. M.M. xxv. p. 218. Tinea pallescentella in Birmingham. HE. M. M. xxv. p. 2138. Lepidoptera of Norway. EH. M.M. xxv. pp. 362, 363. Notes on some Lepidoptera captured in Norway. EH. M. M. xxy. pp- 489-444, W. W, ' ——— =. Cr: sopliation to e SixxiM,” AuisHorn’s, 51, EDGWARE Roap, W. CONTEN Ts. 8 ee es 914, ee the Gerke Insect neva ce Perry _ Coste, 217. Two Days’ Collecting in. Hes John Henry Leech, 223. Contributions to the Entomology of the Portsmouth District, W. 7. Ves Soe 997. A Successful Moth- -trap, W. M. Christy, 231. : SS ae Notes, Carrures, ‘&e.—Captures at the “ Sallows,” C. Nicholson, — “ 234. The Chemistry of Insect: Colours, F'. H. Perry Coste, 234. Soctrrms.—Entomological Society of London, H. Goss ¢ W. WwW. Fowler, 235. a South London Entomological and Natural ee Society, at ae Barker, = . = - 236. Birmingham ee Society, C. J. Wainwright, 23 enarth. ae Entomologica Society, 237 = _Oprrvary.- — R. C. BR. ae 238. ” CoMMUNICATIONS ‘RECEIVED.—J. ae un, oy M. Bacon, af “Briggs, WE Butlen J, Clacke BE. Porvy Coste, A. Hall, HE MeArthur, 't Banniter 2 _ 8. South, W. H. Tugwell, W. Warren, J. M. Young. eee a ee In the August number it is intended to publish a paper, by the Editor, on the : eae DexrorEs, PYRALIDES, AND CramBl, ADDED TO THE NOTICE.—Articles and Communications intended for Publication in ‘The Entomologist,’ and Books and Pamphlets for Review, should be addressed to _ RICHARD SOUTH, 12, Abbey Gardens, St, John's Wood, London, N.W. __ Advertisements and Subscriptions should be sent to West, Newman & Co. res 64, Hatton Garden, London, E.C, War. At COMPANION (Creuisr nd a ro 8 a = to New Forest and West of peas in July or AugisteIve oats ae Wesrcow ‘Park, 8. E. EPIDOPTERA from SIKKIM, BHOTAN, and DARJEELING. “Another / box, containing some rare species, just arrived. A list, with prices, on Now preparing ae the Press. . Mase OF NEW ZEALAND ENTOMOLOGY. By ee VERNON Hupson, F.E.8. This work will contain Twenty Coloured Plates (Chromo. lithographed, from the author’s drawing, by West, Newman & Co.), illustrating over 100 species of typical New peeuas inseets in their various stages of develop- ment. The information supplied, as well as the figures, will consist of EnrireLy _ New Mareriat, and will pro vably extend to about 150 pages. Price to Expeenety). ey 10s. 6d. per copy, payable on delivery. Orders may be sent to ee WEST, NEWMAN & CO., 54, Harron Garpen, Lonpon. "INSECTS from the IN TERIOR of MADAGASCAR, SIKORA, Narurauist, ANNANARIVO, MADAGASCAR, Memb. Ps la e Société Entom. de Zurich, sends Prick Current Lists Gratis AnD Post Free. He is also ready to accept orders for orH—R NaturaL History Opsxcrs.. Correspondence i in French or German, but English not understood. | . | JAMES GARDNER, | ; MANUFACTURER of ALL KINDS of ENTOMOLOGICAL APPARATUS, 29 (late 426), OXFORD STREET (Nearly opposite Tottenham Court Road). 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Cane Net, with Stick, 1s.8d.; Wire ditto, 2s. Folding Nets, 3s. 9d., 4s. 6d. Umbrella Net, 7s. 6d.; Ladies’ ditto, very light, 6s. 6d. Pocket Boxes, 6d., 9d., 1s., 1s. 6d. Postal Boxes, 6d., 9d., 1s., 1s. 6d. Chip Boxes, 2d. per doz.; 1s. 9d. per gross. Glass-top Boxes, nested, 1s. 6d. per doz. Purple Shouldered Boxes, 3d. per doz. Entomological Pins, Black or White, four sizes, mixed, 1s. per oz. Setting Needles, glass-heads, 6d. per box. Setting Boards, complete set of fourteen, 10s. 6d. Setting Houses, 9s. 6d., 11s. 6d.; with Corked back, 14s. Store Boxes, 2s. to 6s. Zine Larva Boxes, 9d., one Is. 6a. Zine Killing and Relaxing Box, 2s. Sugaring Tin, with brush, 1s. 6d., 2s. Larva Breeding Cage, 2s. 6d.; Double ditto, 5s. Pupa Diggers, 2s. 6d. Cabinet Cork, 7 by 84 in., 1s. per doz. ; best ditto, 1s. 4d. per doz. Killing Fluid, 6d. per bottle. Glass Killing Bottles, 1s., 1s. 6d. Zine Killing Bottles, 9d., 1s. Best Steel Forceps, 1s. 6d., 2s. 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Just published, price 4d., “WILLIAM WESLEY & SON’S CATALOGUE No.1 101 of New Purcwases 1x Borany anp ZooLoay:—ineluding Anthropology, — Mammalia, Ornithology, Reptilia, Ichthyology, Mollusca, ar innaee ae , Crustacea, Echinodermata, Coelenterata, Protozoa, icroscopy. ‘ ‘WILLIAM WESLEY & SON, § 28, Essex Sones, Sraaxo, Loxvox. es THE ENTOMOLOGIST. Vou. XXIII.) AUGUST, 1890. [No. 827. THE LIFE-HISTORY OF DECLANA FLOCCOSA. By G. V. Hupson, F.E.S. On August 19th, 1889, I obtained a female of this common insect, at rest on a fence, which I conjectured had either hybernated during the winter or else recently emerged from a pupa. From this female I determined to try and obtain ova and rear the insect right through, in order, first, to learn the com- plete life-history ; and, secondly, to observe the effect of different food-plants on the variation of the imago. For this purpose I divided the ova, of which I was fortunate enough to obtain about 100, into two equal lots, placing them in two separate cages, nos. 1 and 2, and feeding no. 1 on Aristotelia racemosa, and no. 2 on Leptospermum ericoides. The eggs of this insect when first laid are oval in shape and light green in colour, becoming bronzy a few days before the emergence of the larva. The young larve, which appeared on September 20th, were very attenuated, with only ten legs. In colour they were greenish ochreous, striped with brownish pink, which was most apparent near the segmental divisions. Length, 14 lines. They were very active, and did not eat the egg-shells after emergence. On October 8rd, the larvee in cage 1 showed a decided advance over those in cage 2, and had developed a pair of rudimentary prolegs on the fifth abdominal segment; otherwise there were no observable differences between the two lots of larve. On October 14th, the larve in cage 1 had the two additional prolegs completely developed, and showed distinct traces of the fleshy filaments ; those in cage 2 being about as far advanced as the others were on October 8rd. On October 25th, about one half of the larve in cage | had passed their last moult, and the following description was then made:—The body is subcylindrical in shape, much flattened underneath. In colour the larve are pale brownish pink, with numerous irregular brown markings, which in some individuals tend to form two broad subdorsal lines. The under ENTOM.—AuvuGUST, 1890, 8 249 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. surface of the larva is pale green. Between this pale green under surface and the dorsal and lateral surfaces the fleshy filaments arise; they are pinkish brown in colour, and, as the larva lies closely attached to the stem of its food- -plant, these filaments embrace it on either side, and thus help very materially to render the insect like a swelling in the stem. This is the invariable position of the larve when at rest. The larve in cage 2 are, on the average, considerably behind the others. They feed chiefly on the opening buds of the food-plant; they are somewhat paler in colour than those fed on Aristotelia. On November 3rd, the larve in cage 1 were preparing to descend into the earth, while the others were just passing their last moult; so that it can be safely said that the Leptospermum had had the effect of retarding the majority of the larve to the extent of one moult behind those fed on the more succulent and nutritious Aristotelia. The difference in colouring between the two lots of larve thus treated were, however, of the most. trivial description; and I must say that this somewhat surprised me at first, as I had often taken the caterpillars of Declana jloccosa from both plants in a state of nature, and observed the greatest divergence between them, those off the Leptospermum being a very pale ochreous brown, while those from the Aristotelia were very much darker, and often mottled with grey, like the stem of the plant. Iam inclined to think that these differences have been gradually brought about by the larve feeding on the same plant for many generations, and thus the protective resemblances have been inherited and constantly improved through natural selection acting on each lot separately. I should mention that Lepto- spermum and Aristoteha do not generally grow near one another. The former plant is found in dry situations, such as the sides and tops of hills; while the latter grows in the damp gulleys, generally on the borders of streams. ‘This circumstance would, of course, tend to prevent two races of Declana jfloccosa—one feeding on Leptospermum and the other on Aristotelia—from interbreeding, and thus the larval peculiarities adapted to each food-plant would naturally become still more pronounced. ‘The imago of D. floccosa is extremely variable in a state of nature, as the following table will show :— Var. 1.—Which I assume to be the type, has the fore wings pale — greyish white, with numerous small brownish black streaks, exhibiting a ~ slight concentration towards the tip of the wing. Var. 2.—Has, in addition, several large round spots on disc of fore wing. Var. 8.—Has numerous black spots on fore wings (formerly known as D. nigrosparsa). Var. 4.—Has two conspicuous curved lines on fore wing from costa to inner margin (formerly known as Declana junctilinea). THE LIFE-HISTORY OF DECLANA FLOCCOSA. 943 Var. 5.—Has these two lines joined by two others running parallel to inner margin and costa. Var. 6.—Has curved lines and black spots (nigrosparsa and junctilinea). Var. 7.—Has fore wings suffused with dark greyish black, except two broad bands of the original light colour extending from costa to inner margin ; hind wings also darker than usual. Var. 8.—Has a broad dark central band on fore wing. The moths which resulted from the above-described larvee only belonged to three of the varieties. The following table, showing the dates of emergence, sex, and variation of the insects from each lot of larve, may perhaps be of some scientific interest. Results of a batch of ova deposited by a female Declana floccosa of var. 1, and divided into two equal lots :— Cace 1. Cace Q. Fed on Aristotelia racemosa. Fed on Leptospermum ericoides. 12 males and 16 females of these— | 15 males and 9 females of these —- 1 male belonged to ......... var. 2 | 2 females belonged to ......... var. 4 1 female eat) Rib eoeews cot eel> osmeales sae lain fdeddachhiae aS 11 males a Bait often » 8 | 5 females es Seiiiaececnn eS 5 females PAY ascreneee » &| 9 males hie pul arsacrees a 10 females eee AMrare oitteioccinte », L | 2 females a Ey at en a Date of first emergence, Dec. 10 | Date of first emergence, Dec. 18 A last on ep Slash 4 Jan. 8, 1890 From this table it will be seen that there was a much greater mortality among the larve fed on Leptospermum than those on Aristotelia, and also that the proportion of males was much greater in the former group, but the variation does not appear to have been materially effected. A large number of both sexes belonged to var. 1, and evidently inherited the characters of the female parent; while from the great preponderance of var. 8 over the others, I think we may fairly assume that the male parent belonged to that form. Of course I am aware that such experi- ments as these should be carried out on a much larger scale to give really reliable results, and also extend over several gene- rations; but this I have not at present the opportunity to do. In the meantime I offer the above in order to awake more interest in such observations, which are, I think, much needed at the present time, when the laws governing the formation of species and varieties are attracting so much attention among entomologists. Wellington, New Zealand, May 30, 1890. 944 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. COLEOPTERA COLLECTED BY MR. PRATT ON THE UPPER YANG-TSZH, AND ON THE BORDERS OF TIBET. By H. W. Bartzs, F.R.S., F.L.S. (Concluded from p. 213). Family MELOLONTHIDA. MELOLONTHA CUPRESCENS, Blanchard, Comptes Rendu, Acad. Sci., vol. Ixxu. (1871), p. 811. This metallic species of Melolontha was originally taken in Moupin by the French missionaries. Mr. Pratt’s example agrees well as to colour and sculpture with Blanchard’s short description. Itis a male, Blanchard’s being apparently a female. The antennal club (of black colour) is greatly elongated, three times the length of the remaining (I—3) joints, approaching in this respect the genus Polyphylla, and the pygidium is prolonged at the apex nearly as in M. vulgaris ¢. The elytral coste (five on each side, including the sutural, the 4th much abbreviated anteriorly) ; two subparallel wheals on the disk of the thorax, the occiput and the legs are shining dark coppery; the rest of the dark brassy brown integument is clothed with very dense tawny-brown tomentum. HUCHEIRUS PARRYI, Gray. Chia-ting Fu. A single female specimen, agreeing with others with which I have compared it from Darjeeling, except in the much fewer reddish spots of the elytra. A rather large basal and a subhumeral spot are seen in nearly the same position, and there is a fine line running parallel to the suture, as in most examples of EH. parryi; but there is also a broadish submarginal vitta extending from before the middle nearly to the apex, which I do not see in the examples examined of the Himalayan species. Family RUTELIDA. ANOMALA (HUCHLORA) TRUNCATA, 0. Sp. Resembles A. viridis (Fab.), and A. martini (Hope), but the under-side golden green (not coppery), with the legs, especially the tibie and tarsi, ruddy golden. The upper surface differs also in being apple-green, with but slight gloss, owing to the denser and rather stronger punctuation, which in places coalesces and forms short transverse wrinkles. The scutellum, sides of the head and thorax, and marginal rims of the elytra, are metallic, light golden green. The elytra show faint traces of punctured striz, one sutural and two pairs on the disk, but they are not strongly impressed as in A. martini. A distinguishing character of the species is the strong oblique truncature of the apices of the elytra, the lateral margins of which, distinctly flattened out to the apical curvature, abruptly cease (without forming an angle), the rest of the apical margin being straight and immarginate to the subobtuse sutural angle. The pygidium is closely granulate-strigulose. The under-side of the body is smooth in the middle, and densely punctulate and tawny pubescent on the sides of the sterna and hind cox, arcuate-punctate (and thinly pubescent) on the sides of the ventral segments. Long. 21—25millim. g', 2. Chia-ting Fu. Oi i COLEOPTERA COLLECTED ON THE BORDERS OF TIBET. 245 MIMELA POMACEA, NR. Sp. Of oblong form (at least in the female, the only sex known); elytra relatively elongate. Above dark apple-green, without metallic lustre; the clypeus and lateral border of the thorax yellow. Rather strongly punctured, more finely and sparsely on the crown and thorax, which are hence more glossy than the clypeus and elytra; on the latter the punctures lie very close, without coalescing, and are arranged in numerous rows on the disk and sides. The antennez, legs, and under-side are reddish, with a coppery tinge ; the femora paler; the tarsi nearly black, and the sides of the abdomen very dark metallic green. The breast is clothed with longish tawny hairs; the abdomen and legs more scantily hairy ; the pygidium is closely and finely confluent- punctate, subopaque, and hairy on its borders. The mesosternum has an acute process, reaching a little further than the coxe. Long. 20 millim. 9°. Wa-shan. Family CETONIIDA. NrorH&zDIMUS AuzouxI, Lucas, Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1869; 1872 pa 280; plata fok—o, Be oe Wa-shan, 6000 feet. Previously found by Pére David at Moupin; on leaves of Indian corn, in August, according to Lucas. RHOMBORHINA JAPONICA, Hope. _ Wa-shan and Chia-ting Fu. Differs in no respect that I can discover from Japanese examples. CETONIA MARMORATA, Fabr. Var. cathaica. Belongs to the series of species and local varieties closely allied to the European C. marmorata, in which the clypeus is nearly straightly truncated in front, the pygidium slightly and evenly convex in both sexes, and the abdomen in the male longitudinally grooved and depressed. The colour above and beneath, including the legs, is dark green, with strong brassy or golden reflections, and with the usual short depressed transverse lines and spots on the elytra clothed with chalky tomentum. The head and thorax are generally spotless, but the latter in some examples has four small white spots arranged in a wide quadrangle, and other white streaks in the marginal grooves. The form is always relatively broader than in either C. marmorata or C. swhmarmorea, and the surface more polished. The sides of the clypeus are not sharply elevated, the front margin is acutely reflexed and without sinuation, and the forehead is broadly convex down the middle and only sparsely punctured. The thorax is rather sparsely punctured, and on the sides only, the prescutellar sinuation strongly marked. The elytra are strigulate on the sides and near the shoulders, and in the usual postmedian depression, elsewhere smooth. The pygidium is very slightly convex in the middle in both sexes, and loosely transversely strigulose. The hind tarsi are robust, in the male as long as the tibie, in the female shorter. The femora and tibie are strigulose, like the pygidium; the hair fringe of the femora and inner side of hind tibie is orange-tawny. The mesosternal process is broad and arcuated in front asin C. marmorata. The sides of the metasternum are strigose and spotted with chalky tomentum, and the abdomen has two ‘rows of transverse tomentose spots on each side, which are smaller in the female than in the male, and sometimes wanting. Long, 21—25 millim. dy P. Wa-shan and Chia-ting Fu. Many examples. 246 {THE ENTOMOLOGIST. This species is probably sometimes mistaken for C. confuciana, Thomson, which it resembles in colour and sculpture. But the description of that species clearly refers to another Chinese form in which the apex of the clypeus is reflexed and bifid. At least this is the only way in which we can interpret the phrase “ Caput antice bituberculatum,” as applied to a Cetonia. The C. confu- ciana, Thoms., will therefore be a local form of C. submarmorea, or a species closely allied to it, which belongs to a distinct group distinguished by the gibbous apex of the pygidium in the male. Among the more northerly species or races C. marmorata var. cathaica comes nearest to C. insperata, Lewis, differing from it chiefly in colour and size, and especially in its much broader form. CETONIA SUBMARMOREA, Burmeister. Chia-ting Fu. A dark brassy green, and less closely punctured variety, re- sembling therefore the above-described C. cathaica ; but the bifid clypeus and the gibbous pygidium and scarcely depressed abdo- men of the male leave us in no doubt that it belongs to the C. submarmorea group. CETONIA ViRIDI-oPpAca, Motschulsky. Chia-ting Fu. A single example, agreeing in form and colour with examples of Motschulsky’s species from the Amur, but differing somewhat in sculpture. C. viridi-opaca is known to belong to a very variable series of the genus, the specitic limits of which have been subject to much discussion. Family LAMIIDA. LAMIOMIMUS GOTTSCHEI, Kolbe, Archiv. fiir Naturgesch. 1886, p. 224, tab. xi. fig. 39. Two examples from Ichang, differing in nothing, except the darker (brassy blackish brown) ground colour, from those found in Korea and the neighbourhood of Peking. CYRIOCRATES HORSFIELDII, Hope. Ichang. One small example. MELANAUSTER CHINENSIS, Forster. Chia-ting Fu. COSCINESTHES, nov. gen. A Monohammid form, with a sharp and complete margin to the cicatrice of the scape, rather narrowly divaricated tarsal claws, and simple outer edge to the intermediate tibie. These characters bring it into near relationship with Huteniopsis (Gahan), but the facies and other structural features are very different. The head is rather narrow, the front parallel-sided, but the antenniferous tubercles contiguous at the base and separated above by a narrow cleft; the lower lobe of the eyes narrow, and barely reaching half- way to the base of the mandibles. The antenne (¢?) are a little longer Se CHEMISTRY OF INSECT COLOURS. | 247 than the body, very scantily fringed at the base; the scape rather short, obconical; the 3rd and 4th joints equal, each about one-third longer than the scape, 5th a little shorter, 6th to 11th decreasing in length and thickness. The thorax is cylindrical, much narrower than the elytra, constricted near the base, but not narrower behind than in front, as in Huteniopsis ; the lateral spines sharp, their basal dilatation very sight. Elytra moderately elongate, somewhat flattened above, rounded at the apex; shoulders rectan- gular. The anterior haunch-sockets are rather widely open behind. The tarsal claws small and weak; they are not so nearly parallel as in Hutent- -opsis trifasciella, but at the same time they are not strictly divaricated. CoOscINESTHES POROSA. Black, thinly clothed with coarse adpressed, reddish brown pile; antennal joints 8rd to 11th grey at the base, the length of the grey ring increasing towards the apex. Head rather strongly punctured; thorax coarsely granular ; elytra granulated close to the base and on the shoulders, the rest of the surface eribbled with mostly large, rounded and contiguous punctures or fove; the elevated parts of the surface are black and shining, and the under surface is minutely spotted with black. Long. 21 millim. Wa-shan, alt. 6000 feet. One example. BatTockRA LINEOLATA, Chevrolat. Chia-ting Fu. Described by Chevrolat from examples received from Shanghai. The species is found also in Japan and in Formosa, and is subject to considerable variation both in form and markings. BatTocERA DAvipis, Deyrolle, Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1878, p. 131. Chia-ting Fu. One example referred with some hesitation to this species. APRIONA RUGICOLLIS, Chevrolat. Like Batocera lineolata, recorded originally from Shanghai and subsequently proved to be not uncommon in Japan. Occurs also at Amoy and other places in Hastern China. CONTRIBUTIONS to taz CHEMISTRY or INSECT COLOURS By F. H. Perry Costz, F.C.S. IV.—ReEsvtts (continued). EXPLANATION OF THE TABLES.* “O” signifies that the colour was unaffected. A single or double bracket enclosing the cipher, thus (QO) ((O)), slightly qualifies it; such must be read as “ practically unaffected,” &e. A dash signifies that no experiment was made in such cases. “Gone,” is given as the result in some cases; these were cases in which no definite colour change could be noted, but the original colour had certainly disappeared. Hepialus humuli may be taken as a strikingly unsatisfactory instance in point. * There are included in these tables several species not really British (see footnote, p. 222); but these are either occasional visitors or closely allied to native species, which I was unable to obtain. 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By Martin Jacosy, F.E.S. CHRYSOMELA BELLA, 0. sp. More or less elongate, metallic cupreous, varied with blue or green; thorax deeply punctured near the lateral margin, the latter scarcely thickened, the basal margin, a narrow middle line and lateral spot, blue; elytra finely punctured, the suture and a band at the sides, violaceous blue. Length, 23—4 lines. Of rather elongate shape and resembling Orina speciosissima, but without the deep lateral thoracic depression of that species; the head sparingly and very finely punctured, with a central narrow groove, cupreous or metallic greenish, the base with a larger or smaller violaceous spot; palpi nearly black, the third and fourth joints equal, the last one truncate; antenne extending a little beyond the base of the elytra, metallic dark violaceous, the lower six or seven joints shining, the rest opaque, pubescent, the third joint elongate, the others short, nearly equal, the terminal joints gradually thickened; thorax transverse, rather more than twice as broad as long, the sides nearly straight or very little rounded, the anterior margins straight at the middle, produced into a blunt point at the angles, the sides but slightly thickened with some irregularly distributed deep punctures, the rest of the surface finely (sometimes scarcely perceptibly) and closely punctured, metallic cupreous, a large spot at each side near the basal margin, the latter itself and a narrow central line, metallic violaceous; scutellum bluish; elytra finely punctured, the punctures arranged in rather close and irregular rows, which become indistinct towards the apex; the sutural margin narrowly and a broad sublateral stripe from the base to the apex, violaceous, the intermediate spaces, reddish cupreous; under side metallic green or blue, the breast and the margins of the abdominal segments, as well as the femora, more or less cupreous; the first joint of the anterior tarsi longer than the second one, all closely pubescent below; the male organ strongly curved, shallowly hollowed, the apex deeply excavated, the extremity slightly truncate. Hab. Ichang, China (Pratt). According to Mr. J. Weise, this species, of which many Specimens were obtained, is the representative of a new genus, allied to Melasoma; in my opinion, however, the differences in the structural characters in the present insect are not sufficient to justify a separation from Chrysomela, the numerous species of which differ frequently to a similar degree. SrepnariA, Pairm. I refer to this genus of Galerucide, described by Fairmaire in the ‘French Annals,’ 1889, an insect from Kaschmir, which seems to possess all the structural characters, as pointed out by M. Fairmaire. This author has, however, not mentioned the shape of the thorax, nor the length of the tarsi. I, therefore, add here that the thorax in the present species is transverse, more than twice as broad as long, and its disc obsoletely transversely depressed ; the tibize are all armed with a distinct spine, and the first joint of the posterior tarsi is nearly half the length of the 954 THE ENTOMOLOGISY. tibia; the anterior coxal cavities are closed. Sepharia, on account of the long metatarsus of the posterior legs, seems allied to Luperodes and Ochralea; the shape of the thorax separates the genus from either; the closed cavities, from Luperodes ; the broad, concave, and entire elytral epipleurs distinguish Sepharia from Monolepta. — SEPHARIA FRONTALIS, N. Sp. Oblong-ovate, testaceous; the scutellum, a spot at the basal margin of the elytra, their extreme apex, the breast and sides of the abdominal segments, and a spot at the apex of the pygidium, black; thorax impunetate; elytra scarcely perceptibly punctured. Mas.—Head with a deep excavation and a triangular black projection, the clypeus with two smaller depressions; the last abdominal segment trifid, the middle lobe slightly longitudinally concave. Length, 3 lines. Of a pale testaceous colour, the head broader than long, the eyes prominent and large, the space between them excavated, the upper margin of the excavation fringed with hairs, the interior furnished with a triangular projecting black point; antenn testaceous, two-thirds the length of the body, the first joint very elongate, curved and thickened towards the apex, the two following joints small, the fourth as long as the first, the following joints smaller, furnished with some stiff hairs ; thorax narrowly transverse, the sides narrowly margined, slightly rounded and narrowed towards the base, the anterior margin straight, the angles not prominent, the surface obsoletely transversely depressed, not visibly punctured ; scutellum triangular, black; elytra convex, but little widened posteriorly, the apex rather truncate, their epipleure broad, concave, continued to the apex, the surface extremely minutely punctured, testaceous, a narrow streak or spot (sometimes absent) is placed on the extreme basal margin near the shoulders, and another small spot at the extreme sutural apex; the breast, the sides of the abdominal segments, to a greater or smaller extent, and a spot at the apex of the pygidium, as well as one at the flanks of the thorax, black; legs long and slender, testaceous, the tibial spines black. In the female the head is only obsoletely depressed between the eyes, and simple, as well as the last abdominal segment. Several specimens obtained by Mr. Leech in Kaschmir. ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES, CAPTURES, &c. OccuRRENCE oF PLustA MONETA IN Briraty.— Mr. W. M. Christy informs me that he has lately taken a specimen of Plusia moneta, Fabr., in his moth-trap. The insect is now on the setting-board, but the fortunate captor has kindly promised to lend me the specimen to figure in the September number of ‘ The Entomologist.’—R. 5. A Day av Tincate Forest.—On Whit-Monday, May 26th, the South London Entomological and Natural History Society held their first field- day at Tilgate. Meeting at Three Bridges station, the line of route selected was almost parallel to the London and Brighton railway, passing through the Tile yard, Cinder Valley, on to Balcombe tunnel. ‘This is, perhaps, the best collecting-ground of the district, being well wooded with oak, ash, beech, larch- and spruce-firs, alder, and birches, the lovely growth and foliage of the latter being at their best, and worth the journey . NOTES AND CAPTURES. D5) to see: you have miles and miles of birch, with an undergrowth of heather and fern, and here and there boggy splashes, all splendid collecting-ground, and producing many good and rare species. The spruce-firs produce Hupithecia togata, the larve being found feeding in the cones in the autumn; the birches yield Notodonta carmelita, Endromis versicolor, Cerura bicuspis, Notodonta dicteoides, &c.; the beech, Stawropus fagi; the alder, Sesia sphegiformis, &c. ‘To name all the good species that may be taken here by diligent working would indeed make a long list. Those of our party that arrived by the earlier morning train found Lepidoptera flying freely. Pieris brassicae, P. napi, and P. rape all fairly common; Anthocharis cardamines were very numerous; hybernated Vanesside and tattered Gonopteryx rhamni scuttled hurriedly along; MANUFACTURED BY D. F. TAYLER & CO., NEW HALL WORKS, BIRMINGHAM. ‘ee Cards, showing all Bee, CeCe on application. Just ab: price 4d., WILLIAM WESLEY & SON’S CATALOGUE No. 101 of New Purcuases 1n Botany anp Zoonoay: rae Anthropology, — Mammalia, Ornithology, Reptilia, Ichthyology, Mollusca, Entom Echinodermata, Coelenterata, Protozoa, Microscopy. WILLIAM WESLEY & SON, 28, Essex Street, Srranp, Lonpon. ology, Crustacea, wa a I i i ila a i i ee ee Entomologist Oet* 1890. Plate 4. ‘ West Newman | 3. (HoraceKmght) f 1 Deltoids Pyrahdes & Crambi. THE ENTOMOLOGIST. Vou. XXIII.] OCTOBER, 1890. [No. 829. ADDITIONS TO THE BRITISH LIST OF DELTOID§S, PYRALIDES, AND CRAMBI, SINCE 1859. By Ricuarp Sout. (Puates ITI. & IV.) Continued from p. 278. CRAMBI. CRAMBIDA. CRAMBUS ALPINELLUS, Hiibn. (PI. IV. fig. 4.) BRITISH REFERENCES :— Crambus alpinellus, Knaggs, Ent. Mo. Mag. viii. p. 110; Ent. Ann. 1872, p. 118, pl. i. fig. 4; B. White, Scott. Nat. 1. p. 135; Weston, Entom. x. p. 117; Tugwell, Entom. xiv. p. 214; Atmore, op. cit. xvii. p. 172; Ragonot, K. M. M. Xviil. p. 15; Doubl. List, Suppl. p. 2; South, Syn. List, p. 19; Leech, Brit. Pyral. p. 73, pl. viii, fig. 2. ‘**Phoxopterygiform ; of an ashy brown colour, with a white, longitudinal, middle streak. This streak sends out a branch towards the inner margin before the middie of the wing; beyond the middle it is intersected by an obliquely-placed mark of the ground colour; towards the apical margin there is a strongly angulated zigzag line” (Knaggs). Introduced by Dr. Knaggs, October, 1871. British Locaurrims.—Southsea; Deal; Norfolk Coast. Distripution.—South-western France ; Germany; Hungary ; Livonia; Switzerland. Note.—Zeller says that this species occurs in sandy grassy places in the pine-forests of Germany and Hungary. MRagonot mentions dry sandy pasture-lands, where broom, heath, and Artemisia campestris grow. In a recent communication Mr. Pearce, of Gosport, says he has been informed by Mr. H. ENTOM.—oCc?, 1890. RA 298 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. Moncreaff that C’. alpinellus occurs on the shore all round Portsea and Hayling Islands. The imago flies in July and August; but the larva appears to be unknown. CRAMBUS VERELLUS, Zinck. (Pl. III. fig. 11.) BRIT. REF. :-— Crambus verellus, Vaughan, Hint. Mo. Mag. ix. p. 88; Knaggs, Ent. Ann. 1878, p. 42, pl. 1. fig. 1; Weston, H. M. M. x1. p- £17 3 Entom. x.’ p. 118; Gritith) op: \cit. xiv. ap. Ur Ragonot, E. M. M. xvii. p. 15; Doubl. List, Suppl. p. 2; South, Syn. List. p. 19; Leech, Brit. Pyral. p. 74, pl. vii. fig. 4. “ Allied to falsellus, but is smaller, darker, and has rounder wings ” (Knaggs). Introduced by Mr. Howard Vaughan, September, 1872. British Locatiries.—Folkestone ; Cambridge. DISTRIBUTION. — France; Germany; Sweden; Gallicia; England. Note.—The specimen taken by Mr. C. A. Briggs at Folke- stone on the 21st of July, 1872, furnished the first record of this species in Britain; but, after making the announcement, Mr. Vaughan detected two other specimens, one in Mr. 8. Stevens’ collection, and another in that of Mr. Ramsay°Cox. ; M. Ragonot observes that, according to Anton Schmid, “the undescribed larva feeds in moss on the branches of old plum, apple, and poplar trees; but Dr. Rossler finds the moth also in fir-woods where the ground is covered with moss.” CRAMBUS CONTAMINELLUS, Hiibn. (= CANTIELLUS, Tutt). BRIT. REF. :— Crambus contaminellus (Hubn.- 59), Stainton;.Manual, u. p. 183; Tugwell, Entom. xix. p. 75 (woodcuts); Tugwell & Fletcher, l.c. p. 163; Tutt & Fletcher, Entom. xx. p. 52; Doubl. List, p. 18; South, Syn. List, p. 20; Leech, Brit. Pyral. p. 83, pl. ix. fig. 10. Crambus cantiellus, Tutt, Entom. xix. pp. 52 (woodcut), 73, 131. British Locauitres. — Deal; Shoeburyness; Blackheath (formerly). Note.—This is not an addition to the British list, but as the nomenclature of the species has been disturbed, it was thought advisable to include it in the present list. CRAMBUS SALINELLUS. BRIT. REE. -— Crambus salinellus, Tutt, Entom. xx. p. 56. C. contaminellus, Buckler, Ent. Mo. Mag. xv. p. 38 (larva) ; Porritt, Entom. xix. p. 130 (larva). ‘“‘Hixpanse, g' 8—11 lines, @ 9 lines to 1 in. Anterior wings BRITISH DELTOIDS, PYRALIDES, AND CRAMBI. 299 broad, costa regularly arched, apex not very acute; colour wainscot-brown, more or less dusted with black scales; in some specimens the wings are very much suffused; two transverse lines, the first starts from about the middle of the costa, curves towards the hind margin for a short distance, then runs obliquely across the wing towards the body, and meets the inner margin at about one-third from the base; the second commences on the costa nearly midway between the first line and apex, curves towards the hind margin near the upper part, forms an angle pointing towards the thorax at about two-thirds across the wing, and then curves towards the anal angle; a black streak crosses the centre of the wing, longitudinally, from the thorax to the first line, beyond which it is sometimes visible. Posterior wings pale grey in colour; in some specimens there are traces of a dark line parallel to the hind margin” (Tutt). Introduced by Mr. Tutt, March, 1887. Britis Locauiries. — Preston; Isle of Sheppey; Higham (Kent) ; Deal; Sussex Coast. Note.—Although others appear to have been aware of it, Mr. Tutt was the first to direct our attention to the fact that we had two distinct species going under the name of contaminellus. Unfortunately, in his first attempt to set the matter straight, Mr. Tutt fell into error by re-naming Hubner’s contaminellus. Subsequently, however, he had the advantage of the valuable opinions of Messrs. Tugwell and Fletcher, and, basing his con- clusions on the information afforded him by those entomologists, he sunk his cantiellus, and gave the name of salinellus to the species previously confounded with contaminellus. CRAMBUS MYELLUS, Hiibn. (PI. IV. fig. 3.) BRIT. REF. :-— Crambus myellus, Saunders, Proc. Ent. Soc. Lond. 1868; Knaggs, Ent. Ann. 1869, p. 126, pl. i. fig. 3; Ragonot, Ent. Mo. Mag. xvii. p. 16; B. White, EK. M. M., viii. p.70; Scott. Nat.i. p.143; Entom. xvi. p. 213; Warring- ton, H. M. M. vii. p. 118; Ellison, Entom. xviii. p. 245; Ei Mo Mo xxv, p. tol Baker, Hi. M. M. xix. p. 241. Doubl. List, Suppl. p.2; South, Syn. List, p. 20; Leech, But. Pyral. p. 79, pl.ix. fig. 2: ** Fore wing acute, yellow-brown, paler at the base and inner margin. ‘The pearly-white central streak is twice divided by fuscous, the third part being linear. Cilia grey, with a few white streaks. Centre of head and thorax white. LExpanse 12-13 lines” (White). Introduced by Mr. Edward Saunders in 1868 at the December meeting of the Entomological Society. Bririsu Locauitres.—Aberdeen; Glen Tilt; Braemar; Ran- noch, 2&2 300 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. DistrRIputTion.—Central Europe; Finland; Armenia. Note.—Flies in June and July, frequenting the borders of woods. The larva has been described by Treitschke, who says that it is earthy-brown, with head and plate on second segment darker brown; feeds in galleries under moss on stones in March. EROMENE OCELLEA, Haw. (PI. IV. fig. 11.) BRIT. REF. :— Palparia ocellea, Haw. Lep. Brit. p. 486. Oncocera ocellea, Steph. Cat. 11. p. 217 ; Wood, Index, 1480. Araxes ocellea, Steph. Ill. Brit. Ent. Haust. iv. p. 316. Crambus ocellea, Stainton, Ent. Ann. 1862, p. 110. Eromene ocellea, Hearder, Ent. Mo. Mag. ili. p. 189; Gregson, Entom. iv. pp. 249 and 263; Webb, E. M. M. xvi. p. 101; Ragonot, EH. M. M. xvi. p. 17; Ellis, Lep. Fauna Lane. & Chesh. p. 76; Doubl. List, Suppl. p. 2; South, Syn. List, p. 20; Leech, Brit. Pyral. p. 87, pl. x. fig. 2. Expanse, linch. Fore wings brownish, tinged with ochreous; beyond the middle two oblique leaden lines enclose a band of the ground colour, another line of the same hue is sharply angulated below apex, and then runs parallel with outer margin; beyond this line is a series of jet-black spots with metallic centres. Hind wings fuscous grey, fringes whitish. British Locaities. — Folkestone; Dumfries; Cheshire ; Glamorganshire. DistRisutTion. — Central Europe ; tere N. W. Asia Minor; Syria; Palestine. Note.-—The specimen described by Haworth in 1812 was captured in the suburbs of London. Subsequently this example passed into Mr. Stephens’ collection, where it still remains, in the insect-room of the Natural History Museum, South Ken- sington. For fifty years Haworth’s type remained the only known British specimen of LH. ocellea, but in 1862 a second Specimen was announced; four years later a third capture was recorded, a fourth in 1868, and three others in 1869. . Mr. S. Webb took a specimen in August, 1879, and perhaps others may have been captured during the past twenty years, but I cannot find that they have been recorded. From the fact of some of the British specimens having been taken in February and March it has been assumed that the species hybernates, but there is only circumstantial evidence to support this view. JH. ocellea appears to be a South Huropean and North African insect; its occurrence in England at all is probably accidental, but in any case it is difficult to understand how the imago could manage to survive the cold of a British winter. In Tangiers Mr. Leech has taken the species in February, flying at dusk on the sand-hills, but a no reason to suppose that the species hybernates so far sout BRITISH DELTOIDS, PYRALIDES, AND CRAMBI. 301 PHYCIDA. MYELoIs PRYERELLA. (PI. III. fig. 9.) BRIT. REF. :— Trachonetis (2) pryerella, Vaughan, Ent. Mo. Mag. vil. p. 130; Knaggs, Ent. Ann. 1871, p. 90, pl. i. fig. 8; Doubl. List, Suppl. p. 2; South, Syn. List, p. 20; Leech, Brit. Pyral. p. 89, pl. x. fig. 7; Griffith, Proc. Ent. Soc. 1889 (March). Myelois ceratonie var. pryerella, Ragonot, EK. M. M. xii. p. 30. Fore wings pale greyish white, shaded towards the base with dark grey. First line, which is undulating and oblique, passing from the inner third of the costa to the middle of the inner margin, shaded with dark grey; this shading continues in less degree to the second line. The stigmata indicated by darker grey markings. Second line denticulate, nearly parallel with hind margin; subterminal line very wavy and faintly visible on the paler ground colour. Hind margin dotted with dark grey. Cilia pale grey. Hind wings silky white, narrowly bordered with fuscous. Expanse 10 to 11} lines. The above is an abridgement of Mr. Vaughan’s description. Introduced by Mr. Howard Vaughan, November, 1870. British Locauiry.—London. Note.—The late Mr. Eedle took a specimen of this insect in his garden near Hackney in September, 1864, and another in October of the same year, but these remained unidentified until 1870, when the late Mr. Henry Pryer captured an example in Tooley Street, August 27th, and Mr. Vaughan one on the 10th of September. M. Ragonot, after having examined “one of the original types,” is of opinion that pryerella is only a bleached form of ceratonie. Mr. A. F. Griffith has very kindly lent me his specimens, which I have carefully examined and compared with ceratonie, and I must say that I quite concur in the opinion expressed by M. Ragonot. Of M. ceratonie but little was known until Mr. A. B. Farn met with it in a London warehouse between the years 1884 and 1887 (vide Ent. Mo. Mag. xiii. p. 281). Fig. 9 (Pl. ILI.) represents one of Mr. Griffith’s specimens. MYELOIS CIRRIGERELLA, Zinck. BRIT. REF. :— Myelois cirrigerella, Meyrick, Ent. Mo. Mag. xi. p. 287; Blandford, List of Marlborough Lep. p. 19; South, Syn. List, p. 20; Ragonot, EK. M. M. xxii. p. 30. “Eixpanse 9 lines. Palpi moderate, porrected. Head and thorax bright yellow. Fore wings glossy, rather pale brownish ochreous, yellower towards base, immaculate. Hind wings grey. Cannot be confounded with any other British species. When alive it has a very smooth and glossy appearance, and the yellow thorax is couspicuous ” (Meyrick). Introduced by Mr. E. Meyrick, March, 1875. DisrRiputTion. — Germany; Gallicia; Livonia; Dalmatia; England. Note.—On the 30th of June, 1874, eight or nine specimens of 302 aight {HE ENTOMOLOGIST. this species came to light in the neighbourhood of Marlborough, Wilts. There is no other record of the occurrence of the insect in Britain. HoM@oOsoMA NIMBELLA, Zell., var. SAXICOLA. BRIT. REF. :-— Homecosoma saxicola, Vaughan, Ent. Mo. Mag. vii. p.132; White, l.c. p. 231, op. cit. vill. p. 68; Knaggs, Ent. Ann. 1871, p- 92; Gregson, Entom. v. p. 3896; Doubl. List, Suppl. p. 2; South, Syn. List, p. 20; Ragonot, HK. M. M. xxii. p. 26; Leech, Brit. Pyral. p. 91, pl. x. fig. 13. “‘ Wixpanse, 7—8 lines. . . . Fore wings grey, with a fuscous tint. The costal stripe bifurcates about the inner third into two other stripes of unequal size, the larger of which is continued along the costa until within a short distance of the apex, and the lesser is continued as a streak to beyond the middle of the wing. There are two or three small black dots situated about the junction of the inner and middle third, and two or three other small dots beyond the middle of the wing. ... Hind wings shining grey; cilia paler.” — (Vaughan.) é M. Ragonot says that none of the British nambella he has ‘seen are quite like continental specimens, and adds, “‘ Saxicola is generally larger; the fore wings are more distinctly white on the costa, and the rest of the wing is of a pure ochre, not at all powdered with black scales as in the type of nembella. The name of saxicola should be retained to distinguish the English variety of nimbella.” Introduced by Mr. Vaughan, November, 1870. Note.—The earliest known examples of this insect were bred in 1867, from larvee found in flower-heads of chamomile in the Isle of Man, September, 1866. In 1870 Dr. Buchanan White found larve common in the flower-seeds of several species of Composite, on the shores of the Solway Firth. He says that the larva, when full grown, spins a cocoon, but does not assume the pupa state until the spring. The insect has also been ob- tained at Clifton, Dover, and Folkestone. HoMa@osoMA CRETACELLA, Réssler. BRIT. REF. :-— Homeosoma senecionis, Vaughan and Buckler, Ent. Mo. Mag. vii. p. 18] ; Knaggs, Ent. Ann. 1871, p. 91, pl. i. fig. 2; Porritt, Entom. xix. p. 211; Doubl. List, Suppl. p. 2; South, Syn. List, p. 20; (H. cretacella, Ross.), Ragonot, E. M. M. xxii. p. 26; Leech, Brit. Pyral. p. 98, pl. x1. fig. 2. “Hxpanse, 8—9 lines. Fore wings: ground colour shining greyish white, the inner half being suffused with a warm fuscous tint. There are no indications of a first line. About the middle of the wing are two, and in some cases three, dark dashes. At about the junction of the middle with the outer third are two ~ BRITISH DELTOIDS, PYRALIDES, AND CRAMBI. 303 distinct black dots. Beyond these dots is the second line, which affords a most distinctive character to the species; it is straight, and composed of black dots running in a direction oblique to the hind margin. The hind margin is more or less distinctly dotted. Cilia grey, with a faint fuscous tint. Hind wings shining grey.” —(Vaughan.) This species is closely allied to H. nebulella, and also to H. binevella ; some entomologists, in fact, have considered it to be a var. of the last named. It is, however, separated from both its nearest allies by its smaller size, and may be at once distinguished by the straight, oblique, dotted submarginal line. Larva. —‘“ Deep purplish brown; ventral surface slightly tinged with olive; head, and plate on second segment, deep blackish brown and brilliantly polished; the rest of the body rather shining, with a faint violet gloss.”—(Buckler, abridged.) Introduced by Mr. Vaughan, November, 1870. BrrtisH Locauities.— Stapleton; Norwich; Dover; Folke- stone; Southend; Chattenden (Leech). Distrrpurton.—Central and Westerm Ger many; England. Note.—The earliest specimens noted in this country were captured in Essex some time during the month of May, 1870. . In June of the same year larvee were found feeding in the stems of ragwort. EPHESTIA DESUETELLA, Walk. (Pl. III. fig. 5.) BRIT. REF. :-— Nephopteryx desuctella, Walk. Cat. Lep. Het. Suppl. p. 1719; (Ephestia), Meyrick, Ent. Mo. Mag. xxiv. p. 8. ee Jigulilella, Gregson, Entom. v. p. 385; Ragonot, HK. M. M. xxi. p. 25. Ephestia ficulella, Barrett, HE. M. M. xi. p. 271; Porritt, op. cit. xvii. p. 44 (larva); South, Syn. List, p. 20; Leech, Brit. Pyral. p. 95, pl. xi. fig. 6; Ellis, Lep. Faun. Lanc. and Chesh. p. 77. Eixpanse, 7—8 lines. “ Fore wings very narrow at the base, strongly arched beyond the middle. Costal lappet narrow, with a tuft of long hair-like scales laid lengthwise beneath the wing. Fore wings smooth and shining, pale slate-colour, with a small ill-defined ochreous patch at the base of the dorsal margin. The first transverse line is at one-third the length of the wing from the base, pale grey, externally edged with dark grey spots, and nearly perpendicular tothe margins. Second line pale grey, often obsolete, oblique, angulated above the middle, slightly edged on both sides with grey dots. Faint dashes of ochreous lie longi- tudinally between the wing-rays. Hind wings whitish, edged with brownish, cilia white. g with one ochreous tuft at the base. Antenne thickened beyond the basal joint, then constricted and slightly bent, and again thickened before assuming the usual 304 THE ENTOMOLOGIS'I. simple form. Head, antenne, palpi, and thorax slate-grey ; abdomen brown.’ —(Barrett.) Mr. Porritt has described the larva as pale, pinky, flesh- coloured, with distinct pink lines; head and mandibles dark sienna-brown ; frontal plate darker brown. Feeds in December on figs. rearpatiee by Mr. Gregson, September, 1871. British Locauitres.— London; Liverpool. In dried fruit warehouses. Note.—Mr. Gregson first described this H’phestia as British under the name of jigulilella. Four years later Mr. Barrett re- described the species, and changed the name to jiculella. Mr. Meyrick, however, has shown us that both names must now give way in favour of the much earlier one of desuetella, Walker, the type of which is from Australia. The species will probably be found wherever stocks of dried fruit are kept. HPHESTIA CAHIRITELLA, Zell. (Pl. IV. fig. 12.) BRIT. REF. :-— Ephestia cahiritella (Zeller, Stett. Ent. Zeit. 1867, p. 384) ; Ragonot, Ent. Mo. Mag. xxii. p. 24. Ephestia passulella, Barrett, EK. M. M. xi: p. 271 (1875); Buckler, HE. M. M. xix. p. 104 (larva); Porritt, op. cit., p- 142; South, Syn. List, p. 20; Leech, Brit. Pyral. p. 95, pl. xi. fig. 4; Ellis, Lep. Faun. Lance. and Chesh. p. 77. Eixpanse, 6—7 lines. ‘“ Fore wings narrow, especially at the base; costa less arched than in the preceding species. Costal lappet with a broad tuft of scales. Fore wings pale fuscous, with a yellowish tinge; scales large and coarse, and ensilytupees off. First transverse line at one-third the length of the wing, fuscous, ill-defined, straight, and very slightly oblique. Second line parallel with the hind margin, pale, faintly edged with fuscous, often nearly obsolete. Usual two dots on the dise oblique, fuscous, hardly discernible ; cilia yellowish fuscous. Hind wings white, with scattered fuscous scales, and a faint brown margin ; cilia white. ¢ with one ochreous tuft at the base. Head, antenne, palpi, thorax, and abdomen, yellowish fuscous. Antenne simple beyond the thick basal joint.”—(Barrett.) Introduced by Mr. Barrett, May, 1875. British Locauities.—Grocers’ warehouses in London and ~ mavy other towns. DisrrisutTion. — Cannes; Vienna; Egypt; Siberia; Japan ; England; Chili. Note.—My. Porritt says the species is double-brooded. He bred imagines in September and October from ova deposited by a female in the previous June. M. Ragonot observes that some of the larve hybernate, and change to pupe towards the end of ee ee ee eee ee a ee ee ABUNDANCE OF LEPIDOPTERA IN NEW ZEALAND. 805 May, the imago emerging in June. . Mr. Hodgkinson has met with the larve of this Hphestia in a mill at Preston, where they were feeding on oil-cake. (To be continued.) ABUNDANCE OF LEPIDOPTERA IN NEW ZEALAND. By W. W. Smita. Tue study of Mr. Adkin’s paper, “On the occasional abundance of certain species of Lepidoptera in the British Islands ” (Entom. 177), has afforded me much pleasure, parti- cularly as I have devoted much time for some years past to the same subject in New Zealand. The main facts adduced by Mr. Adkin to account for the occasional abundance of certain species in the British Islands will not, as I will presently explain, fully apply to the same phenomenon in New Zealand. These are what that gentleman termed ‘The migration and the local causes theories.” The British Islands and New Zealand are both insular areas; but while the former is separated only by a few miles from the European continent, the latter is situated at least one thousand miles from the continent of Australia. Both areas are subject to an occasional abundance of certain species of Lepidoptera. On the causes of this phenomenon in New Zealand, I propose to offer some explanatory observations; whether the hypothesis I now advance to account for the great abundance of Lepidoptera during the past season will be accepted, I cannot say; it is one not at present clearly understood by naturalists ; I allude to certain seasons of exceptionally luxuriant growth and floriferous display of the indigenous flora; such seasons are peculiarly favourable to the development and economy of many species of Lepidoptera, and the two last seasons in New Zealand have been of this description. Less snow fell in the higher Alps during the winters of 1888 and 1889 than for the previous twelve years, while the meteorological records show a corresponding mildness of the temperature, and a considerable diminution of north-west or snow-melting spring winds. The summers follow- ing, each have been dry and hot, and naturally adapted to the life-habits of Lepidoptera; all species I observed during the past season, from the earliest spring-appearing species to those which appeared in late autumn, emerged in great numbers, and were all beautifully-developed insects. This phenomenon was not limited to Lepidoptera, as the numbers of many species repre- senting other orders appeared on a corresponding scale. Mr. Adkin mentions the case of Vanessa cardui and Plusia gamma as having occurred in great numbers in the British Islands, in cold wet seasons, when other species were much less common. 306 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. The same phenomenon occurred here with the former species in 1884, but the previous season was a very floriferous one, and several species of Noctuz appeared in unusual numbers (Entom. xxi. 37). In reviewing the various causes Mr. Adkins remarks : —‘‘Tf, therefore, we are to account for the cases of occasional abundance by purely local influences, we must find some irregu- larity in the working of Nature.” In referring to the great abundance of the same species in the past season in New Zealand, Mr. G. V. Hudson says (Entom. xxiii. 183) :—‘“‘I am inclined to believe that the abundance, or the reverse, of a given species is largely determined by certain conditions of existence, with which we are at present most imperfectly acquainted, and that, in the case of a periodical insect like V. cardui, these conditions only recur occasionally.” If the occasional abundance of this species in Britain be explained by migration from the Continent, it could only follow certain causes which favoured the great increase of | the species the previous year, and no doubt identical with the causes which produce its recurrence in New Zealand at intervals of several years. The migration theory, as explained by Mr. G. V. Hudson, can have no bearing on the question in New Zealand: indeed, I have long been convinced that the great num- bers of certain species which occasionally appear in New Zealand, especially among the more specialized groups, invariably follow seasons of luxuriant growth of the native flora. I would, how- ever, mention tuat the economy of many species of New Zealand Lepidoptera are quite unknown at present; but when such has been fully worked out by entomologists, it will, no doubt, be dis- covered to be the principal cause. The same facts, of course, will apply to continental areas; but the faunas and floras of such are not so rapidly modified as in insular areas, while it clearly shows that the larva of certain species of Lepidoptera are wholly dependent on certain pabulum for their subsistence, the fuller development of which, in mild or otherwise favourable seasons, again increases, and fully explains their appearance in vast num- bers in the succeeding season. The last two mild winters, and hot summers in succession, with the favourable influence on the native flora, unquestionably shows that such are likewise extremely favourable to the development of much of our Lepidopterous fauna: it has shown the same results with several introduced species belonging to other orders, which have also increased at an unprecedented rate during the last summer. Every year the indigenous flora and fauna of New Zealand are becoming more and more modified, and it is difficult—and in many cases impos- sible—to record faithfully the effects of such on certain species of native Lepidoptera, especially on fast-expiring forms; yet it is cheering to the naturalist to witness an occasional season fruitful to the native flora, and a consequent regeneration of many species of our ancient Lepidopterous fauna. I regret that I have no : | sak Dial NOTES ON TANIOCAMPA OPIMA, 307 knowledge of the effects of the snowfall, or the “‘fohn,” in certain seasons, on the meteorological conditions or the flora of the European Alps; but the subject seems to me to require the fullest investigation, as bearing on the occasional abundance of Lepidoptera, and possibly would tend to explain the occasional abundance (by migration) of certain species in the British Islands : unmistakably these causes appear to be the chief factor, favouring the increase of certain species in the last two seasons in New Zealand. How long the renewal or increase of numbers will last remains to be observed. We are, again, almost through another mild winter, with light snowfall in the Southern Alps, the effects of which on our Lepidoptera will receive my closest attention in future. Hast Belt, Ashburton, New Zealand, August 5, 1890. NOTES ON ZTAINIOCAMPA OPIMA. By J. ARkLE. NUMEROUS inquiries, by various correspondents, during the past two years, induce me to make the following observations upon an insect which, although clad in sober but glossy greys, I am disposed to call the Queen of the Teniocampe. My personal acquaintance with this local and beautiful moth centres exclusively in its well-known habitat at Wallasey. The egg is a miniature globe, with closely-set longitudinal lines “‘sculptured”’ from pole to pole. The little spheres are white when fresh laid, in April or May, and are clustered together on or near the tops of dead stems of ragwort, thistle, or dwarf rose. Other plants and shrubs may doubtless be included in this botanical list, but I prefer to speak from experience. I have never found the eggs on sallow, although the leaves of that plant are a favourite food in confinement. In two or three days the colour of the egg changes to brown. In a favourable season the batches are common enough, but, in the last two springs, ova of 7’. opima appear to have been comparatively scarce. On the 3rd of May—a beauti- fully clear and sunny morning—I went early to the sandhills for eggs wherewith to continue a most interesting study of this favourite moth. I soon found myself in good and unexpected company. Females of Nyssia zonaria were swinging, in the cool sea-breeze, on the long bents of the maritime grass. Their eggs were hidden away below in the junctions of bent and stem. Dozens of Mesotype virgata (lineolata), in silver-grey striped with dark brown, were resting on the short bedstraw. There were big violets about, with large white centres; beds of dwarf sal- lows, brilliant with yellow and odoriferous catkins ; and here and 308 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. there a bloom on the burnet rose, with a scent almost equal to that of a Marechal Neil. After a search of a couple of hours I came across two batches of T’. opima eggs, on the top of dead ragwort. Their subsequent history is only too typical of the difficulties met with in rearing the perfect insect. I took eggs from each batch, as I have found in previous years that the moths reared from separate batches were distinctive, —that is, they were either the light-coloured type, or the dark variety figured in Newman’s ‘ British Moths.’ To still further put this experience to the test I took my eggs home, and kept them in separate tumblers (marked A and B), with the usual drop of water to prevent the shells getting too hard, gauze covering, elastic band, and square of glass. Although the ova from one batch were white when found, and those from the other brown, both sets of eggs hatched within a couple of days of each other, on the 12th and 14th of May. Six sallow leaves were divided between the glasses, whereupon the larve, as in manner wont, marvellously and at once hid themselves. The caterpillar, when fully grown, is a richly coloured object. The head and anal segment are reddish; second segment reddish, but darker than the head ; upper surface dark purple, beautifully mottled with yellow; along each side, immediately above the legs, is a broad yellow stripe; above this, and adjoining, is a broad, very dark, purple-black stripe, and immediately above this a narrow yellow line. A line, similar to the last mentioned, runs along the middle of the back or upper surface, from head to anal segment. The under surface is pale green; the legs and claspers are green, and inclined, at the terminations, to red. When the caterpillar answers to this description, which it will do in July, it has reached its final stage. On Mahe ee twenty out of the total of forty Wallasey larve were full-fed, and about to pupate; the rest had died off, chiefly in the preceding stage, and in that unaccountable way so familiar to collectors who attempt to rear the insect. Worse still, the survivors were already beginning to show the first symptom of a like destiny,— viz., a refusal to eat, varied by a few spasmodic bites at a leaf on being disturbed. They then began to “lose flesh,’ became flaccid, and died off one by one. My experience points most strongly to the low temperature and continued dampness of the past summer as the chief reasons for such a total collapse. T. opima must have plenty of room in the larva state. There should be no more than six, or eight at the outside, on a surface of a square foot; there should be a liberal supply of fresh air and sallow; the soil to pupate in should be of the lightest, with a plentiful admixture—say half the bulk—of sea- or silver-sand: and yet I fear, even with all these advantages, the breeder must be content with a very small percentage of perfect insects. CHEMISTRY OF INSECT COLOURS. 309 Although I have reason to believe I have been exceptionally for- tunate, I never reared more than half-a-dozen at a time. Turning over my notes, I[ find the emergence of the bred insect to occur between the 5th and 21st of April. There is, I think, little fear of confounding this species with T’. instabilis. In the type insect all the wings, but especially the fore wings, are a beautiful silvery grey, with a broad, transverse, median brown bar, which is widest at the costal margin. On the widest half of this bar the discoidal spots are clearly marked out in the same silver-grey. Parallel with, and at a short distance from, the hind margin, the wing is again crossed by a rich, direct, brown line, which is exteriorly bounded by another line almost white. The fringes, especially those of the hind wings, are almost white. The antenne of the males show a slight pectination ; the thorax is a little darker in shade than the ground colour of the wings, while the body is a shade darker than the thorax. In the second form of the moth the fore wings are a rich dark brown, the hind ones being slightly paler in tint. All the markings of the fore wings, however, are clearly visible, being intensified in colour. The body and thorax are also proportionately darkened. The coloration in both forms of T’. opima is clear, distinct, and con- stant, in all the specimens I have seen, whilst 7’. tnstabilis can lay no claim to these characteristics. : I have never captured the perfect insect. Mr. Grearley, of Wallasey, tells me he has taken both forms—freely in exceptional years—at the sallow blossom. CONTRIBUTIONS to tuz CHEMISTRY or INSECT COLOURS. By F. H. Perry Costs, F.C.S. (Continued from p. 287). V.—Tue Cuemicat ASPECT. B. After the explanatory digression of last month we are now free to consider the experiments on each colour individnally ; and first, then, as to Brack, that prince of absorption colours. It is very commonly told us, on excellent authority, that we learn more from our failures than from our successes: possibly —but I have some doubts thereupon; and if the sentiment be expressed by way of consolation, it is surely the consolation of a Job’s comforter. Anyhow, be that as it may, I am very certain that our failures do not teach us nearly so much as the successes that we desired would have done. ‘To particularise, for my own case, it must be admitted that all my endeavours to learn some- thing of the relationship between black colour in Lepidoptera 310 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. and the remaining colours have totally failed, and the failure has taught us almost nothing,—and in fact left the problem somewhat more perplexed than it originally was; whereas any success in the attempt to change the black colour by chemical reagents might have taught us a good deal. Nothing observed in the course of my investigations caused me, perhaps, more surprise or disappointment than this immovyability of black. As has been shown, in every case it has resisted the action of every reagent, and although I experimented on the most various species, selected from widely different families and groups of Lepidoptera, yet in not a single instance did I effect any change. Under these cir- cumstances, then, I think it is justifiable to conclude that the black of Lepidoptera is simply a physical absorption colour, and in no way due to pigment. It seems to me quite hopeless to further examine black species of Lepidoptera; and although, in pursuing this investigation among the exotic species sent to me, I shall continue to experiment on some black species, this will be done merely on principle and as a precaution, but with very slight hope of success. For although, in one sense, it may seem very rash to argue so confidently from the results yielded by a few dozen English species, yet the unbroken uniformity of these results and the representative character of the species are, I think, sufficient justification,—especially, too, when the significance of all the other results is considered. Now a caution is requisite here. I most certainly would not assert that, because the colour of a given species cannot be chemically altered, therefore it is a physical colour and not a chemical : it may certainly seem surprising that a pigment should resist the action of powerful chemical reagents, but among the yellows we have pretty conclusive evidence that many do. If the table of results in yellow be consulted it will be seen that whilst some yellows are turned completely white, others are with diffi- culty affected, and some are absolutely immovable. Now I am not at present prepared to assert that all of these immovable yellows are pigment colours, although I shall presently show reasons for suspecting so; but I do contend for it as indisputable that some are. It is, I think, impossible to deny that the yellows of Arctia villica and Callimorpha hera lutescens are pigment colours, in the face of the close relationship of these species to the red pigmented species; but these two yellows are absolutely immov- able. And if stronger evidence still be asked, we have it in the fact that whereas in almost all species red is rapidly changed to yellow by the reagents, the change stops here,* and although we have clearly a pigment in evidence, that pigment is sensitive to a * I stated (Entom. 158) that in no instance had I succeeded in carrying a retro- gressive change further back than one stage. Since that was written I have succeeded, in at least one striking instance, in getting a second retrogression ; details will be given in their due place. aS ee lee eT eee ee. CHEMISTRY OF INSECT COLOURS. 311 certain extent only, and after that is absolutely unassailable. I must, however, defer the full discussion of this interesting phe- nomenon until we are dealing with the yellows; my object in anticipating so far here being simply to show that apparently indubitable pigment colours may resist the action of all the reagents, and that therefore it is not legitimate to assume any given one or two colours to be physical, and not pigment, colours, because they are chemically unaffected. Nevertheless I do think the assumption fairly legitimate in the case of black, owing to the unbroken uniformity of the results and the absence of any single contravening result. It should be remembered how very various are the species that have been examined, and how very different the relations ot black in them to the other colours. Itis not as though all these species were uniformly black, or as though in all of them black were found associated with the same second colour, or occupied the same position on the wings. If that were the case it might justly be said that the only legitimate inference would be that one black of wide occurrence was immovable, and not a pigment colour ; whilst other blacks might exist that were pigment colours. But the case is not so. Consider how different in character are these blacks. In Pieris black occurs with white, as spot and tips; in Melanargia galatea and Arctia caia equally distributed with white; in Spilosoma menthastri as small dots on white, and simi- larly in Amphidasys betularia; and as larger spots on white in Abraxas grossulariata. ‘Then, in combination with yellow, we find it as broad tips in Colias and Triphena, aud small spots on Venilia macularia. With the closely allied chestnut, too, it occurs as prominent tips, blotches, or ocelli, on Argynnis, Melitea, Vanessa cardui, Pararge megera, Epinephele tithonus, Cenonympha pamphilus, Polyommatus phleas. Combined with red we find it in Vanessa atalanta as apparent base or ground colour, and very glossy; as almost tarry blotches on the hind wings of Arctia, and as groundwork again in Catocala. Combined with green it occurs in Agriopis aprilina and Moma orion, and with grey in Acronycta psi. So that here we have found it in various positions combined with all the chief colours (except blue); and, lastly, we have it alone as occupying the whole wing in T'anagra atrata, Lycena astrarche v. artaxerxes, and Hpinephele hyperanthes. But it is very remarkable that, however and wherever it occurs, it is always the same immovable black. Now when we find any two or more pigment colours on the same species, the conclusion is almost irresistible that a genetic relationship must exist between them, if we can only discover it. If any one given colour be found in different species, combined in turn with all the other colours, a very especial interest attaches to it, since one naturally hopes to find in it a common basis by which to connect genetically all the other colours; 312 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. just such a cosmopolitan colour as this seemed black (as also white) ;* great was the interest with which I commenced working at it; and commensurately great my disappointment at the total failure. However different the reactions of its associated colours, black is always the same and unaffected—‘“ Quod semper, quod ubique, quod ab omnibus.” It is incredible to me that if black were a pigment colour it should be impervious to all my reagents —with whatever other pigment colours it be associated. I cannot believe that, in all the species just enumerated, pigments of half-a- dozen different colours should have been evolved, and in associa- tion with each a black pigment (which must be genetically somehow related to its companion, both being produced by the metabolic activities of the same system), always the same and always immovable. I conclude therefore, with considerable confidence, that black is no pigment colour, but a mere physical absorption result. Conformable with this is the fact that in the dozen or so instances where the black was a trifle affected, no colour was produced, but merely a less black black,—a faded, washed out, brownish black: and this is just what one might expect (if black bea physical colour) as the result of my reagent that partially destroyed the structure of the scales.t Black, then, I regard as being due —in Lepidoptera—to an arrangement of scales such as to cause a total absorption of all the incident light rays.| This absence of any black pigment is the more astonishing in face of its common occurrence in other orders of the animal kingdom. It would seem pretty clear that in most animals (7. e. Mammalia), in the normal animal as distinguished from the albino, there is a black pigment in the regions of the mouth, eyes, &c.,§ and in the Negro there is a distribution of presumably black pigment over the whole skin surface. I am not aware how far_dowmn in the scale black pigments have been definitely found : ope is * In connection with this it should be pointed out that in my anticipatory theoretical reflections, before any experimental data were to hand, I had conjectured that several different blacks might exist,—so protean are its combinations. See Entom. p. 156. : t One final explanation conld be hazarded. It has been suggested to me, by a friend, that in some species the colours may be enclosed in chitinous, transparent cases,—microscopic quills as it were,—and be thus rendered impervious to re- agents. Iam not, however, aware that this is anything more than a conjecture, and nothing in the appearance of the wings, when examined microscopically, suggests this to me. But anyhow it seems to me an utterly impossible proposition that black pigment is always enclosed in such chitinous receptacles, although com- bined with every other colour susceptible to chemical reagents, and therefore—pre- sumably—not chitinously protected. I think we may with perfect safety ignore any such explanation as this of black’s behaviour. + But at the same time I am quite open to the reply that this theory, that black is no pigment colour, is only at best a probable assumption, and not strictly demon- strated. That is quite true; but I think it a very probable assumption, and at any rate we must accept it for the present as a working hypothesis. § Vide the interesting statements made by Wallace in ‘Tropical Nature.’ I should say, however, that Wallace does not explicitly state it to be a black pigment, though his expressions imply that. He merely says a ‘“‘ dark pigment.” 3) 1 i: fe) CHEMISTRY OF INSECT COLOURS. a merest conjecture that may be utterly erroneous—they are found only among the higher groups of the animal kingdom, and not among the lower;* and in this connection one is tempted to adduce the fact that black flowers are almost, if not entirely, unknown. It would be somewhat interesting, therefore, to know whether or not black pigments are usually products only of a higher organisation than that of insects. Then, again, there is another most interesting problem on which any definite chemical results from black might have thrown considerable light,—whereas, as it is, we are none the wiser. I refer to the phenomena of melanism. With regard to true melanism (as distinguished from melanochroism), it has been a great disappointment to me that nothing bearing upon this interesting subject has come from my work. It may be suggested that the phenomenon of melanism—i.e. of a black colour encroaching on and superseding other colours—is hardly to be reconciled with the supposed absence of any black pigment ; whereas melanism were easily explicable if the ordinary pigments became transformed by some easily conceivable chemical change into a black pigment. But with regard to this objection I may point out that the development of melanism (in the absence of any black pigment) is no more difficult to understand (i.e. as a colour change—I do not speak of its ultimate cause) than the occurrence of black on Argynnis brown, on Rumia yellow, on Pieris white, and on Lycena blue, &c. Neither is it, perhaps, even so great a difficulty as that of the black wing of Vanessa atalanta, which I believe to have been developed from an ancestral form closely similar to (or identical with ?) V. cardui,t by areplacement of chestnut by black. In all such cases we must suppose that the ‘‘absorptive’’—the black —scales have encroached upon the pigment-containing scales. Nevertheless, as a final caution, I must add that, since no melanic forms have come into my hands, I cannot positively state that in them also black is a non-chemical colour, and insensible to the action of reagents. I know only the conduct of ordinary normal blacks, and it is just possible that melanic forms may be due to a real pigment. For the determination of this point I must wait my opportunity ; but I confess to having very little hope of finding, even in melanic forms, a black pigment. In view of the complete unanimity of behaviour in the various black species experimented on, it seems unnecessary to animad- vert on them individually, or group them according to the minor varieties of appearance or distribution of colour. As I have * One must except, however, the sepia of the Cuttle. I have written the above paragraph only with considerable hesitancy, since it is purely conjectural, and may well be altogether erroneous. + Further consideration of this topic I must defer until the brief section on the “ Biological Aspect,’’ which it is anticipated will conclude these articles. ENTOM,—ocT, 1890, 2B 314 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. already pointed out, in these species worked upon, black is combined with each of the other.colours in turn, and appears as sround colour, as spots, as blotches, as lines, as bands, and as tips, besides being in several instances the sole colour. As further exemplifying its chemical inaccessibility, I may especially instance the case of Hpinephele hyperanthes. Since this species is by no means of a pure black, and is so closely allied genealogically to the very accessible chestnut-coloured species, I had entertained strong hopes that it might prove a welcome exception. But no! pure black or impure, H. hyperanthes is still black; and black 1s immovable—‘‘ Semper ubique et in omnibus!” Erratum.—Page 286, omit footnote. (To be continued). THE WESTMANN ISLANDS. By Rev. F. A. Wauxer, D.D., F.L.S., &c. Tue small group of islets known by this name (Vestmann- eyjar in Icelandic) is situate south of the S. coast of Iceland, between 638 and 64 deg. N. lat. and 32 and 34 deg. W. long. The names of the islets are as follows :—Drangar, Hinarsdrangr, Erlendsey, Alsey, Geirfuglasker, Geldingasker, Sulusker, Hellirey, Bjarnarey, and Heimaey. By far the largest island, and the only inhabited one of the group, is Heimaey, or Home Island, distant possibly ten miles from the mainland; all the rest are rocks and skerries, or more strictly speaking, groups of rocks and skerries. These Westmann Islands derive their names fromthe ten Irish thralls (men of the West as opposed to Nompeeneme. nea of the Kast), who after murdering their Norwegian master, one of the earliest settlers, Hjorleifur, in his dwelling on the mainland, betook themselves, with his wife and all the women they could lay hands on, to Heimaey, and were slain in their turn, as an act of vengeance, by Ingolfur, Hjorleifur’s brother, a.p. 874. In after years Algerine pirates made two descents on the islands, slew some, and carried off several into captivity, whence, after a long time, they were rescued by the king of Denmark. It is by no means on every occasion that a steamer in passing the Westmann Islands is able to anchor off this group,— which is situate eighty miles east of the south-west poit of Iceland,—in consequence of their exposed situation, high cliffs, and strong gales. Occasionally, also, it happens that a steamer, having come to anchor is, in consequence of the wind rising suddenly, obliged to continue her voyage without loss of time. Last autumn the Danish steamer from Reykjavik, being unable to make Heimaey owing to stress of weather, some ill-starred THE WESTMANN ISLANDS. 315 inhabitants of that place were carried on to Seydisfjord (east coast of Iceland), where they had to remain throughout the winter and spring as well. Heimaey contains about 600 in- habitants, and its craggy promontory of Heima Klettur (Home Cliffs), surmounted by steep grassy slopes, is an island in stormy weather, as only united with the rest of the place by a low- lying neck of land covered with lava stones. Its tin, or home- fields are divided by loose walls of lava stones, and there are boulders and crags of the same down to the water’s edge, as there is scarcely any beach. Statice armeria flourishes profusely over the said tin meadows and the grassy downs as well. We arrived off the island at 4 a.m. on the 12th of June, and though feeling weak and faint, having kept my berth the whole of the previous day owing to the steamer’s rolling heavily, I reflected that no entomologist had ever yet visited the Westmann Isles. It could be done, and it should be done. The additional difficulty that, owing to the heaving of the sea, the companion ladder was not lowered on this occasion now presented itself. There was no alternative but to slew one’s self over the ship’s side and so on to a rope ladder, which did not reach as far as the tossing boat beneath, and then drop heavily on to the flour-sacks which formed part of the cargo going ashore, and which I succeeded in reaching, after being somewhat drenched with the spray during my being rowed for about a mile through a choppy sea. The next thing was to make the best use of the short time allowed for the purpose of collecting, and my brief experience fully convinced me that Heimaey is quite as good a field for that purpose as the mainland of Iceland. My search continued for over two hours, in a spot where one has neither one’s own nor the previous experience of anyone else to aid him in rapidly select- ing the most suitable locality, when time is so precious. It goes without saying that Heima Klettur is whitened by the guano of innumerable sea-birds that frequent its craggy cliffs. Looking seawards from the grassy downs of Heimaey, a fine panoramic view is obtained of Hyjafjordur’s sunny plateau ; and the snowy peak of Hekla is also visible far inland. Heimaey’s one settle- ment, Kaupstadr, means the same as Copenhagen, — place of selling or merchandise. It possesses a church, and sends a representative to the Althing. I append a list of the insects observed or captured :— Connortera. — Notiophilus bipustulatus, Nebria gyllenhal, Patrobus hyperboreus, Calathus melanocephalus v. nubigena, Pla- tysma vitreus, Amara quenselii, Creophilus maxillosus, Lesteva bicolor, Byrrhus fasciatus, Aphodius lapponum, Otiorhynchus mon- ticola, O. (? sp.), Barynotus schonherri, Cryptohypnus riparius. Diptera.—Calliphora erythrocephala, Scatophaga stercoraria, 2B2R 316 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. Sarcophaga mortuorum, Heliophilus pendulus (one specimen seen, not caught), Trpula (? sp.), Musca domestica. Hymenoptera.—Ichneumon (1 sp. of Lampronota). Dun Mallard, Cricklewood. ALTERATION OF THE NAME OF AN INDIAN GHEOMETRID MOTH. In part vi. of ‘Ill. Typ. Lep. Het.’ p. 88, I referred a moth, described by me in 1880 as ‘‘ Abraxas conspersa,” to my genus Icterodes. It is a white-winged species, and (owing to the then crowded state of the drawer containing the genus Icterodes) I was unable to transfer it to its true position in the cabinet. In part vii. I described one of Mr. Hocking’s species, with yellow wings, under the name of Icterodes conspersa, not seeing any species of that name under the genus. I thus duplicated the name, and, as the most careful examination reveals nothing beyond a colour distinction between the two groups of Icterodes, — it becomes necessary to alter the name of the later species, which I propose to call Icterodes sparsa. I have to thank Mr. Warren for calling my attention to this stupid lapsus calamt. A. G. Burtmr. Brit. Mus. Nat. Hist. ENTOMOLOGICAL PAPERS IN CONTINENTAL PERIODICALS. ; By W. Warren, M.A., F.H.S. “See COLEOPTERA. On varieties of European Cicindele. H. Beuthin, Ent. Nach. 1890, iii. p. 36, v. p. 71, vi. p. 89, ix. p. 137. Revision of the species of Triodonta,'Muls., belonging to the Palearctic Fauna. E. Reitter, Ent. Nach. v. p. 65. Monograph of the Pselaphide. A. Raffray, Revue d’Entomologie, 1890, vol. ix. pt. 1, p. 1—28; pts. 2, 3, 4, p. 29—124. Coleoptera from the Liu-Kiu Islands. H.v. Schénfeldt, Ent. Nach., 1890, xi. p. 168. Coleoptera occurring near Selinuntium. A. Palumbo, Sicilian Naturalist, 1890, vil. p. 166. New Species of Coleoptera:—(a). Two new water-beetles from Abyssinia. Dr. Schaufuss, Hut. Nach.iv. p. 62. Dineutes olivaceus, D. jekelit.—(b). Two new species of Tenebrionide from Tripoli. G. Quedenfeldt, Ent. Nach. iv. p- 63. Hidrosis elongatula, Asida nigro-opaca.—(c). Sternocera chrysis, Fab., ? var. singularis. Kerremans, Proc. §.E. Belg. 1890, p. xix.—(d). New Histeride (continued). J. Schmidt, Ent. Nach. iii. p. 39, iv. p. 50.— (e). A new species of Geotrupes from Bosnia. V. Apfelbeck, Societas Kinto- mologica, iv. p. 167. Geotrupes brancsiki.—(f). A new species of Galerucine ENTOMOLOGICAL PAPERS IN CONTINENTAL PERIODICALS. 317 from Sumatra. A. Duvivier, Proc. 8. E. Belg. 1890, p. xxxiii. Mimastra platteeuwi, Duvivy.—Notes on Synonymy:—(1). Haplosomoides (n. gen.) serena, Rhaphidopalpa serena, Boh. Res. Kugen. p.178. (11). Oides seavit- tata, Duviv. Bull. S. E. Belg. 1884, p. cxxxii.; O. quinquelineata, Jac. Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. ser. 2, vol. iv. 1886, p.42. (11). Chtoneis suturalis, Duviv. S. EB. Z. 1885, p. 245; All. Bull. S. E. Belg. 1889, p. Ixxvil. (Iv). Caudezea irregularis; Monolepta irregularis, Rits. Tijd. v. Ent. 1875 p. 22; Caudezea inconstans, Duviv. Bull. S. E. Belg. 1889, p. exxxvii.— (g). Four new species of Hispidee from Central America. Ant. Duvivier, lic. p. xxxvii. Cephaloleia ornata, C. balyi, Amplipalpa lata, Charistena bergi, Buenos Ayres.—(h). Seventeen new species of the genus Stigmodera, Eschsch. Ch. Kerremans, Pr. 8. E. Belg. 1890, p. xl., with the following corrections of species already named :—Stigmodera parryi, Hope, to stand for S. fusca, Saund.; S. laportet, Kerr., to stand for S. castelnaudi, Thoms. ; S. fraterna, Kerr., to stand for S. distinguenda, Thoms.; S. flavidula, Kerr., to stand for S. flava, Thoms. CoRRODENTIA. On the occurrence of winged as well as wingless forms of Pyrrhocoris apterus and other Psocide. Herr Loens, Ent. Nach. 1890, i. p. 10. DIPTERA. On Cecidomyiide bred from flowers of Composite. J.J. Kieffer, Ent. Nach. 1890, pp. 27, 36. HYMENOPTERA. On the preparation (killing, setting, &c.) of Hymenoptera. Dr. Kriech- baumer, Ent. Nach. 1890, i. p. 1. Revision and tabularization of genera and species of the Cryptine. Dr. O. Schmiedeknecht, Ent. Nach. 1890, vi. p. 81, vii. p. 97, viil. p. 113, ix. p. 129, x. p. 145. Description of nest and parasite of the ‘‘bull-dog” ant of Australia (Myrmecia forficata, Fab.). Aug. Forel, Proc. 8S. HK. Belg. 1890, p. viil. Revision and description of the ants of Tunis and. Hastern Algeria. Aug. Forel, Proc. 8. E. Belg. 1890, p. 1xi. A new species of Tenthredinide. Dr. R. Cobelli, Verh. Z. B. Ver. Wien. 1890, p. 159. Macrophya bertolinir. : LEPIDOPTERA. On the artificial sustentation of Lepidopterous pups. Dr. A. Troska, Societas Entomologica, 1890, pp. 1, 9, 17, 28, 43. Remarks on Morpho rhetenor, Cr., var. helena, Stdgr. Dr.O. Staudinger, Ent. Nach. 1890, vii. p. 107. Notes on the differentiation of three species of Melitea,—athalia, Rott., parthenie, Bork., and aurelia, Nick. Fritz Ruth], Soc. Entom. v. pp.11, 44. Food-plants and distribution of Danais chrysippus and its allies. Dr. O. Hoffmann, Soc. Entom. iy. p. 167. Macro-Lepidoptera of Zurich and neighbourhood. Fritz Rihl, Soc. Ent. iv. pp. 169, 185, v. pp. 28, 41. temarkable instance of triple mimicry. F.J.M. Heylaerts. Proc. 8. K. Belg. 1890, p. xii. Perina nuda, Fab., a Liparid; Chalia bipars, W1k., a Psychid; Kophene weyersi, Heyl., a Psychid. ‘These are so much alike superficially that they can only be separated after a careful examination of the nervulation. N.B.—The identification of K, weyers, Heyl., with Perina 318 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. bipars, Wlk., by Heylaerts himself (cf. Proc. 8. K. Belg. 1886, Oct.) was incorrect. Larve and cases of Coleophoride in Silesia. C. Schmidt, Soc. Entom. iv. pp. 169, 184, v. pp. 3, 12, 19, 44. New species :—(a). Three new species of Psychide from British India. F. J. M. Heylaerts, l.c. p. xi. Chalia elwesi, Heyl., Ganjam; Kophene mooret, Heyl., Bangalore; Bijugis sikkimensis, Heyl., Ooty.—(b). A new species of Psychid from Assam. F.J. M. Heylaerts, l.c. p. xii. Kophene snelleni, Heyl.—(c). Four new species of Glaucopidee from Brazil. Hey- laerts, l.c. p. xili. Lemocharis 5-punctata, Heyl.; L. nigripes, Heyl. ; Hematerion dycladioides, Heyl.; Charidia similis, Heyl.—(d). Three new species of Heterocera from the Dutch H. Indies. Heylaerts, U.c. p. xvi. Syntomis claremontit, Heyl.; Nyctemera sumatrensis, Heyl.; N. tritoides, Heyl.—(e). Six new species of Heterocera from the Dutch EH. Indies. Heylaerts, U.c. p.xxvi. Squamura (n. gen.) maculata, Heyl., Sumatra ; Miresa sanguineo-maculata, Heyl., Sumatra; M. nigriplaya, Heyl., Sumatra ; Thosea lutea, Heyl., Java, Sumatra; Arctia brunnea, Heyl., Sumatra ; Gonitis virida, Heyl., Java. ORTHOPTERA. On the species of Tettigide collected in West Africa by Herr Bittner. Dr. F. Karsch, Ent. Nach. 1890, p. 17. Five new species are described, with three new genera :—Xerophyllum galeatum, Acmophyllum undulatum, Trypophyllum glabrifrons, Hippades vicarius, Coptotettix annulipes. Of two old species the synonymy is corrected as follows :—(1). Phloeonotus jugatus (Tettia jugata, Wik., Cat. Derm. Salt. B. M. iv. 1870, p. 819; Hymenotes humilis, Gerst., Zarg. 1878, p.47, pl. 3, fig. 7; Phloeonotus humilis, Boliv. Ann. S. E. Belg. 1887, p. 304, pl. 5, fig. 27; P. natalensis, Boliv., id.)— (2). Pantelia horrenda (Cladonotus horrendus, Wlk.; Pantelia cristulata, Boliv.). Be Phaneropteride. Dr. I’. Karsch, Ent. Nach. 1890, p.57. (1). Two new species belonging to two new genera:— Ceratopompa festiva, Tetra- concha fenestrata. — (2). Stilpnothorax loricatus, Pictet, = Potamonota dregu, Burm. Monograph of the Proscopide. Dr. C. Brunner v. Wattenwyl, Verh. Z. B. Ver. Wien. 1890, p. 87, pl. 3, 4, 5. Ruyncota: Hemiprera-H&TEROPTERA. ~ On the Ethiopian Rhyncota in the Brussels Museum. W. L. Distant, Pr. Soc. E. Belg. 1890, p. li. ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES, CAPTURES, &c. CUCULLIA ABSYNTHII In WaALEs. —In reference to Col. Partridge’s suggestion as to the above (Hntom. 291), I may say I found the food-plant growing commonly near Arthog; indeed, I noticed some in a hedge close to the spot where I found my insect. I have very little doubt that by watching ‘the flowers of the honeysuckle a little before dusk the species might be taken in fair numbers in the locality —NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN ; Highbury, Moor Green, Birmingham. NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 319 EWnycHIa ocromacuntatTa IN NortH Watzs.—On June 20th I took several specimens of Hnnychia octomaculata near Llanrwst. Mr. Wood says, in ‘Insects at Home,’ that this does not appear to be common in any part of England, but that he took four or five from one locality, Bagley Wood. I took two or three near Llanberis, but near Llanrwst I could have caught dozens without much trouble, as they appeared to be quite common in one locality—Doueias H. Pzarson; The College, Chilwell, Notts. AMPHIDASYS BETULARIA VAR. DOUBLEDAYARIA IN NoTTINGHAMSHIRE.— - Ihave taken this year two of the black variety of Amphidasys betularia, which occurs in this neighbourhood, but which I believe to be rare in the south.—Douetas H. Pearson; The College, Chilwell, Notts. Laryv& oF BoMBYx NEUSTRIA ABUNDANT AT Stokes Bay.—The larvee of Bombyx neustria were very abundant in this neighbourhood this spring. In one hedge at Stokes Bay I counted no less than nine nests of these larve ; and, as Southampton is not a dozen miles from here as the crow flies, it is probably the larva of this species which is referred to in Kntom. xxi, 260. —W. T. Pearce; 101, Mayfield Road, Seafield, Gosport. DEILEPHILA EUPHORBIZ.—I am now able to give the result of the very fortunate find of my friend, which is recorded in Entom. xxiii. p. 18. Of the ten pupze entrusted to my care, and which I subjected to the tempera- ture of a room which had a fire daily through the winter and spring, the first emergence was that of a male on May 5th. ‘The order of the other emergences is as follows:—May 9th, male; May 13th, male; May 31st, female; June 6th, male; June 16th, male; June 22nd, female; July 24th, female. They are all very fine and beautiful specimens. One pupa died, and one is still alive (evidently a female) which seems to be going through a second winter in this stage. I was able to pay ashort visit the third week in July to the spot where the larvee were found last autumn, but though I searched every piece of Huphorbia paralias most thoroughly, I failed to discover any trace whatever of larve, young or middle-aged. — (Rev.) J. Srymour Sr. Joun ; 42, Castlewood Road, Stamford Hill, N., Sept. 9. MAMESTRA PERSICARIZ.—I am now feeding up a number of these larvee on ivy, upon which I found them ; they eat it freely. Is not this an unusual food-plant ? I have never seen it recorded in any book. —(Rev.) J. Seymour Sr. Jonn ; 42, Castlewood Road, Stamford Hill, N., Sept. 9. [Larvee of M. persicarie have been noticed this year feeding on ivy, poplar, lilac, plum, clematis, and raspberry ; the bulk of them were some shade of brown.—Ep.] Larv& or ARCTIA CAIA FEEDING on IRIS PSEUDACORUS (YELLOW Irts).—On June 15th I found some larvee of A. caia feeding on the flowers of I. pseudacorus. This species is said to feed on various low-growing plants, but I cannot find the above-mentioned as one. —J. E. Kwiaurts ; 14, Beaconsfield Road, North Denes, Great Yarmouth. AcRonycTA sTRIGOsA.—I have to record the capture of a specimen of Acronycta strigosa, which I took at sugar near the village of Upware, in Cambridgeshire, on the 12th of July last. The insect is in fairly good condition.—Hernry A. Hitt; 182, Haverstock Hill, Hampstead, N.W., Sept. 15, 1890. 890 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. HEspPERIA LINEOLA.—In the report of Proceedings of the South London Natural History and Entomological Society (Hntom. 296), ‘‘ Mr. Tugwell expressed an opinion that this species occurred on the salt-marshes, and that those taken on the hills had been blown there.” This is only a bare idea without proof. What I did say was, that I had made two excursions to Leigh for Hesperia lineola. My first captures there I had carefully examined, and found all to be lineola, and then, working ou to Hadleigh, I had boxed all the Hesperia, thinking them to be lineola, but on reaching home I found 75 per cent were thaumas. On my second visit I commenced collecting at the same spot, and found nearly all my captures on the lower ground were lineola. I then met Mr. Turner, and he had been nearer the marsh than myself; he had secured some thirty specimens of lineola; together we worked over the ground to Hadleigh, and found thawmas much more common than lineola. We then struck out into the marshes below; there we secured a long series of lineola, but not a single thawmas amongst them. ‘This indicates pretty clearly that its habitat was the marshes, and not the higher ground.—W. H. Tuewe t. StrEx cigss In Devon. — On the 5th inst. I captured a specimen of the above insect, making the third I have taken here. They seem to vary considerably in size. No. 1, length to point, 12 in.: expanse of wings, 24 in. No. 2, length to point, 14 in.; expanse of wings, 24in. No. 3, length to point, 1 in. ; expanse of wings, 14 in. — Jonn N. Sriztu; Lang- stone, Horrabridge. Py Macro-LEPIDOPTERA IN THE New Forest.—Your correspondent. Mr. K. G. Alderson, has given such a melancholy account of the Lepidoptera to be met with in the New Forest this season (Hntom. 258), that I should like to record my experiences of the collecting there. I took up my quarters at Brockenhurst on the 28th of June, and stayed there until the 17th of July. The weather was not at all propitious for collecting, being stormy, with very few bright sunny days. The following were the most noteworthy Macro-Lepidoptera that I met with :—Gonepteryx rhamni,-hybernated spe- cimens; Argynnis selene, fairly numerous; A. aglaia, abundant in one locality ; A. adippe, scarce ; A. paphia, males abundant before July 17th, but females scarce even then, consequently the variety valesina was very rare; Limenitis sibylla, fairly numerous in certain localities, but very much damaged by the stormy weather,—it was very seldom one could net a perfect specimen ; Pararge egeria, very abundant ; Satyrus semele, afew specimens seen on July 16th; Hpinephele ianira,very abundant, a few “bleached” forms taken; H. hyperanthes, abundant; Lycena egon, very abundant on certain heaths ; Syrichthus malv@, afew specimens noticed, but these were somewhat passé; Hesperia thaumas, abundant in certain places by about July 13th; HZ. sylvanus, very abundant; Zygena meliloti, I saw several specimens, taken by the local collectors; Z. trifolii and Z. filipendule, both plentiful; Calligenia miata, not uncommon ; Lithosia mesomella, a few specimens taken ; Gnophria rubricollis, 1 saw specimens recently taken, but did not meet with this species myself; Hmydia cribrum, taken in large numbers by the local collectors this season ; Huchelia jacobee, both imagines and larvee common; Nemeophila russula, common ; Arctia caia, common ; Hepialus hectus, common ; Bombyx quercus, larve taken on heath; Thyatira batis, fairly common ; Moma orion, I saw one specimen which had been taken at rest by a brother collector; Acronycta psi, very abundant ; Lew- NotHs, CAPTURES, ETC. 321 cania turca, a few taken at sugar; L: impudens, a few taken on the bogs ; L. impura, very abundant; Xylophasia lithoxylea, X. hepatica, Dipterygia scabriuscula, Miana strigilis, M. fasciuncula, Grammesia trigrammica, all at sugar, sparingly ; Acosmetia caliginosa, taken by a local collector; Rusina tenebrosa, at sugar ; Agrotis strigula (= porphyrea), common on the heaths ; Noctua plecta, N. festiva, at sugar; Panolis piniperda, one larva taken, which proved to be “ichneumoned”; Phlogophora meticulosa, at sugar ; Aplecta nebulosa, abundant ; Hadena dentina, H. thalassima, at sugar; H. genist@, one, at light; Anarta myrtilli, taken on the heaths,—several larve also taken, which subsequently proved to be ichneumoned ; Phytometra viridaria, not uncommon ; Urapteryx sambucaria, Metrocampa margaritaria, both common; Boarmia repandata, very abundant, some nice forms taken, including the variety conversaria; B. roboraria, not uncommon ; Pseudo- terpna pruinata, (= cyltisaria), not uncommon; Phorodesma pustulata (= bajularia), one specimen taken ; Acidalia immutata, common locally ; A. emutaria, abundant on the bogs; Macaria liturata, Bupalus piniaria, amongst the firs; Aspilates strigillaria, locally common on the heaths ; Fypsipetes sordidata (= elutata), common; Hubolia limitata (= mensuraria), E. plumbaria, both abundant ; Tanagra atrata (= cherophyllata), common ; Pyrausta purpuralis, abundant ; Herbula cespitalis, common; EHndotricha flammealis, locally common. Certainly entomologising in the New Forest this season was disappointing work, especially at night, when “sugar” would attract but few insects; but I think the above list of species met with shows that the Forest was not, entomologically, such a desert as Mr. HK. G. Alderson’s letter would lead one to suppose it to have been. I may mention that I found insects at the Forest to be fully a week later than at Abbot’s Wood, in Sussex, where I had just been collecting, and also con- siderably later than I had found them at the Forest in previous seasons.— E. W. H. Buage; Cheadle, Staffordshire. A WueEx at SHERwoop Forrst.— On August 18th of this year, accompanied by my friend Mr. James Batty, of this town, I arrived at Edwinstowe, a small viliage situated close upon the Forest, and found most comfortable accommodation at ‘The Royal Oak’ Inn, which I can safely recommend to any entomologist visiting the locality. Hvery evening during our stay, with the exception of Sunday, we tried the seductive allurements of old Scotch black treacle, beer, and rum, but, except on one occasion, with very poor results. ‘The one exception referred to was on Monday, August 25th. Directly we had put the treacle on the trees the rain commenced to pour down, and did not cease the whole night. As soon as rain began to fall my friend Batty wished to go back, as he said insects never came out in the rain; at least he had not known them to do so in forty years’ experience. However, I persuaded him to accompany me just for one round, and, greatly to our surprise, we found the trees literally swarming with moths. Well, in that one round I filled about 120 boxes, all with good insects; and I think any enthusiastic entomologist would not have minded the thorough soaking that we got if the same good fortune attended. By far the commonest insect at sugar that night was Noctua dahlii, which swarmed on every tree. Huperia fulvago is a dead failure this year in its head-quarters, and 1 do not think we took eighteen speci- mens all the time we were there. Another curious thing was that we did not see even one specimen of Amphipyra pyramidea, which is usually an abundant species in the Forest. A few Noctua glareosa, in excellent 322 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. condition, were taken. One of the most amusing episodes of the wet night was that nearly all the insects on the trees were wet through, as far as their scales would allow them to be, and yet seemed quite to enjoy the bath, which was certainly more than we did; one Triphena jimbria in par- ticular, I remember, was situated just under a leaf from which the rain was dropping every second, but this seemed to be a source of pleasure to the insect rather than otherwise. Ragwort flowers also had a large share of attention. All the villagers thereabouts say that never in their memories has there been more bloom than this year; in fact it was almost too abundant. Amongst the larger patches we had no success, but the more solitary plants bordering the roads repaid us the best. Our first night was the most successful at this mode of capture, though we tried it every night, as well as the treacle, about fifty NV. dahl, twenty-five Agrotis tritici, and one Hydrecia nictitans (the only one seen during the visit) being the result of an hour and a half’s work on this particular evening. Heather-bloom produced literally nothing either by day or night, though carefully worked; one H. fulvago was taken at rest at night upon it, and Cidaria testata was rather common flying around the bloom at dusk. One Luperina cespitis, one Chareas graminis, and a clearwing (taken by Mr. Batty, the species of which we are not quite certain about yet), all taken at ragwort in the day-time, completes a meagre list of imagines. Of course the redeeming feature was the abundance and splendid condition of NV. dahii, but then everything else was very scarce, except A. tritici. Larvae were also a most utter failure, beating birch and oak hour after hour and day after day producing absolutely nothing ; Hphyra punctaria and E. pendu- laria, of which one can generally get fifty of each in one day during a good season, I only took three of the former and two of the latter. 1’. punctulata was represented by about half-a-dozen larve. The day before we left some small, large-headed, Tortrix-like larvae, beaten from birch, puzzled us considerably at first, but we have since found them out to be Cymato- phora duplaris, and wished we had taken more. Ragwort produced larvee of Hupithecia absinthiata and HE. centaureata fairly commonly, but required a good deal of finding, as there was so much food to look over; the latter Species was considerably the commoner. Altogether the year has been a very poor one for most insects, though some have been more than usually abundant; but it has been the larvee more particularly that have been so conspicuous by their absence. In Mr. Batty’s long and my own short entomological career we have never known such an utter absence of even the commonest of autumnal larve, or when beating and searching alike have been so unproductive.—A. EH. Hatt; Norbury, Sheffield, September 3, 1890. [If any entomologist has found larve in their usual numbers during the past August and September, perhaps he will be good enough to communicate a note on the subject.— Ep. ] Norres on Sucar.—The reports of captures at sugar during the past year or two have been so conflicting, and on the whole so discouraging, that any little information on the subject may be worth recording, and therefore the account of three evenings at sugar in this immediate neigh- bourhood, may not be altogether devoid of interest, especially as they appear to agree most completely with news received from other localities. On each occasion I sugared some twenty trees growing in a lane not half a mile beyond the continuous lines of bricks and mortar, of which this neighbourhood is chiefly composed, and where the hedgerows largely NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 323 consist of bramble and nettle. On July 12th the night was cool, air clear, sky overcast, and wind 8.W., fresh breeze. Hardly had I got the sugar on the trees when the moths began to come to it, and continued to do so freely as each succeeding round was made. Between the trees were large patches of bramble in full blossom, but I failed to find any Noctue at them, nor was I any more fortunate at the nettles; but these were perhaps hardly sufficiently far advanced to be likely to prove attractive. July 19th, night chilly, air clear, sky cloudless, wind N.H., light breezes. Moths were decidedly common at the sugar, and continued to arrive until, having filled, all my boxes, I left. Bramble was still in full bloom, and nettles fairly well well out; but although both plants were carefully searched, no Noctue were taken at them. August 6th, the day had been hot and the evening at starting was very warm and calm, a slight haze hung in the valleys and the sky was clear. While applying the sugar, an ominous chattering of the aspens foretold a coming breeze, which ultimately proved to be from the E. Not one moth visited the sugar. Nettles were now In full bloom, but produced nothing in the way of Noctuz, nor were any seen on the wing; the only representative of that group observed being Triphena pronuba, a solitary example in most dilapidated condition, feasting on a somewhat over-blown cluster of bramble. Reports have reached me from time to time during the summer from various localities, extending over the greater part of the kingdom, and they all agree that up to the middle of July sugar was most attractive and then suddenly became absolutely useless, and my own experience in other parts of the London district are quite in accord. Ragwort, thistles, rush, and sundry other flowers, appear to have produced some few Noctuz, but the general report is that the numbers are but small,—too small indeed to explain their com- plete absence from the sugar; nor do the meteorological conditions appear to offer a satisfactory solution of the problem, for if the east wind and clear sky were the cause of the dearth of moths on the 6th of August, we might reasonably have expected them to exert a like influence on the 19th July. —Rosr. Apxin; Lewisham, Aug., 1890. Notes oN THE Season. — When I first took up the study of our Tortrices and Tinez I am afraid that I handled the latter very roughly ; this I ought not to have done with youth and good sight on my side. Now not being quite so young, my maiu hobby is the Nepticule, and of these I have this year set more and better than ever, both as regards pinning and setting. Now to begin an account of my doings. All my pots were left outside until April this time. I wanted to break the back of breeding before active service began, so I brought the said pots into my breeding- room, that was kept at a moderate temperature. The first insect to appear was NV. sorbiella, from mountain ash; next came N. hodgkinsonii, from wild rose, ten specimens; then Trifurcula pulverosella, from wild apple; NV. floslactella, from nut; N. aucuparia, from mountain ash; N. ignobilella, trom hawthorn; N. lapponica, from birch; N. splendidissimella from raspberry; N. yet, from dewberry ; N. malella, from wild apple, from the highland district; this L had not met with before and mistook them for N. desperatella. After spending days and walking miles looking over all the old crab-trees for what I supposed to be desperatella (but I did not neglect the few well-known local trees), I found desperatella. I thought what an observer Dr. T, H. Wood was when he found larve of this local $24 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. species! Well, the result is that I have bred about forty specimens. They are as easy to breed as N. tilig, which also put in appearance in fair numbers. JB. hippocastanella, from lime; a few N. ruficapitella, from oak; N. salicis, from the silver-leaved osier, the larva feeding nearly at the tip, quite a different way to the usual well-known salicis mine. Mr. Threlfall did not recognise the mine, more about this next October; one odd N. poterii only out of five larve; N. argentipedella and N. betulicola, from birch; a series of N. plagicolella, from sloe; only two N. angu- lifascielia ; I find this bad to breed; out of twelve N. serella I bred about ten; they were the latest of all, if I may except N. luteella. Now, here is a puzzle :—In October J got some mines close to home, expecting them to be some new species. I sent mines for Dr. Wood’s opinion, and he referred them to NV. lapponica; well, I sent him the moths, having bred over a score, and said all had come out N. luteella. He suggested I had made a mistake, or that they were in a pot where the pupe of luteella had lain over. Iam pretty sure I had not, because I only put the queer salicis and the mines referred to in a pot separate from anything else and labelled the pot carefully. Now we willleave Nepticule and proceed to odds and ends. Only two Coccyx scopariana came out; I did not want any, so spent no time after the larva last July. Penthina postremana came out until the end of May very large and fine; a good series of this from the stems of the balsam (C. noli-me-tangere). By the way, I have omitted to say I bred about fifty fine specimens of Coccyx vacciniana, from bilberry. 1 met with a small patch with the leaves all stripped off; the larve had rolled them- selves round the stem with the dead leaves. The second week in May I went two rather long journeys for Micropterya salopiella, and only got four and some M. sparmannella. Third week in May, a very unfavourable day, a glimpse of sun now and again with a high wind, I got a dozen fine Catoptria aspidiscana among the golden-rod ; a few of the lovely P. lewen- hoekella were walking about on the barest place where the Helianthemum grows. On the sunny side, sheltered from the strong wind, I boxed about eighty mixed Nepticula woolhopiella and N. argentipedella. The tips of the birch produced several species. On a little shady bank-of Vaccumium C. vacciniana were flying in plenty. With two nets all boxes were soon filled. My son said, ‘‘ This is moth-catching made easy.” He sat down, smoking his weed—‘“ and here is another; hand me the other net.” Do not think this would be so at any time,—no sun, no moths; they drop instantly, whenever the sun is obscured. By the way, when I looked in a pot in which I had put a lot of seeds from angelica, expecting that probably T. mediana (= aurana) might turn up, to my surprise there were nine FE. lucipara out; I did not notice any larva. Now Cicophora flavimaculella is appearing ; Ornia anglicella and two Lithocolletis cavella have turned up at my own door. On Whit Saturday I took advantage of a cheap trip to Windermere. Until the season sets in it is too dear—8s. 2d. for return, 52 miles. I have not had such a chance for years. The woods were nearly dried up. I was surprised to see such a lot of moths stirring. Geometers pretty common, in fact C. corylata, M. albicillata, and even Hupithecia plumbeolata was out among the Melampyrum arvensis; I used to take this in July. There were very few Lithocolletis. An odd green silver-lines (H. prasinana) swept into my net from time to time. The old places where I used to take MZ. mansuetella have yielded none for years. I got entangled in a rough thicket, and made for a light place about ten SOCIETIES. 325 yards square, where I swept a mansuetella; I looked round and, as usual, there the meadow-sweet grew. I cleared away some brambles for net room, and got about fifty specimens, the finest I ever saw, I put the boxes in a tin box, among the cold leaves, and got them home in fine con- dition. I went again on the Monday, and had the greatest trouble in find- ing the place. To be out of the way of painters and other workmen in the house, I went to Windermere for a month, but unfortunately left behind one of my pots containing pupe of Cidaria reticulata. When I came home I found that the flower of my hopes was wrecked, for what are called “ church-lice ” and “ wire-worms ” had left nothing but a lot of wings. I was disgusted to count the remains of twenty-two specimens of the Cidaria. My other pot has produced ten fine large reticulata; one a remarkably fine variety, one-half of the fore wings (the outer half), being of a smoky amber colour; two others are partly in that direction. I must have a look over my captures, and will note them in the next article. —J. B. Hopextnson ; Ashton-op-Ribble, July 12, 1890. A Hint to Pura-piacers. — Now that the season for imagos ‘is waning, collectors will be going forth with their trowels, and turning up the sod in search of pupe. "This turning up the sod is by no means always an easy matter, especially at such trees which are not regularly dug. To reduce this labour of digging to a minimum, let the digger provide himself with an ordinary garden trowel, and in addition to this he must procure a file; let it be round on one side, flat on the other, and finely cut. By keeping his trowel sharpened with this he will find digging done with com- parative ease, less pupze will be destroyed, and a far greater amount of work accomplished. The time taken in going from tree to tree should be utilised for the sharpening process. I strongly recommend those who have as yet neglected the use of a file, to start it at once—J. CLARKE; 26, Carey Street, Reading, Sept. 17, 1890. SOCIETIES. EntomotoaicaL Socrety or Lonpon.—September 8rd, 1890. My. Henry T. Stainton, F.R.S., in the chair. Mr. C. Fenn exhibited and re- marked on specimens of Hupithecia satyrata, Hudorea ambigualis, and Tortria viburnana from Darlington. Mr. H. Goss exhibited, on behalf of Mr. Martin Stanger Higgs, a remarkable variety of Melitea aurinia (artemis), taken a few years ago, in Gloucestershire, by Mr. Joseph Merrin. The Rev. Dr. Walker communicated some observations on the Entomology of Iceland, and gave an account of his recent travels in that island. He stated that he had taken Bombus terrestris this year, for the first time, in the north-west of Iceland, from which quarter of the island it had not been recorded by Dr. Staudinger ; he also referred to the enormous numbers of Ichneumonidée and Diptera which he had noticed in the island. He further stated that in 1889, in the months of June and July, Noctua conflua was the most abundant species of Lepidoptera in Iceland; but that this year, in July and August, Crymodes eaulis was the prevailing species, and that Charaas graminis and Coremia munitata also occurred in great numbers. In reply to a question by Mr. Stainton, Dr, Walker said that the flowers 326 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. chiefly frequented by the humble-bees were those of a small species of white galium (probably Galhuwm saxatile ?) and Viola tricolor. Dr. Walker also read “ Notes on Calathus melanocephalus collected in Iceland, the West- manno Isles, and the Faroe Isles in June and July, 1890.” Messrs. M‘Lachlan, Stainton, Jenner Weir, Stevens, Jacoby, Lewis, and others took part in the discussion which ensued. Mr. Arthur G. Butler communicated a paper entitled “Further Notes on the Synonymy of the genera of Noctuites.”—H. Goss, Hon. Sec. THe Souta Lonpon EntomotoaicaL AND Naturau History Society. —August 28th, 1890. J. T. Carrington, F.L.S., President, in the chair. Mr. C. Fenn exhibited an example of Polyommatus phleas, L., having the left lower wing small and pale; Odontia dentalis, Schiff., from amongst Echium vulgare; Crambus contaminellus, Hb.; Grapholitha cecana, Schl. ; and Sphaleroptera ictericana, Haw.—all from Deal; Pedisca solandriana, L., from Bexley ; Carpocapsa grossana, Haw., from Mickleham ; C. pomo- nella, L., from Lee; also a large number of Cidaria truncata, Hufn., bred from ova obtained from a captured female, which was exhibited. Mr. South pointed out that the parent moth was a variety, and that half the brood varied from the type in the same way. Mr. Carpenter exhibited Pericalha syringaria, L., bred from larvee taken in Essex ; and Cucullia asteris, Schiff., from Folkestone. Mr. South, local forms of Lepidoptera from the Durham district. Mr. Turner, Myelophila cribrum, Schiff., from Leigh, Essex. Mr. R. Adkin, Zygena meliloti, Esp., from the New Forest, and remarked upon the disappearance of this species from the particular locality where it was originally taken, and its discovery in another part of the Forest. Mr. Waller, living larvee of Acronycta leporina, L.; and an example of Sme- rinthus ocellatus, L., which had emerged from the pupa with one antenna. Mr. Robinson, Nonagria brevilinea, Fenn. My. Joy, Plusia festuce, L., larva and pupa, and remarked that this species was apparently double- brooded, as he had taken it in the latter part of August. Mr. Tutt expressed an opinion that the species was consecutively brooded in June, July, and August. Mr. Hawes, young larve of Apatura iris, L., and stated that the larva had no horns before the third skin ; also Tapinostola extrema, Hb., from Huntingdonshire, caught in July of this year. Mr. Frohawk, a variety of E’pinephele hyperanthes, L., with the markings lanceolate, from the New Forest. Mr. Weir mentioned that he had two of the same variety, also from the New Forest. Mr. Carrington observed that, after examining hundreds of the species in the same locality, he had only been able to find the var. arete, Mill. Coleoptera were exhibited by Mr. Perks, and botanical specimens were shown by Messrs. J. Jenner Weir and Hi. Step. Mr. Car- rington made some observations on collecting Rhopalocera in the Ostend district, and a discussion arose as to the abundance or scarcity of Lepidoptera this season, in the course of which it was stated that Lycena corydon had been generally scarce, and that, with a few exceptions, the season had been a bad one for Lepidoptera. September 11th.—J. Jenner Weir, F.L.S., Vice-President, in the chair. Mr. Robertson exhibited a living larva of Acherontia atropos, L., from near Bognor. Mr. Oldham, a very light specimen of Polyommatus phicas, L. ; adark form of Argynnis euphrosyne, L.; also examples of many other species, including Hesperia lineola, Ochs., from the fens of Huntingdon. Mr. Croker, Ditula hartmanniana, Clerck., from the banks of the River Lea. Mr. Fenn remarked that the species occurred all round London SOCIETIES. - 327 on the trunks of willow trees. Mr. Wellmann, Bryophila muralis, Forst. ; Dianthecia albimacula, Bork.; Plusia festuce, bred from pupe received — from Cambridge ; also living larvee of Acronycta euphorbie, Kb. Mr. J. A. Cooper, dark specimens of Bryophila perla, Fb., from Folkestone. Mr. Carpenter, a specimen of Argynnis paphia, L., with the right under-wing almost colourless; a variety of Argynnis aglaia, L., with the spots on the under-side blending together; also a series of Hpinephele hyperanthes, L., showing considerable variation. Mr. R. Adkin, bred specimens of Hmme- lesia decolorata, Hb., from Ireland, larger and more defined in colour than those usually taken. Mr. T. D. A. Cockerell, Vanessa antiopa, L., from Wet Mountain Valley, Colorado, and called attention to the irroration of the borders with black, a feature specially noticeable in American specimens of the species; also three species of Cetonia from Syria, viz., Cetonia opaca, Fb., C. floricola var. ignicollis (Dej.), Gory and Peach, and C. impavida, Janson. With reference to the last-named species, Mr. Cockerell stated that the specimens appeared to be specifically identical with this Indian species, as they appeared to agree in all essential points with an example in the British Museum, from Aden, named by Mr. Janson. The distribution of the species, therefore, appeared to be India, Aden, and Syria. Mr. Cockerell also exhibited two examples of Trichodes from Syria, one of which he stated apparently agreed with 7’. syriacus, Dej., as described in Spinola’s Monograph, but was considerably larger; the other seemed to be a variety of 7. favarius, Ill. Mr. Oldham exhibited a specimen of Sire gigas, taken in the High Road at Woodford. Mr. T. R. Billups asked whether the large number of Vespa vulgaris had been noticed by members; when sweeping at Shirley Heath for Hymenoptera he had obtained from eight to a dozen at every sweep of the net, Mr. Rice remarked that near Ockley, within an area of 200 yards, he had counted thirty nests. Mr. South said that in 1879, which was a similar year to the present one, wasps were plentiful.— H. W. Barker, Hon. Sec. BirmincHam Entromotoeican Socrety.— August 18th, 1890. — Rev. C. F. Thornewill, V.P., in the chair. Mr. Thornewill showed a nearly black male Argynnis aglaia from Cannock Chase; also a specimen of Arctia caia, of a curious brick-red colour; also Stilbia anomala from Cannock Chase. Mr. E. C. Tye showed a number of Noctuz bred from larvee found feeding on low plants by night, at Hopwas Wood and Marston Green. Mr. R. C. Bradley showed Brephos notha bred from a female taken at ‘Trench Woods; he also showed Chrysoclysta bimaculella from Wyre Forest. Mr. H. M. Lee showed a number of Lepidoptera from Sutton Coldfield. Mr. G. H. Kenrick read a paper on “ Collecting in North Wales,” in which he referred to the comparatively small number of species found there, considering the diversified character of the country and climate. He thought it might be accounted for by the great rainfall. Mr. Neville Chamberlain made a number of remarks on the Macro-Lepidoptera found by himself and Mr. Kenrick, while staying at Barmouth, from July 4th to 9th, this year. ‘hey had taken 108 species, including Oucullia absinthii, Acidalia contiquaria, &. Mr. H.M. Lee mentioned a habit he had noticed in larvee of Thyatira batis, of falling to the ground when a noise is made,— CoLpran J. Watnwriaut, Hon. See. 328 ; THE ENTOMOLOGIST. REVIEW. A Synonymic Catalogue of Neuroptera Odonata, or Dragonflies; with an Appendix of Fossil Species. By W. F. Krrsy, F.L.S., F.E.S., &e. 8vo, pp. ix. 202. London: Gurney & Jackson, 1, Paternoster Row. Berlin: R. Friedlander & Son. 1890. In the present work, Mr. Kirby has endeavoured to facilitate the study of an interesting but little known group of insects by the publication of a complete catalogue of genera and species, uniform with his ‘ Synonymic Catalogue of Diurnal Lepidoptera.’ How much still remains to be accomplished in the Odonata may be seen from the fact that in many families almost. all the work already done has been by one man, Baron De Selys-Longchamps. Except in the Libelluline, where Mr. Kirby has arranged the genera in accordance with the revision of the subfamily which he recently published in the ‘ Transactions of the Zoological Society,’ he has mainly followed the various synopses and monographs published by the Belgian author, except that he has occasionally revised the nomenclature, and has not adopted the Baron's somewhat cumbrous system of genera and sub- genera, deeming it too complicated for the purposes of a simple catalogue. Mr. Kirby’s Preface is devoted chiefly to an exposition of the principles of nomenclature which he has adopted in the present Catalogue, and this portion of the work will probably be read with interest by many entomo- logists who are not neuropterists, whether they entirely agree with his views or not. The book likewise appeals to the geologist as well as to the entomologist, for the Appendix of Fossil Species oceupies twelve closely printed pages, and gives full references to the rather voluminous literature relating to more than a hundred recorded species. From the point of view of Systematic Entomology, a catalogue is only second in utility to a monograph; and whatever imperfections may atfter- wards be pointed out in Mr. Kirby’s work, we have no doubt that it will prove of great value to all entomologists who are interested in the SS Odonata. ) Ses OBITUARY. Peter Maassen, late of Elberfeld and Diisseldorf, died suddenly on the morning of the 2nd of August last, at Falkensteig in the Black Forest; he was in his eightieth year. Though not a voluminous writer, he was well known among lepidopterists, both by the pleasant reception he invariably gave to those who called to see his fine collection of Exotic Lepidoptera, and by his occasional visits to London and Paris. His specialty was the Saturniide, in illustration of which family he and his friend, Gustav Weymer, issued a series of plates, under the title of ‘ Beitrage zur Schmetterlingskunde.’ It is understood that his collection has been left to the Museum at Berlin. Mr. C. G. Hatx died on the 8rd of September, at his residence, - 14, Granville Street, Buckland, Dover. As an- entomologist he seems to have been attracted by each Order in turn, but the Coleoptera and Hymenoptera were his favourite groups. He was well acquainted with the literature of his subject, and his conversation was not only interesting, but showed that he was a shrewd observer of nature. There are various notes and papers from his pen in the later volumes of the ‘ Entomologist’ and ‘ Hntomologist’s Monthly Magazine,’ NATURALISTS’ SUPPLY STORES, 31, PARK STREET, WINDSOR. (sate Proprietor, E. EDMONDS, Naturalist and Taxidermist. , NaS) } Manufacturer of Entomological Apparatus and Cabinets to ae the Roya Famity and Hon CouuEce. . Dealer in British and Foreign Birds’ Bags and Skins, Macro-Lepidoptera, Natural History Books, &e. Full price Catalogue on application. — Specialty :—-LIVING OVA, LARVA, and PUPA. _ (No larger Stock in Europe). OVA and PUPZ of winter species now on sale. Price list on receipt of stamp. 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CONTENTS, : atin to the British List a Deltoids, Pyralides, and Crambi, since 1859 with = ates), Richard South, 297. Abundance of ees a sd en id, em es rkle, . Contributions _W.W. Smith, 305. Notes on Teniocampa opima, to the Chemistry of Insect Colours, F. H. Perry Coste, 309. The Westmann lands, Rev. Dr. F. A. Walker, 314. Alteration of the Name of an Indian -Geometrid Moth, A. G. res 316. Entomological Papers in Continental a Periodicals, WwW. Warren, 816. : -Exromozocrcar. Notes, Carrurss, &c. —Cucullia abapnthil in Waleas Neville % Ee es gigas in Chamberlain, 318. Ennychia octomaculata in North Wales; Amphidasys ____ betularia var. doubledayaria in Nottinghamshire; D. H. Pearson, 319. Larve of Bombyx neustria abundant at Stokes Bay, W. T. Pearce, 319. Deilephila _ euphorbie ; Mamestra persicarie; Rev. J. Seymour St. John, 819. Larve of Aretia caia feeding on Iris pre seudacorus (Yellow Iris), J. H. Knights, 319. _ Acronycta ee ‘H. A. Hiil, 319. Hesperia lineola, W. H. Tugwell, 320. — evon, J. N. Still, 320. Macro-Lepidoptera in the New Forest, E. W. H. Blagg, 320. A Week at Sherwood Forest, A. H. Hall, 321. Notes on. Sugar, Robert Adkin, 322. Notes on the Season, J. B. Hodgkinson, 323. = ; A Hint to Pupex-diggers, J. Clarke, 325. ‘Socteries.—E. intomolo ae Society of London, H. Goss, 325. South London Entomological and Natural History Society, H.W. Barker, 326. Birmingham _ Entomological Society, C. J. Wainwright, 327. | ee —‘ A Synonymic pee of Neuroptera Se or Dragonflies; with = an Appendix of Fossil Species,’ 328. _ : a Oprruary. —Peter Maussen, 328. Mr. C. G. Hall, 328. Communtcations Recrrvep.—J. -Arkle, a Batty, iE. H. vans, E. A. Hl, : Ww. H. Jackson, G. W. Palmer, Rey. Dr. F. A. Walker. _ Now ready, Price 15s. — Printed by order of the Priest of SS 7 _ Australian Museum, Sydney. Vol. II., Part’ 1, o "AUSTRALIAN LEPIDOPTERA and thet nko, : By the late ALEXANDER WALTER SCOTT. | “with Illustrations drawn from the Life by his Dane tiers: Harri Morean and A Forpr. Edited and Revised by ARTHUR SipNeY OLLiIrr & Hutena Forp, “The work will be published in Parts, each containing three foolscap (17 by 134) = inten. coloured by hand, and only those species of which the transformations were _ known to Mr. Scott will be figured. A fresh issue of Parts I., IZ, and IIL, forming Volume 1 of the Work (London, 1864, Van Voorst, nine coloured Plates), = 4 : ue shortly be available for purchase. The Work may be obtained from ee Paut, Trencu, Trisyer & Co., Ludgate Hill; Gurney & ico Paternoster Row; and H. SoTHERAN & Co., Strand, London. — JAMES GARDNER, | MANUFACTURER of ALL KINDS of ENTOMOLOGICAL ADELE i 29 (late 426), OXFORD STREET : _ (Nearly opposite Tottenham Court Road), _ PRICED LISTS ON APPLICATION. ee ioe Guaranteed; exchanged if not approved of. 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Sample Cards, showing all Sizes, Forwarded on application. — —— ——_-—— Just published, price 4d., : s/s WILLIAM WESLEY & SON’S CATALOGUE. No. 104. Inverresrara. Part I.:—Lower Animals, Living and Fossil. Including Important Works on Foraminifera, Spongida, Infusoria, Hydroida, Coralline, Echinodermata, Rotifera, Annelida, Crustacea, Arachnida, Myriopoda. General Invertebrata. Aquarium. Sie Sean WESLEY & sel 28, Essex Srreet, STRAND, Lonpon. : THE ENTOMOLOGIST. Vou. XXIII. NOVEMBER, 1890. [No. 330. ADDITIONS TO THE BRITISH LIST OF DELTOIDS, PYRALIDES, AND CRAMBI, SINCE 1859. By Ricnarp Sours. (Puates III. & IV.) (Concluded from p. 305.) EPHESTIA KUHNIELLA, Zell. (Pl. IV. fig. 2.) BRIT, REF. :— Myelois ceratonie, Thompson, Entom. xx. p. 66. Ephestia kihniella, Barrett, Ent. Mo. Mag. xxiii. p. 255; Thompson, J. c. p. 189; Tutt, Entom. xx. p. 212; Klein, Proc. Ent. Soc. 1887, p. lii; Adkin, Proc. 8. Lond. Ent. and Nat. Hist. Soc. 1887, p. 20, pl.i. fig. 15; Cockerell, op. cit. p. 58; Ormerod, Rep. Injur. Ins. 1889. Size of ficella, pale grey, much dusted with dark slate-grey. The first line blackish, indented, and, above the inner margin, deeply angulated, as in Myelois ceratonie. Second line deeply angulated near the costa, and indented below. Between these two lines is a black streak along the apex of the dis- coidal cell; but this is not always distinct. In well-marked specimens there is an oblique, dark, central shade, from costa near apex to inner margin. There are some black dots along outer margin, and the fringes are grey. Hind wings shining white, with the venation and outer margin brown. The foregoing description is abridged from that given by Mr. Barrett. Larva whitish or sometimes pinkish, slightly hairy; head reddish brown; plates on second and anal segments yellow. Feeding in webs or silken tunnels, on flour and rice-cones. Introduced by Mr. C. G. Barrett, April, 1887. Note.—This species appears to have been unknown to ento- mologists until 1877, when Prof. Zeller received some larve and specimens of the perfect insect from Dr. Kiihn, of Halle. Ten years afterwards, that is in 1887, H. kithniella was bred in this ENTOM.—Novy. 1890, 20 330 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. country by Mr. Thompson, of Stoney Stratford, who found larve in a sack of rice-cones. These specimens were supposed to be Myelois ceratonie, and were so recorded ; but some of them were sent to Mr. C. G. Barrett, who at once identified them as kithniella. Most of the European writers have insisted on this flour-pest being an American importation; but American ento- mologists deny this, and say that, although the insect may have _been known in America previous to the year 1889, it was not ~ until that year that it appeared there in any numbers. Prof. Riley, in ‘ Insect Life’ (vol. ii., No. 6), gives a most interesting digest of the European literature on the subject, together with an account of all that was known of the species in America at the time of writing. An exhaustive life-history is given by Mr. James Fletcher in the ‘ Report of the Entom. Soc. of Ontario, 1889.’ EUZOPHERA OBLITELLA, Zell. (Pl. ILI. fig. 2.) BRIT. REF. :-— Euzophera oblitella, Blackburn, Entom. xu. p. 16; Blackburn and Stainton, Ent. Mo. Mag. xv. p. 187; Ragonot, HE. M M. xxl. p. 31; Warren, E. M. M. xxiii. p. 233; South, Syn. List, p. 40. ‘Front wings greyish, dusted with darker, both lines black, the first preceded, the second followed, by a-pale band; nearly midway between the two is a conspicuous black spot. Hind wings pearly grey, gradually darkening to the hind margin.”—(Blackburn.) The above description does not quite agree with the continental example of H. oblitella, now figured. Introduced by Mr. Blackburn, January, 1879. British Locauiry.—lIsle of Wight (S. W. coast). DisrrinutTion.—S. W. Germany ; Hungary ;~S. Russia ; S. France; Andalusia; Sicily; Asia; N. America. Note.—The first recorded capture of this species in Britain is that of Mr. Blackburn, who took a specimen in the autumn of 1876, on the south-west coast of the Isle of Wight. Mr. Warren, writing in 1887, says that he obtained an example of HE. oblitella, between Yarmouth and Freshwater, ‘‘some thirteen or fourteen years since,” 2¢., in 1873 or 1874. M. Ragonot observes that this species has been described by Walker as Nephopteryx propriella, and by Clemens as N. undulatella. He adds that EZ. oblitella is a very variable insect, and that the larva appears to be unknown. EPHESTIA ROXBURGHII. BRIT. REF. :— z Ephestia roxburghit, Gregson, Entom. vi. p. 318; Ragonot, Eint. Mo. Mag. xxii. p. 25. Expanse, 7—9 lines. “Fore wings broad, costa rounded, colour pale brownish grey, median space entirely suffused with blackish brown, in which the discal spots are hardly perceptible. BRITISH DELTOIDS, PYRALIDES, AND CRAMBI. 331 First line oblique, greyish, hardly paler than the ground colour. Second line slender, pale grey, parallel to the hind margin, slightly sinuous, followed on the costa by a dark streak. Cilia pale brownish grey, preceded by an indistinct dark line. Hind wings brownish grey, cilia paler. Head, thorax, and palpi brownish grey; antenne pale brown, not annulated. Palpi recurved, ascending.” —(Ragonot.) Introduced by Mr. C. 8. Gregson, February, 1878. BririsoH Locatity.—? Liverpool. Note.—M. Ragonot considers EH. roxburghi to be a good species, and says that it has considerable resemblance to Cryptoblabes bistriga, but, apart from the different coloration, the neuration is very distinct. He adds, “roxburghii has not yet been bred,’ and this probably means that the larva is unknown, because Mr. Gregson—referring to the specimens shown to him by Mr. Roxburgh, who discovered the species— says, ‘“‘ They fed upon débris of old Lepidoptera, &c., in a neglected drawer. How the eggs came there is not known; but it is Suspected they were introduced with dried fruits.” PHYCIS ADORNATELLA var. SUBORNATELLA, Dup. BRIT. REF. :— Phycis subornatella, Knaggs, Entom. Ann. 1867, p. 141; Barrett, Ent. Mo. Mag. xvi. p. 162, xxvi. p. 20; Richard- son, op. cit. p. 1389. In this variety the white of the fore wings is paler, a whitish fascia precedes the first line, and the second line is less distinctly angulated. Note.—Ail entomologists, whose series of Phycis adornatella comprised detachments from various localities, have been greatly perplexed when they attempted to determine some of the speci- mens comprised in such series. These examples would possess the special characters which would make them appear to be referable to subornatella; but, at the same time, their general characters made it apparent that they were not specifically distinct from adornatella. To further complicate the matter, examples would also be found which varied from the type of adornatella in the direction of subornatella, but could not be satisfactorily placed with the latter. Now that those who formerly upheld subornatella as a distinct species have withdrawn their support, the insect quietly falls into its proper place as a form of a very variable species, and the British entomologist will henceforth be spared considerable anxiety and much uncertainty attending the ‘‘ filling up” a series of subornatella. It is also satisfactory to find that there is a disposition on the part of entomologists to adopt Hiibner’s 7’. dilutella (fig. 69) as the type of the species. ‘Thus, after wandering about for twenty-three years, we get back to the name given in the ‘ Manual.’ : 202 832 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. NEPHOPTERYX SPLENDIDELLA, Herr.-Sch. BRIT. REF. :— Nephopteryx splendidella, Stainton, Buckler, and Wood, Ent. Mo. Mag. xxiv. p. 269. Nephopteryx sylvestrella, Ragonot, E. M. M. xxii. p. 52. Dioryctria splendidella, Ragonot, KH. M. M. xxiv. p. 224. Larger than N. abietella (= decuriella, Hiibn.), “ with a sae patch of reddish brown before the first line.” —(Ragonot.) Introduced by Mr. Stainton, May, 1888. Note-—This species has probably been in some British collections for many years past, mixed up with N. abvietella. My. Stainton (J. c.) publishes extracts from the note-books of the late Mr. Buckler, in which (under the name of Phycis abietella) this larva is described, and its curious habits fully set forth. In August, 1874, Mr. Buckler received from Dr. Wood a spruce fir cone, containing a larva of N. splendidella, but this did not attain the imago condition. From a large larva, received on September 7th, 1877, Mr. Buckler bred a moth on June 14th, 1878. Between the years 1874 and 1879, Mr. Buckler appears to have had several infested spruce cones sent to him by Dr. Wood, but he observed that only the largest larve became moths, and he inclined to the view that the smaller larve, received late in the autumn, were not full grown, and required another year to become mature. This, however, they failed to do in confinement. : M. Ragonot says, ‘‘ The larva is pinkish white, changing to greenish, without any lines; the head is reddish brown, the second segment brown-black, ordinary spots very distinct. It lives in the trunks of old firs, under the bark, causing abundant-exudations of resin.’ NEPHOPTERYX GENISTELLA, Dup. (PI. IV. fig. 5.) BRIT. REF. :— Phycis davisellus, Newman, Entom. v. p. 445; Moore, op. cit. vi. p. 199; Doubleday, op. cit. vii. p. 112; List, Suppl. p- 2; Moncreaff, Entom. vii. p. 182 (larva); Vaughan, Proc. Ent. Soc. 1873; Blackburn, Ent. Mo. Mag. xiv. p. 159. Pempelia albariella, Knaggs, Ent. Mo. Mag. vii. p. 163; Entom. Ann. 1872, p. 118. Phycis (2) davisellus, Buckler, E. M. M. x. p. 89 (larva). NEE genistella, Doubleday, Entom. viii. p. 41; EH. M. M.) xi. p. 2113; South, Syne Mists p. 21); Leech, Brit. Peel p- 104, pl. Xi. fig. 8. Pempelia genistella, Weston, Entom. x. p.119; Dale, HE. M. M. Xvl. p. 186. “‘ Fore wings fuscous greyish, whitish along the inner margin, especially towards the base of the wing; before the first line 1s a BRITISH DELTOIDS, PYRALIDES, AND CRAMBI. 333 patch, somewhat circular in shape, composed of a cluster of raised black scales ; first line blackish, bordered internally with ochreous brown, angulated, starting obliquely from the junction of the basal and middle thirds of the costa; in the space between the first and second lines are three whitish streaks, the lower two being interrupted in the middle by the ground colour, so as to form four short whitish dashes; the upper extends along the discal cell, becoming slightly dilated at the disc, where a small black dot, composed of raised scales, is conspicuous; above this dot, and about midway between it and the costa, is another minute dot; the second line is blackish, irregularly sinuous, and bordered with ochreous brown towards the apical margin; towards the apex is a whitish patch. Hind wings shining fuscous grey, dusky marginal line double.”—(Abridged from description by Dr. Knaggs.) Introduced by Mr. Newman under the name of Phycis davisellus, November, 1871. BririsH Locauiries.—Isle of Wight; Portsea; Isle of Purbeck. DistRIBuTION.—South France; Andalusia. Note.—Mr. Moncreaff says that the eggs “are laid in July and August on young shoots of Ulex campestris, and as soon as the larvee emerge they spin a thick network of silk round the branch, and under this feed until the approach of winter, when each forms for itself a close cocoon or tunnel of silk in which to hybernate. In early spring the larve lengthen these cases, and extend, as they increase in size, the silken web, feeding on the young buds and blossoms beneath it.” CATEREMNA TEREBRELLA, Zinck. (Pl. III. fig. 12.) BRIT. REF. -— Cateremna terebrella, Walsingham, Ent. Mo. Mag. xxiii. p. 82. Epischnia terebrella, Barrett, KE. M. M. xxv. p. 399. Expanse, 8 lines. ‘“ Antenne brownish fuscous. Head and palpi greyish fuscous, the base of the haustellum white. Thorax and fore wings brownish fuscous, interspersed with whitish scales, the most conspicuous marking being an oblique narrow fascia about one-third from the base of the wing, tending outwards to the dorsal margin; this fascia is angulated outwards on the fold and inwards below it. Commencing about the middle of the costa is a conspicuous white patch, which reaches half across the wing, and contains two fuscous spots, the one at its lower edge, the other immediately above it. Below this patch a few white scales are scattered across the wing towards the dorsal margin. Beyond, but separated from it by a brownish fuscous interspace, less wide than that following the first fascia, is a narrow, waved, white, transverse streak, angulated inwards below the costa, the angle pointing to the upper spot in the white patch, angulated outwards slightly above the middle, and again 334 THE ENTOMOLOGIST: inwards immediately above the anal angle. Along the apical margin is a row of six or seven brownish fuscous spots, separated by whitish scales. Fringes grey. On the under side of the fore wings a pale costal spot indicates the upper end of the white waved outer line. Hind wings shining grey. Abdomen slightly darker than the hind wings, and tuft pale ochreous.”— (Walsingham.) j Introduced by Lord Walsingham, September, 1886. British Locatitres.—Thetford and Lynn, Norfolk. - DistTRInuTION.—Germany; Gallicia; North-western Russia. Lord Walsingham, in bringing forward the species (HK. M. M. ‘Xx. p. 84), says that he bred Cateremna terebrella in July from cones of Abies douglas, which he had collected during the same month from a tree growing on his estate. A detailed description of the larva is given in the article referred to, from which the following particulars are quoted :—‘‘ Semitransparent, greyish white, with some pale brown spots, each bearing a single hair. Head pale brown; plate on second segment slightly paler than the head.” Note.—The specimen figured was kindly lent for the purpose by Lord Walsingham. PEMPELIA OBDUCTELLA, Jisch. (Pl. III. fig. 8.) BRIT. REF. :— Pempelia obductella, Button, Entom. y. p. 222; Meek, Ent. Mo. Mag. vii. p. 85; Knaggs, Ent. Ann. 1871, p. 89; Bond, Proc. Ent. Soc., November, 1870; Ragonot, E. M. M. xxii. p. 54; South, Syn. List, p. 40. Phycis obductella, Doubl. List, Suppl. p. 2. — Allied to species of the Ornatella group, “‘ but may-be réadily recognized by the dark chestnut-brown anterior wings, which are only paler along the costa and on the inner margin, and by the second transverse line, which ceases far below the costa, and is broadly interrupted near the inner margin.’”’—(Knaggs.) Introduced by Mr. Meek, September, 1870. Britis Locariry.—? Norfolk. Disrrizution.—Central and Southern Europe ; South-eastern {ussia. Note.—In bringing forward this species as an addition to the British list, Mr. Meek says, ‘‘ Several specimens have been captured by Mr. Button, of Gravesend, this season.” Dr. Knaggs, referring to these same specimens, says that they were taken by Mr. Button near Gravesend. Mr. Button himself records Pempelia obductella, and his note reads, “ Norfolk. A few among Origanum.” According to Mr. Doubleday the larva is dull green, with longitudinal black stripes, and feeds upon various species of mint, especially Mentha arvensis. BRITISH DELTOIDS, PYRALIDES, AND CRAMBI. 335° EPISCHNIA BANKESIELLA. (PI. IV. fig. 7.) BRIT. REF. -— Epischnia bankesiella, Richardson, Ent. Mo. Mag. xxv. p. 63 ; Proc. Dorset Nat. Hist. Soc. x. p. 193 (col. fig.); HE. M. M. XXVI1. p. 256. “The expansion of the wings in the female is 1 inch 1 line; in the male it is slightly less. The breadth of the fore wings is almost exactly one-third of the length. The costa in the male is regularly curved; in the female it is much curved at the base and less so near the tip, whilst the intermediate portion is nearly straight. The tip is blunt, and the hind margin convex. The colour of the fore wings is light cinereous grey, clouded with dark grey, especially on the basal half of the wing. There is an inconspicuous narrow light greyish ochreous patch, extending about one-third of the way along the inner margin. The veins are streaked with dark grey. Several dark grey lines cross the wing from the costa to the inner margin; but they are all very indistinct, and only traceable with difficulty, owing to the wings being clouded with the same colour. The most distinct are two lines, one of which starts from the costa near the middle and runs towards the anal angle as far as the centre of the wing, where it turns nearly at right angles towards the base, and when at a short distance from the inner margin turns again at right angles before it reaches it. This line is double at the costa, and the two branches gradually approach each other and meet on the inner margin. The other line is one which runs from the costa near the tip, parallel to the hind margin, to a point near the anal angle, where it turns sharply outwards to the anal angle. There are slight traces of two other lines, one between the two above mentioned and one near the base; but it is difficuit to follow their course, owing to the clouding of the wing. A patch of the pale ground colour, less clouded than the rest, extends obliquely from the tip to the inner margin. The fringes are of the pale ground colour, intersected by a dark grey line. The hind wings are very pale brownish grey, with a darker shade-close to the margin; the fringes still paler, almost white.” Introduced by Mr. Nelson M. Richardson, August, 1888. Note.—Mr. and Mrs. Richardson each captured a specimen on the same evening, some time about the middle of July, 1887. They each took a specimen again in 1889; and Mrs. Richardson added one more specimen to her score this year. The figure (Pl. IV. fig. 7) is from a very beautiful drawing by Mrs. Richardson. If anyone is desirous of seeing a coloured figure of H. bankesiella, he should obtain a copy of the ‘ Pro- ceedings’ of the Society referred to above. 336 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. RHODOPHHA CONSOCIELLA var. SODALELLA, Zell. BRIT. REF. ;— Acrobasis consociella var. sodalella, Barrett, Ent. Mo. Mag. 2IbG Foe JULIE Rhodophea consociella var. sodalella, South, Syn. List, p. 21. Acrobasis sodalella, Ragonot, E. M. M. xxii. p. 26. Sodalella differs from typical consociella in several respects :— “Tn the larger size, equalling suavella; in the more richly crimson-grey central band; and in the form of the first line in the fore wings, which bounds the basal pale patch.”— (Barrett.) introduced by Mr. C. G. Barrett, October, 1882. Note.—M. Ragonot is not sure that sodalella is a variety of consociella. He says there is considerable dissimilarity in the larve of the two insects, and adds that “until we can obtain more positive information about sodalella, Z., I must consider it distinct from consociella, Hb.” RHODOPHZA RUBROTIBIELLA, Fisch. BRIT. REF. :-— Acrobasis rubrotibiella, M‘Lachlan, Proc. Ent. Soc., Sept., 1858; Stainton, Ent. Ann. 1859, p. 149; Ragonot, EK. M. M. xxii. p. 27. Rhodophea rubrotibiella, South, Syn. List, p. 21; Leech, Brit. Pyral. p. 108, pl. xii. fig. 16. Closely allied to A.tumidella, but differs from it as follows :— “1. The basal portion of the wing, instead of being orange, is a pale grey, with a red streak along the costa. 2. Instead of the broad orange band beyond the first line, there is only a slender red band. 3. The hind margin of the wing is straighter and less oblique.” —(Stainton.) ———— Introduced by Mr. Robert M‘Lachlan, September, 1858. Note.—Mr. M‘Lachlan took two specimens in 1858, flying round an oak tree near Forest Hill. The species does not appear to be very well known by British entomologists; and, as M. Ragonot says, its synonomy is very perplexing. MELISSOBLAPTES CEPHALONICA. (PI. IV. fig. 3.) BRIT. REF. :— Melissoblaptes cephalonica, Stainton and Knaggs, Ent. Ann. 1866, p. 147; Pryer, Ent. Mo. Mag. vii. p. 112; Barrett, op. cit. x. p. 272; Doubl. List, Suppl. p. 2; South, Syn. List, p. 21; Leech, Brit. Pyral. p. 110, pl. xii. fig. 5; Ragonot, HK. M. M. xxii. p. 23. Corcyra cephalonica, Ragonot, I. c. p. 58. Exp. al., ¢, 9 lines; ?, 94 lines. ‘‘ Head white, the frontal tuft protruding, as in Melissoblaptes, and concealing the short palpi of the male; the palpi of the female are short, drooping, the second joint being densely clothed with long scales, leaving THE SEXES OF LEPIDOPTERA. BBY 6 only the extreme tip of the terminal joint visible; antennz pale grey, the basal joint thickened and greyish white. Anterior wings with the costa somewhat rounded (in the male speci- mens before me these have almost the form of a flattened ellipse, though this peculiar shape is less marked in the female) ; grey, with the nervures darker, especially those between the end of discoidal cell and the apex of the wing; hind margin spotted with dark grey. In the male specimen the costal portion of the wing has an ochreous tinge towards the base. Cilia pale grey, with the extreme tips a little darker. Posterior wings pale grey, somewhat transparent towards the anal angle; cilia paler grey. Thorax in front whitish grey, then grey, concolorous with the anterior wings. Legs pale grey.’—(Stainton.) Introduced by Dr. Knaggs in 1866. Britiso Locarivies.—Dover; London; York. Note.—The original specimens, described by Mr. Stainton, were bred by Mr. Hind, of York, from dried currants. Mr. Barrett, writing in 1875, says that he found the species common in grocer’s fruit warehouses, on September 2lst, 1874; and, as he had previously met with two examples on July 8l1st of the same year, he concluded that they were probably stragglers of an early brood. ‘This species is probably now in most collections. THE SEXES OF LEPIDOPTERA. By T. D. A. CocxErett. In Entom. xxii. 177, I referred to the dwarfing of Lepidoptera produced by insufficient food, and quoted Mr. T. G. Gentry’s opinion that a preponderance of males could be produced in this way, suggesting also that those who possessed dwarfs should examine them and report on the sex. M. Alfred Wailly (Entom. 120) took exception to this view, and stated it as his experience that any preponderance of males observed at any time among dwarfs was purely accidental, and that he had found both sexes well represented when breeding from small cocoons. He did not seem to believe that the sex of insects could ve influenced in any way. While M. Wailly’s evidence as to the sexes of dwarfs is very valuable, it must still be remembered that all animals which, when adult, have the sexes separate, are at a certain stage of larval or embryonic life potentially hermaphrodite; and it really becomes a sort of choice which group of organs, male or female, shall be developed. Gynandromorphs are those in which one side has developed male peculiarities, and the other female; such are well known among Lepidoptera. A snail is a true herma- phrodite, with both sets of organs functional. 308 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. Iam not able to say whether Mr. Gentry’s opinion, which I quoted, has. any real foundation in fact or not; but to show that the idea of nutrition affecting sex is not confined to Mr. Gentry, I will quote from a very interesting paper, by Mr. F. E. Beddard, published in the ‘ Report and Proceedings of the Ealing Micro- scopical and Natural History Society for 1889.’ Mr. Beddard, referring to birds, says (p. 55) :— . “‘It appears that in many birds the males are very much more abundant than the females..... M. Stoltzmann himself reports 203 males to 87 females among humming-birds, collected by him in Peru. He attempted to explain this disproportion by the apparently observed fact that the better nourished eggs become females; the worse nourished eggs, males. The female, occupied with the cares of incubation, is not in a sufficiently healthy con- dition to produce many well-nourished eggs. Hence the greater number of births is of male birds.” Of course there is another way of looking at it, namely, that these eggs or larvee which were to produce females needed most nourishment, and hence when semistarvation occurred the males would be able to survive on less, and would reach the adult stage, while the females would more often die. In this way the same result, a preponderance of males, would be observed. 3, Fairfax Road, Bedford Park, Chiswick, W., Oct. 12, 1890. CONTRIBUTIONS to THe CHEMISTRY or INSECT COLOURS. By F. H. Porry Costs, F.C.S. (Continued from p. 314). 4 Bisse es V.—Tue Cuemicat Aspect (continued). C Havine thus, for the present, disposed of black, perhaps it would be as well to say a few words upon those eminently unsatisfactory colours Brown and Grey, although the gist of my remarks thereupon is really that there is nothing to be said! So far as I can understand matters at present, these greys and non-tints so common among Noctue and Geometers, the brown* shades also common in Noctue, and even perhaps the browns of many Bombyces, already enumerated, are all (physical) absorption colours, just as black is; excepting that instead of complete absorption of the light rays taking place, only some or most of them have been absorbed. Wallace apparently considerst that all these dubious browns, * See, however, the remarks on pp. 221 and 223. + ‘Tropical Nature,’ p. 188. I ought to add, however, that in this passage Wallace is referring to animal colours generally, and not to insects specially. GHEMISTRY OF INSECT COLOURS. 339 greys, et id omne genus, are really pigment colours; but so far as I can at present interpret them, my experiments do not seem to countenance this view. And if black be admitted as a physical and not a pigment colour, then my view derives much support from the colour phenomenon, so abundantly displayed in the Noctuz, where black shades off by the most imperceptible degrees into greys, duns, and browns. 16s Since it is evidently best that we should dispose of all the disappointing and uninteresting colours in the first place, before passing on to those which have yielded some results other than nil to the experimenter, we will now consider the case of WHITE. As already explained, I had originally anticipated (as doubtless _ most would have done) that white would prove a very interesting colour. Its manifest connection with yellow, as seen in so many of the Pieride, e.g., naturally suggested that it might be possible, by means of reagents, to promote in the partly or wholly white species colour changes (to orange and yellow), that nature had already brought about in neighbouring species ; or, in part only, in an otherwise white species. But my readers fully understand by this time how fallacious were all such hopes; and after the arguments that I have already adduced to support the view that black is no pigment colour, but merely a physical absorption effect, it is hardly necessary here to do much more than propose the view that white is equally a physical colour, but due to reflection. As with black, so again here, I can instance the com- plete unanimity (always excepting galatea and the fringes of Lycena, &c.) among experiments made on the most. widely- sundered species,—an unanimity the more striking since there are manifest differences in appearance between the various whites. The whites of Pieris, Vanessa, Hepialus, Larentia, and Liparide, for instance, are by no means identical in appearance. An argument against this view (of the non-pigmental cha- racter of white) might be found in the fact that many yellows— as I have myself shown—are turned white by most of the re- agents employed; and from this fact it might be argued that if yellow—an acknowledged pigment colour—is convertible chemic- ally into white, therefore conversely white must be a pigment colour, and convertible by some other reagents (if one only knew what ‘“‘some”’), or at any rate by Nature, into yellow. But this argument, if advanced, were altogether futile, and for this simple reason :—the yellows, e.g., of Colias and Huchloé are not changed into white at all, in the sense that a yellow pigment becomes white; but the yellow pigment is dissolved out of the wing, leaving this of the same pure white that the primeval Colias and Euchloé, no doubt, displayed thousands of years ago. ‘Therefore, 340 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. in interpreting these experiments, it must not be said that yellow has been evolved from white, in the same sense as red has been evolved from yellow: this conception would be quite erroneous. Yellow, although evolved on or in a white wing, has not been evolved from white ; that is to say, it has ne genetic connection with white, as, for instance, red has with yellow. It is a neces- sary corollary, from this statement, that the so very usual con- nection of yellow and white (in the sense that probably most yellow species were formerly white) is, chemically considered, a mere accident or coincidence, and that there is no reason why yellow might not equally well have been developed on any other unpigmented* ground colour, as, for example, on a black, or grey, or brown.t Now the chestnut-coloured pigment, as I have strong reason to believe, is pretty closely related chemically to yellow, and is entirely analogous to yellow in that it also, though deve- loped so commonly on originally white species (as is shown by the fact that reagents dissolve it out, and leave a white wing), has also no genetic relationship to white—no necessary connection therewith. In this connection, therefore, I consider it exceedingly interesting that the reactions with two chestnut species that offer apparently striking exceptions to the behaviour of the class gene- rally, are really—according to the view just enunciated—quite normal; and in fact it is in the behaviour of these very species that we find a striking confirmation of this theory of the relations between chestnut and white, and therefore indirectly, and by analogy, of my theory concerning yellow also. But I must not further anticipate results that will be fully ex plained under sub- sequent headings. With regard now to the absence of any sank igment, I do not think that we have here by any means See for surprise as in the corresponding case of black; at least, so it seems to me now, looking at the matter in the light of past experience; but I am disappointed that my experiments should prove of no value in differentiating the various whites into different groups, and especially am I disappointed in the results of the special set of staining experiments.} After considering these carefully I cannot perceive that there are any particular inferences to be drawn, except that the whites of Pieris and Melanargia are somewhat different from the others—which we knew before. Now it had appeared to me (reasoning from the mere appearance of the different whites) that one might divide them into several groups, as, for instance:—1. Pieris; 2. Mela- nargia ; 3. Vanessa, Limenitis, and perhaps the Noctue with white hind wings; 4. Hepialus; 5. Liparide; and so on. Such an attempt at arrangement by superficial resemblance would, how- * The reason for this restriction of ‘ unpigmented ” is of course obvious. + Further consideration of this is deferred until Section 6. t See page 220. CHEMISTRY OF INSECT COLOURS. o41 ever, be most laborious, seeing how imperceptibly one white shades off into another; and hence it was that I attached so much importance to the evidence that might be obtained by means of reagents. But such evidence is not forthcoming, and my hopes must be abandoned. Let me now draw attention to the behaviour of some few species in particular. First, as to Pieris. The statement made some time since in ‘ The Entomologist,’ that the white of Pieris is due to reflection from air-spaces, has already been quoted. I do not know on what evidence this view was originally put forward by Dr. Dimmock, but it appears to me to be supported by the reaction with staining reagents. The effect of methyl- aniline green and violet (see Table, p. 220) was to produce an apparent thickness of colour, such as I saw in no other instance. The appearance of the stained wing strongly suggested to me the thought that this “thickness” was due to the stain filling up these air-spaces.* Next as to Melanargia galatea. I drew special attention, in the Table, to the fact that this species had been stained by methyl- aniline violet a different colour from that produced in any other species. It is of course impossible to convey, by a mere descrip- tion, the difference in appearance between this and other stained species ; but I think that anyone who had seen the experiments would have felt as I did, that in the unique appearance of galatea we had additional illustration of its unique constitution,—its difference from other white species. But with regard to the yellow produced by various reagents in this species, no doubt it will be asked what explanation, if any, can be offered of this exceptional and anomalous behaviour of galatea: why should it react in a manner so contradictory and opposed to all that one might expect, —judging from the other experiments ? Well, after studying the question, I conclude that the anomaly and exception—striking though they seem—are apparent only, and not real; that if the views laid down in foregoing paragraphs be assented to, there is here no real difficulty at all. Nay, more, the reactions of galatea may be interpreted as lending additional support to my theory; and, in fact, I am confirmed in my views by the independent support that they derive from this behaviour of galatea, since I was originally led to such conclusions without any reference to the phenomenon now in question. If, however, my views be entirely wrong,—if there be a white pigment which gradually developed into yellow or chestnut,—if the destruction of yellow and chestnut by reagents be due not to a solution of the pigments, * In this connection I might add that the white of some species of flowers is certainly due to this cause. If pressure be applied the air-spaces are broken, the white disappears, and a colour appears, due to a pigment present in slight quantity, whose effect was apparently veiled before. 342 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. but to a retrogressive modification of yellow or chestnut into white pigment,—then I admit that in Melanargia galatea we have a glaring difficulty. But, granting my theory, the difficulty is apparent only. Let me explain this. It is admitted pretty generally that the pigments of animals, and of flowers also,* are, physiologically considered, waste products. At any rate it can hardly be doubted that they are decomposition products, due to the breaking down of a large and complex molecule into several less complex. In vegetable physiology it seems pretty well established that the most various substances—as starch, mucilage, tannin, resin, gum, oil,f &c.—are all formed by a decomposition of the protoplasm that is incessantly going on; and it is only in accord with all analogy and observation to expect that the chlorophyll (or rather its forerunner etiolin, or perhaps a mother-substance of this) is either a direct decomposition product of the protoplasmic molecule,t or a simple compound of such decomposition product with another body found in the cell; and the various plant pigments—or at least many of them—are closely related to chlorophyll. Similarly, in animals, it is very probable that such pigments as bilirubin, urobilin, lutein, &c., are derivatives of hemoglobin, which is no doubt a decomposition (katabolic) product of the protoplasm.§ I have quoted the above facts to show that I ami only assuming that there holds good for insect pigments what is an universal phenomenon of physiology; and now I can state very simply what seems to me the explanation of the reaction with galatea. I take it that in this species the metabolic processes have not yet produced any pigment, but very nearly so; that there exists in the wing a very unstable mother-substance (itself a decomposition product, whether produced immediately from the protoplasmic molecule, or mediately from a molecule of intermediate com- plexity); and that the action of any powerful reagent is to decompose this into a yellow pigment, and something else that does not concern us at present. This view, although at present necessarily somewhat hypothetical,|| offers a satisfactory explana- tion of the apparent anomaly in galatea.{] One objection may * «The colouring matters of plants ..... may be regarded simply as waste products in so far as their direct use in constructive metabolism is concerned.””— (Vines’ ‘ Physiology of Plants, p. 242.) + Cf., e.g., Vines’ ‘ Physiology of Plants,’ passim; &c. + Vines’ ‘Physiology,’ p. 241. Also Dr. Schunck, on the “Chemistry of Chlorophyll,” in ‘ Annals of Botany’ vol. iii.; and of an abstract in the Microscopic Society’s journal for this year, pp. 196, 197. § Cf. Michael Foster’s ‘ Text-Book of Physiology,’ passim. || I hope before long to have an opportunity of examining these various pig- ments by a method sufficiently obvious, which I hope may give us a far clearer insight into their constitution and affinities. | It is of course an essential corollary from this that galatea may be expected one day to become yellow,—by perfecting its decomposition processes! As a matter of fact I may point out that already (in the female) the presence of the ‘‘ mother- substance ” of the pigment has produced a slight yellowish-cream tinge. CHEMISTRY OF INSECT COLOURS. 343 still be raised, viz., that, granting the above, yet the yellow pig- ment, as soon as produced, ought to be dissolved by the reagents employed, leaving the wing finally colourless, as in Huchloé or Colias, for example. To which I reply that, in the first instance, not all yellows are dissolved ; and, in the second, that on repeating my experiments with special reference to this point, I find that in every case the reagent which produces the colour also dissolves it (a fact observed from the first-as true of some reagents), leaving a colourless transparent wing. So that we may fairly consider galatea to offer no contravention to the general rule. The next species to which I will call attention is Amphidasys betularia. Knowing that buff-coloured varieties of this species occur, I was exceedingly interested to learn how reagents would affect this white. Most of them were absolutely without effect (as usual), but after treatment with sulphuric acid there were one or two very small but distinct buff spots or marks on the wing. The same effect was produced by potassic permanganate, and somewhat doubtfully by tannin and by gallic acid. This was rather exciting; and, in the hope of transforming the white entirely, I specially experimented by submitting wings of this species to the action of sulphuric acid for an entire week. To my great disappointment, however, at the expiration of that period, the white was really not affected at all, except that the veins were buff. Had the experiment succeeded we should have had a companion case to that of galatea; but as it is I am some- what a loss to understand why such a very trifling effect was produced, and nothing more. It is, however, very possible that this species is in an analogous condition to galatea, but that the “‘mother-substance” of a pigment is in most specimens less far advanced in the metabolic progress. I should dearly like to test (if there be such) a white specimen bred from one normal and one buff parent, — since one might expect that in this instance a pigment could be readily produced by the same method as in galatea. If so, one might next experiment on a ‘‘ quadroon ” specimen, and so on. Of the remaining species there is very little to be said. The peculiar behaviour of Hepialus humuli may be pointed out. I cannot understand why this white, which presents such a fine, almost polished, appearance, should ‘“‘ go transparent ” under the action of most reagents. But this is a puzzling and unsatisfactory species altogether. The natural quasi-transparency of the white in Vanessa, Limenitis, and many Noctue and Geometre, was even more evident under the influence of various reagents; and with this may, perhaps, be correlated the fact that they stained so very slightly (see p. 220). With this, I think, concludes all that need at present be said about wiite, and we may now pass to the consideration of some pigment colours. (To be continued.) 344 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES, CAPTURES, &c. PLusIA MONETA IN Brirain.—It may be worth recording that on Ist July last I captured at light, in a wood near here, a very fine specimen of Plusia moneta. Messrs. Watkins and Doncaster identified it. I also took a specimen of Acronycta alnt in June, at sugar.—R. A. Danas Brrcuine; 24, St. James’ Road, Tunbridge Wells, October 2, 1890. [Mr. C. G. Barrett, in the October number of another magazine, to wit the ‘Kntomologist’s Monthly,’ has a most interesting note on the occurrence of this species in England, in which he mentions the capture of two other specimens. One of these it appears was taken on the evening of 25th June last, by a schoolboy, as it was hovering over a flowering plant of Delphinium in a garden at Dover. The other example was seen on the night of 2nd July, flying around one of the gas-lamps at a railway station near Reading, and was secured by Mr. W. Holland. It is, perhaps, noteworthy that the last specimen referred to was taken at light on the same evening that Mr. Christy found one in his illuminated moth- trap (Entom. 254). At the last meeting of the London Entomological Society, Mr. Kirby remarked that Plusia moneta had occurred in some numbers in Holland.—Ep. | PLusiA MONETA.—With reference to the description of the larva (Entom. 288), it is correct. I have preserved specimens in my collection. Of this species there is a not uncommon variety of the imago in Amurland (Siberia), in which the fore wings are shining silver-white, instead of the golden grey in the type. I have specimens of both.—N. F. Doprke; Beverley, Yorks. ACRONYCTA ACERIS IN SEPTEMBER.—I took a specimen of Acronycta aceris at Enfield, on the evening of the 17th September last, at sugar. Is not this a very late date for this species?—H. D. Syxxs; ‘‘ The Cedars,” Enfield, Middlesex, October 11, 1890. Se HELIOTHIS ARMIGERA AT CHATHAM.—On the 5th of last Hones I was strolling about the waste ground at the extension works in Chatham Dockyard, I disturbed a fine specimen of this moth, which fluttered up from among some rank herbage at my feet, and settled again a few yards off. Unfortunately, I had not a net with me, and my efforts to secure it in my cap were unavailing, as it was too wary and active, and eventually took a long flight, and I saw it no more. This is only the third example I have met with in England during the many years I have been collecting.— GervasE F. Matuew; H.M.S. ‘ Tyne,’ Gibraltar, October 4, 1890. Varieties oF Arctia cata.—Referring to Mr. W. T. Pearce’s note on Arctia caia (Entom. 291), I may mention that I have this year bred a female specimen of A. caia with the usually white portion of the fore wings suffused with a pale pinkish hue. I may add that I obtained the larva (with others) from Walthamstow in the spring, and fed it principally on dock, though I gave it lettuce for a day or two.—Henry A. HIt1; 182, Haverstock Hill, Hampstead, N.W., Sept. 15, 1890. On the 24th of July a boy brought me a fine dark female of A. cata to pin and set for him. It had certainly rubbed itself a little, but only slightly. Fore wings deep chocolate; hind wings black, except at the base, which is reddish orange; abdomen black, with a narrow red NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC, — 945 stripe at each side. The boy found twelve larvae, six of which he gave to me. Mine produced the ordinary form, whilst from one of the six he kept the above var. was obtained. I should add that the larve were found at the edge of Laxley Moor, about five miles from Sheffield.—J. Barry ; 65, Fawcett Street, Sheffield, September 22, 1890. Larva or DinoBA C&RULEOCEPHALA ON Lavuret.—In reference to Mr. Butler’s note on the food-plant of Diloba c@ruleocephala (Entom. 327), I may state that for the last three years I have taken plenty of the larvz of this species off the laurel bushes in the college grounds. I tried feeding them on whitethorn, but they seemed to prefer the laurel. It would be interesting to know how these larvee manage to neutralize the hydrocyanic acid contained in the leaves of their food-plant, and which is so fatal to them in the pérfect form.—D. H. 8. Stewart; Radley College, Oxford. [In ‘Weekly Entomologist,’ i. p. 94 (1862), Rev. J. Hellins writes, “D. ceruleocephala. A number of larve once found on laurel.”—KH. A. F.] HERMAPGRODITE TRICHIURA CRATHGI.—On the 26th August last, I bred a distinctly hermaphrodite specimen of the above moth. The right upper wing bears an exact resemblance in shape, colour, and markings to that of an ordinary male, whilst the opposite wing has all the characteristics of the female. ‘The underwings are, unfortunately, very imperfectly deve- loped, but it can be seen that they are identical with those of a male and female respectively; as also are the antenne. I would also mention that the left side of the body and corresponding legs are brown, the Opposite side and legs being grey, and agree with the colours of the respective sexes.—W. H. Jackson; 4, Queen Anne Villas, Grove Road, Walthamstow, September 24, 1890. Notes on tHe Suason.—The following observations, in addition to those which have already appeared in the ‘ Entomologist,’ of the season which is fast closing, may be of interest. The notes taken refer to parts of North Somerset until the middle of June, and to the lower part of South Wales until the end of September, with the exception of the latter part of June on the Cotswolds. In January and February I frequently noticed Phigalia pedaria (pilosaria) at rest and on gas-lamps in Bath. Noctua, frequenting the sallow bloom, were fairly abundant in different localities, but not nearly so much so as the previous season. Tephrosia crepuscularia, Anticlea badiata, and Selenia bilunaria were fairly abundant. Of the Rhopalocera, Huchloé cardamines, Lycena icarus, and L. minima were plentiful, the last named locally so. Larve of the spring and early summer feeding species were very abundant, notably Zygena /ilipendule, Bombyx neustria, Hybernia defoliaria, Oporabia dilutata, Selenia bilunaria, Crocallis elinguaria, Himera pennaria; and the oak trees were completely riddled by myriads of Tortria viridana. On the Cotswolds, Lycena icarus, Argynnis euphrosyne, and Euchloé cardanines were common; the last named was observed on June 25th, the latest. In Wales I found species very variable in numbers, some of the commoner, as Xylophasia monoglypha, X. lithoxylea, Triphana pronuba, Apamea didyma (oculea), Phlogophora meticulosa (September), being very abundant; whilst, on the other hand, less common species were conspicuous by their absence. The second brood of the Pieride was extremely plentiful; also Lycena icarus; L. astrarche, fairly s0; Hesperia thaumas was common; and Argynnis paphia, Vanessa io, and V. urtica were in fair numbers; but I did not observe V. cardui. ENTOM.—Noy. 1890. 2D 816 THE ENTOMOLOGISY. “ Sugaring ” during the season was little more successful than last year, the scarcity of some species being, I believe, the cause, on account of their absence on favourable evenings. As a consequence of the abundance of larvee, doubtless, the Ichneumonide were numerous early in the season 3; so also were the “ sawflies."—T. B. Jerrerys; (Clevedon) Cirencester. APAMFA OPHIOGRAMMA AT HAmpsTEAD.—It may be of interest to the readers of the ‘ Entomologist’ to know that I took in my garden here two specimens of Apamea ophiogramma ; the first on June the 23rd, and the second on August the 12th.—H. H. Evans; 3, Thurlow Road, Hampstead. [Probably our correspondent has some of the ornamental ribbon-grass growing in his garden. ‘This plant is said to be the food of the larva of A. ophiogramma.—Ep.] OXYPTILUS LETUS ON THE KeEntisH Coast.—I captured some speci- mens of this plume-moth, on June 8th, between Dover and St. Margaret’s Bay. On July 13th I took a few more at Deal, or, rather, at the Sandwich end of the sand-hills—W. Purpry; 129, Sea View Terrace, Folkestone. ZANCLOGNATHA EMORTUALIS.—It may perhaps interest you to learn that I possess a good specimen of this insect, which was taken a good many years ago by the Rev. W. T. Bree, of Allesley Rectory, near Coventry, but T do not know any of the particulars of its capture.—(Rev.) Henry Burnzy ; Wavendon Rectory, Bletchley Station, Bucks, October 4, 1890. [On June 12th, 1859, the late Mr. Charles Healy beat a specimen of Z. emortualis out of a beech tree near the King’s Oak, Epping Forest (BE. W. I. vii. 188; Zool. xx. 8296). Mr. Machiw exhibited it at the Entomological Society of London on December 2nd, 1861. I saw the specimen sold at Stevens’s a few years ago, but I forget the date and who was the purchaser.—H. A. F’] Scarcity or Lrepipoprrra.—I spent the first three weeks of August at Staplefield, near Crawley, Sussex. The weather was bad for the time of year, being cold and wet nearly every day, with an occasional thunder- storm. As far as appearances went the country looked very promising for collecting in. There were numerous small woods close to the house in which I was staying, with rough fields between them. Beating the hedges by day only produced a few of the commonest Geometre and Tortrices, while sugaring was an utter failure, as I did not see a single moth, although the evenings when I tried were, to all appearances, most favourable, being calm and damp. The only larve noticed were a few broods of Pygera bucephala and a solitary Smerinthus ocellatus.—GERvasE F. MatHew; H.M.S. ‘ Tyne,’ Gibraltar, October 9, 1890. List oF BUTTERFLIES TAKEN AND SEEN NEAR AND AT MONMOUTH IN Seasons 1889 anp 1890. — Pisripm. — Gonepteryx rhamni. Pieris ‘brassicae, P. rapa, P. napi, common. Anthocharis cardamines, common. NyMPHALID&.—Argynnis paphia, common; A. adippe; A. euphrosyne, plentiful; A. selene (?). Melitea artemis, Cwmearvan. Vanessa c-album, plentiful; Vanessa urtica, plentiful; V. polychloros, 1 specimen, Aug. 23rd, 1890; V.io, common; V. atalanta ; V. cardut, occasional. APATURIDEZ.— Apatura iris, several (two females taken while settled on ground). SATYRIDA. —Melanargia galatea; Pararge egeria, plentiful; P. megera, plentiful. Eipinephele ianira, plentiful; E. tithonus, not common; LH. hyperanthes, fairly plentiful. Canonympha pamphilus, common. Lycaxipa.—Thecla NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 347 vubt, in June; T. quercus, not common; T.w-album, 1 specimen, July 29th, 1890. Polyommatus phleas. Lycena icarus; L. argiolus. HEsPERUDA. —Syrichthus alveolus, plentiful. Thanaos tages, plentiful. Hesperia syl- vanus, fairly common; H. thawmas (= linea), fairly common.—(Rev.) GERARD W. PatmeR; The Vicarage, Monmouth. ABUNDANCE OF CERTAIN Larva#.—As a set-off against the scarcity of Lepidoptera, I have to record the extreme abundance of Hupithecie larve at Chatham and Sheerness. At the former place there is a considerable tract of waste land in that part of the Dockyard known as the “ Extension Works.” This, at the beginning of September, was overgrown with a pro- fusion of wild flowers, consisting chiefly of ragwort, sea aster, thistles of various kinds, willow herb, Chenopodium, Atriplex, coltsfoot, chamomile, &c. In the former the larve of Hupithecia oblongata (centaureata) and absyntht- ata literally swarmed, as many as fifty being knocked out of a single bunch of flowers, and hardly any two larve were exactly alike, so it is possible there may be other species than the two mentioned. From Chenopodium and Atriplex larve of E. subnotata were freely obtained, together with a sprinkling of Hadena trifolit (chenopodii) and oleracea. At Sheerness, to- wards the end of September, I found Chenopodium and Atriplex growing luxuriantly on the sea-bank beyond Marine Town:; and here the larve of subnotata, chenopodii and oleracea were in prodigious numbers, and the latter might be seen in hundreds feeding fully exposed during the day, and stripping the erect stems of the Atriplex of every vestige of flower, seed, or leaf. After lifting with my walking-stick and shaking the trailing stems of one moderate-sized plant of Chenopodium, I counted more than a hundred larve of E. subnotata lying on the ground below. ‘The grey-coloured larve were in proportion of 6 per cent. to the green ones. —GerryvasE FE’. Maturw. AvutumnaL Larv#.—In the neighbourhood of Lowestoft, this year, where I stayed from middle of August to middle of September, the larve, even of the common kinds, were conspicuous by their absence, with one exception, that of Huchelia jacobe@, which were in large numbers, every small plant of ragwort having five or six on it. In this neighbourhood (St. John’s Wood) many gardens are stripped by the larve of Mamestra brassice, M. persicarie, Pieris brassice, and other common species.— T. G. Witurams; 13, Elm Tree Road, St. John’s Wood, Oct. 13, 1890. AnorHeR Pragur or Caterpityars.—-Many of your readers, no doubt, are already aware of the extraordinary abundance this autumn of the larvee of Liparis monacha in Southern Germany, and especially in Bavaria; and as I have not seen it noticed in the ‘ Entomologist,’ it may be useful to do so for the sake of future reference. A letter in the ‘ Standard’ newspaper, of 23rd August, gives a good descriptive account of the havoc it has created; and the ‘ Illustrirte Zeitung,’ of 6th September, deals with it in greater detail. From this it can only be likened to a plague of locusts in and around Munich. It seems to have committed equal havoc in the woods in Northern Germany, as in Oldenburg, alone, seventy hectares were totally stripped by the larve, fir appearing to be chiefly affected. The same article states that the devastation is periodical in Western Russia and in Hast Prussia, where, within the last fifty years, “hundreds of square miles (German)” have been laid bare. On the last occasion, the plague was stopped by heavy gales of wind, which drove the insect in clouds over the Baltic, to be drowned there, and afterwards to be 548 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. washed up in such abundance “as to be carted away for manure”! What an opportunity our variety hunters have lost. Strangely enough, the ‘Societas entomologica’ makes no allusion to its extraordinary profusion this year.—N. F'. DoBpriz; Beverley, H. Yorks. A tone Day’s Cottectine.—I was staying at Wicken, and on Sunday, July 20th, I drove into Ely to meet my brother, who was coming to see some collecting in the Fens, and I planned a long day for the morrow. We arranged with the bricklayer for the hire of his pony and cart, and started next morning for Tuddenham. As we drove along we kept our eyes open for moths sitting on the roadside trees and fences. When we reached the sandy soil of Suffolk, with its belts of fir trees, we carefully searched a a Scotch fir plantation, and were rewarded by finding two specimens of Anticlea sinuata at rest on the trunks, also two Pseudoterpna pruinata (= cytisaria), several Acronycta psi, Hecatera serena, &c. Further on along the road we found one Thera firmata and two Porthesia auriflua, the latter just emerged and drying their wings. Of the A. sinwata one was a female, so I kept it alive for ova; it laid eggs freely on the flowers and stalks of the lady’s bedstraw (Galium verum). The eggs were bright yellow, and resem- bled the unopened buds of -the Galiwm,—consequently were very difficult to distinguish. (The larva is very handsome; it has a gamboge-yellow stripe along the middle of the back, and on each side of this stripe is one of jet-black. The lower half of the body is green. The larve were full fed at the end of August, and made cocoons on the surface of the ground, or, a few only, among the flowers and seeds of the Galium.) When we reached Tuddenham we tied up our pony to a fence, and, leaving him to eat his corn, we made a search for the larva of Lithostege griseata. It feeds upon a species of wild mustard (Sisymbrium Sophia). The plant, when in seed, has a light, waving, and almost feathery appearance; it grows in neglected corners of cultivated fields, and sometimes among the corn itself. The larva is not easy to find, as it very much resembles the seed-pods upon which it feeds, both in its shape and colour. We took about fifteen, and then gave it up, and drove back to the top of Tuddenham Hill, there to look for the larva of Dianthecia irregularis on its food-plant, Silene otites, an inconspicuous little plant growing among the grass at the roadside. Of the few larve which we found I took two that were partially inside the seed-pod, and this gave me the clue to what had puzzled me about this larva last year. I had on that occasion gathered a bunch of the S. otites for food. There were no eggs upon it that I could discover. This bunch of food was tied up in a bag, and a week subsequently I found upon it quite a number of larve of D. irregularis, all about one-third of an inch long or larger. No doubt they were already hatched when I gathered the S. otites, and they were feeding concealed within the seed-pods after the manner of the rest of the genus Dianthecia, but the smallness of the seed-pods had misled me. By this time it was four o’clock, and, being still a dozen miles from Wicken, we began to turn our heads homewards. It was a beautiful day, and from the top of Tuddenham Hill the cathedral at Kly was plainly to be seen at a distance of some twenty miles. On our way home we stopped at the village of Fordham, and after tea, at the ‘ Dragon,’ we walked down to Chippenham Fen (we had obtained leave to collect there). On our way through the fields we beat an old high thorn-hedge, and secured one Toxocampa pastinum, one Nudaria mundana, one Macaria liturata, and one Acidalia imitaria. A few days previously I had beaten out of this SOCIETIES. «S49 same hedge six fresh specimens of Aventia flewula aud lots of Geometre. While waiting for the dusk to come on we walked about among the sedge, and took a few Cenobia rufa (= despecta) flying over ditches. Chippen- ham Fen is cut up and intersected by belts of trees; along the outsides of these belts are wide rides. At the edge of these rides and about the ditches grow masses of hemp agrimony, the food-plant of Plusia orichalcea. This was our particular quarry, and very exciting it was watching for this rare moth at the thistle-heads, in the dim light, while the nightjars rattled and the fen gnats sang round one’s mosquito veil. Many a dash did we make with the net, and mostly was it only a despised P. chrysitis that we had caught. Still we managed to secure four specimens of P. orichalcea that evening. It was a very warm night, and lots of things were on the wing ; we took Hepialus humuli (rather late I think), and three specimens of Toxocampa pastinum ; but we did not stop after darkness had fairly set in. When we got back to Wicken it was11l p.m. One Pelurga comitata and one Cidaria imitaria were flying about in the house, and, having secured these and eaten a mouthful of supper, we walked down to Wicken Fen, where Bailey was already at work with the “light.” He had got several moths ; among them one Pterostoma palpina, one cream-coloured variety of the male Odonestis potatoria, one Bombyx quercus, two or three battered Lasio- campa quercifolia, Hipione apiciaria, and lots of Acidalia immutata. The air had now turned chilly, and nothing much came to the light for some time, so we “shut down ” the light, as they say in the Fens, and went for our beds, the only further catch of any note being one Tapinostola helmanni, the first of the season. The season was very late in the Fens this year ; flowering plants appeared-to me to be three weeks behind last year, and many of the moths and larve also. W. M. Curisty; Watergate, Emsworth. SOCIETIES. EntomotoeicaL Society or Lonpon.—Oct. 1st, 1890. The Rt. Hon. Lord Walsingham, M.A., F.R.S., President, in the chair. The Rey. Dr. Walker exhibited, and read notes on, a long and varied series of forms of Cry- modes exulis, collected in June and July last in Iceland. In reply toa question by Lord Walsingham as to whether all the forms referred by Dr. Walker to C. exulis had been identified as belonging to that species, Mr. Kirby said the species was a very variable one, and that several forms had been described from Labrador and Greenland. Mr. South stated that he had examined Dr. Walker’s specimens, and he believed that most of the forms exhibited had been described by Dr. Staudinger, in his papers on the Entomology of Iceland, as varieties of C. exulis, Dr. Sharp exhibited a specimen of Ornithomyia avicularia, L., taken near Dartford, to which there were firmly adhering— apparently by their mandibles—several specimens of a mallophagous insect. He also exhibited some specimens of fragile Diptera, Neuroptera, and Lepidoptera, to show that the terminal segments in both sexes might be dissected off and mounted separately without the structures suffering from shrivelling or distortion. Dr. Sharp also said, in reference to the statement made by him, on p. 421 of his paper recently published in the ‘ Transactions ’ of the Society, as to the number of the segments of the abdomen, and the position of the genital orifice in the female of Hemiptera-Heteroptera, that he had recently been making some dissections, and found that the structures externally were difficult of comprehension, and he now thought 350 : THE ENTOMOLOGIST. that the statement he had made from observation, without dissection, might prove to be erroneous. Mr. G. F. Hampson exhibited and remarked on a series of Erebia melas, taken in July last, in the Austrian Alps (Dolomites), by Mrs. Nicholls. Captain Elwes observed that this species was abundant in the Pyrenees; but although he had frequently suggested to Dr. Staudinger and other European lepidopterists that it probably occurred in the Swiss or Austrian Alps, he had never been able to obtain specimens from any part of Europe except the Pyrenees; and that it had been left to an English lady to be the first to take a species of Hrebia new to these Alps. He added that the species only frequented very steep and stony slopes on the mountains, so that its capture was attended with difficulty. Mr. M‘Lachlan exhibited specimens of an extraordinary Neuropterous larva found by Mr. B. G. Nevinson in tombs at Cairo. He said that this larva had been assigned to the genus Nemoptera by Schaum, who described it as having been found in tombs in Kgypt (Berl. Ent. Zeitschrift, vol. i.); and Roux had previously (Ann. Sci. Nat. t. xxviii.) described and figured it as an abnormal apterous hexapod under the name of Necrophilus arenarius. Mr. Nevinson supplemented these remarks with an account of his capture of the specimens in the Egyptian tombs. Mr. G. T. Baker exhibited a series of forms of species of the genus Boarmia from Madeira; and also a series of melanic varieties of Gracilaria syringella from the neighbourhood of Birmingham. Mr. W. F. H. Blandford exhibited and remarked on a series of specimens of Dermestes vulpinus, which had been doing much damage to the roofs of certain soap-works in the neighbourhood of London, where it had no doubt been introduced with bones and fat. Mr. R. W. Lloyd exhibited a specimen of Carabus catenulatus, in which the femur of the right fore-leg was curiously dilated and toothed. He stated that he took the specimen at Oxshott, Surrey, on the 27th September last. The Rey. C. F. Thornewill exhibited a black variety of the male of Argynnis aglaia, taken by himself in July last on Cannock Chase ; also a number of living larvee of a species of Hupithecia feeding on the flower-heads of Tanacetum vulgare, collected in a limestone quarry in Leicestershire. He expressed some doubt as to the identity of the species, but eneral opinion was that the larve were only those of Hupithecia absynthiata. Mr. G. Bryant sent for exhibition a variety of the larva of Trichiura crategi. Mr. C. G. Barrett exhibited a specimen of Plusia moneta, Fabr., a species new to Britain, taken at Reading by Mr. W. Holland in July last. It was stated that the first specimen of this species captured in this country had been taken at Dover last June, and was now in the collection of Mr. Sydney Webb, of that town. Mr. Kirby said that Mynheer Snellen had reported this species as being unusually common in Holland a few years ago. Mr. W. Dannatt exhibited a variety of Papilio hectorides, 9 , from Paraguay. Mr. Osbert Salvin said he believed he had seen this form before. Mr. C.J. Gahan exhibited a curious little larva-like creature, found by Mr. Green in a rapid mountain stream in Ceylon, and observed that there was some doubt as to its true position in the animal kingdom. It was made up of six distinct segments, each of which bore a single pair of laterally directed processes or unjointed appendages. Mr. Hampson remarked that the appendages were very suggestive of the parapodia of certain chetopod worms, but that all the known polychztous worms were marine. Lord Walsingham and Mr. M‘Lachlan expressed an opinion that the animal was of myriopodous affinities, and was not the larva of an insect. Mr. Baker read a paper entitled “Notes on the genitalia of a gynandromorphous Eronia hippia.”—H. Goss, Hon. Sec. SOCIETIES. 351 Tae Souta Lonpon EntomoLoeicat anp Naturat History Soctery. —Sept. 25th, 1890. J. T. Carrington, F.L.S., President, in the chair. Mr. 8. C. G. Russell exhibited interesting varieties of Zygena trifolii, Esp., including var. confluens, Stgr., from the New Forest. Mr. Mera, Acronycta ligustri, Sch., from South Devon; also a banded variety of Argynnis eu- phrosyne, L., from Chattenden. Mr. EH. Joy, two forms of the under side of Lycena minima, Fues. Mr. C. Fenn, Cidaria immanata, showing all the varieties generally occurring at Aberdeen; also dark varieties, from York; specimens of Agrotis cursoria, Bork., from Aberdeen, showing the extremes of variation there; and a specimen of E’phestia ficulella, Bor., taken in the Society’s rooms. Mr. J. Jager, box of insects taken in the Isle of Man, including Hpunda nigra, Haw., Stilbia anomala, Haw., Agrotis tritici, L., and afew specimens of A. simulans, Hufn., &c., taken at the flowers of ragwort; also Cirrhadia xerampelina, Hb., which Mr. Jazer stated were mostly found at the bottom of the ash trees, among the dead leaves, which the moth closely resembled. Among the other exhibits of Mr. Jager were some specimens of Callimorpha hera, L., and he remarked that he was somewhat surprised to find that there was still some doubt as to the authenticity of the captures in Devonshire: some discussion ensued, in the course of which Mr. C. G. Barrett stated that there was no doubt about the authenticity of the recent captures,—the difficulty referred to its probable introduction. Mr. Wellman, series of Hyponomeuta padellus, L., HI. cagnagellus, Hb., and H. evonymellus, L. Mr. R. Adkin, larve of Apamea occulta, L., some having obtained full growth; also Myelophila cribrum, Schiff., and Homcosoma binevella, Hb., from the Essex coast, and remarked upon the protection afforded to these two species when resting upon thistles, by their resemblance to the seeds of certain grasses. Mr. Bright, a box of varieties of Lepidoptera, including many of the genus Argynnis, the black form of Limenitis sybilla, L., forms of Teniocampa gracilis, Fb. (New Forest), Boarmia repandata, L. (Scotch), and of Vanessa urtice, L., &. Inreply to Mr. Tutt, who expressed an opinion that the last-named was an example of V. milberti, Mr. Bright said that the speci- men had been sent him by a Mr. Mumford, and was said to have been taken at Polegate in 1888. Oct. 9th.—The President in the chair. Mr. W. HK. Butler, of Reading, was elected a member. Adverting to the specimen of Vanessa exhibited at the last meeting, and said to have been taken at Polegate, Sussex, Mr. Jenner Weir stated that, in his opinion, the insect in question was Vanessa milbertt, a well-known North American species, of which he exhibited spe- cimens from the Canadian North-west provinces, and also specimens of V. urtice from Hong Kong, Luleo in Sweden, and St. Petersburg, showing how very little the species varied in these widely separated localities, differing also so much as they did in climate, Hong Kong being within the tropics, and Luleo but just outside the arctic circle. Mr. C. G. Barrett exhibited the specimen of Plusia moneta, Fab., taken near Reading by Mr. Holland, and stated that, in his opinion, the species was moving northwards. Mr. South, specimens of Noctua festiva, Hb., with varieties, and made remarks thereon. Mr. C. Fenn, Tryphena comes, Ill., var. curtistit, Newm., and dark forms from Aberdeen; Ayrotis simulans, Hufn., Acronycta euphorbia, I'b., Agrotis nigricans, L., Sciaphila octomaculana, Haw.,—all from Shet- - land, and showing a melanic tendency. Mr. Tutt, on behalf of Lieut. Brown, Agrotis simulans, Hufn., from Portland, with Scotch examples for 352 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. comparison. Mr. T. D. A. Cockerell, Colias ewrytheme, Bdv.,—forms (1) amphidusa, Bdv., (2) keewaydia, Kdw., (3) ariadne, Edw., (4) eriphyle, Edw., from the United States,—and made remarks relative to his exhibit. Mr. E. Joy, living larvee of Toxocampa pastinum, Tr. Mr. Tugwell, bred specimens of Heliophobus hispidus, Hb., and said it was just possible in some of the specimens to see a violet tinge. Mr. A. EH. Cook exhibited nests of Vespa sylvestris from Bagshot, Surrey. Mr. Moore, nests of seve- ral species of British and foreign wasps. Mr. Billups, Hpeolus productus, Thoms., taken at Chobham; also a series of Trichomma enecator, Rossi, bred by Mr. Adkin from Peronea hastiana, L.; and male and female Pelecystoma lutea, Nees, bred by Mr. Adkin. Mr. Billups contributed notes relative to his exhibit—H. W. Barxer, Hon. Sec. BiruineHam EntromotoeicaL Socrety.—September 15th, 1890. —Reyv. C. F. Thornewill, V.P., in the chair. Mr. C. Runge, Broad Street, Bir- mingham, was elected a member. Mr. H. C. Tye showed Cymatophora duplaris from near Tamworth. Mr. G. W. Wynn showed Huperia fulvago, taken by Mr. Tye, on Cannock Chase, at rest on bracken. Rev. C. F. Thornewill showed Cidaria populata and testata, and E'ucosmia certata. Mr. P. W. Abbott showed Boarmia repandata, including var. conversaria, taken on sugar at Porlock, Somersetshire. Mr. R. C. Bradley read a paper “On three days’ collecting on Cannock Chase in August,” and showed the insects taken, which included Helophilus trivittatus among Diptera, and Chrysoclista bimaculella amoung Lepidoptera. October 6th.— Mr. W. G. Blatch, President, in the.chair. Mr. P. W. Abbott showed Xylophasia scolopacina from Arley. Mr. W. G. Blatch showed Homalota crassicornis, a beetle which he believed to be new to England: the only record with which he was acquainted of its capture in Britain was of three specimens taken in Scotland. He also showed Euryphorus picipes, a beetle new to the Midlands. Mr. W. Harrison showed a small collection of insects made this year in the New Forest, between July 19th and 26th, and described his experiences there.— CoLBRAN J. Wainwricut, Hon. Sec. OBITUARY. Owen S. Witson died at Cwmffrwd, Carmarthen, on the 25th of August last. He was the only son of the late Mr. John Wilson, County Court Judge in South Wales, and Recorder of Carmarthen; a barrister by pro- fession, though he had not been practising for some years. He appears to have been a zealous Volunteer, and had attained the rank of Lieut.-Colonel after twenty years’ service. In 1874 he was elected a Fellow of the Ento- mological Society of London, and has long been known as a most ardent and hard-working lepidopterist. His ‘ Larve of the British Lepidoptera,’ an important work of 3867 pp. and 40 coloured plates, published in 1880, met with a most favourable reception at the hands of Lepidopterists. or some time past he had been actively engaged in preparing for the press a more comprehensive work, dealing with the Life-Histories of Lepidoptera, in which it was proposed to give plates, each representing life-sized figures of one or two species in all the different transformations from the larva to the imago, with, in many cases, the egg, and invariably the food-plant of the larva ; all the figures drawn from Nature by Mrs. Hj. Wilson. , NATURALISTS’ SUPPLY STORES, «81, PARK STREET, WINDSOR. | : ES roprietor, E. 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TAYLER & CO., NEW HALL WORKS, BIRMINGHAM. — Sample Cards, showing all Sizes, forwarded on application. ——_—_—_- — Just published, price 4d, WILLIAM WESLEY & SON’S CATALOGUE. = = Na l04S Invertesrata. Part I.:— Lower Animals, Living and Fossil. ‘Including Important Works on Foraminifera, Spongida, Infusoria, Hydroida, Ech hi Coralline, nodermata, Rotifera, Annelida, Crustacea, Arachnida, Myriopoda. General Invertebrata. Aquarium. | oct WILLIAM WESLEY & SON, 28, Essex Srrezt, Stranp, Lonpon, Qocusis. ENTOMOLOGICA.— The Organ of the InTERNATIONAL ENTOMO- ‘) ocicaL Society, published on the Ist and 15th of each month. Contains Original Articles—in German, French, or English—on all classes of insects. Members of the Society wishing to buy, sell, or exchange specimens have the privilege of advertising in the journal free of charge. Subscription 10 francs per — annum. Application for membership and all communications should be addressed to the President of the Society—Faitz Rut, Zurich-Hottingen, Switzerland. 6d. to 5s. 6d. Botanical Paper, 1s. 1d., 1s. 4d.,1s.9d., 1s. Cement for replacing — to 2s. 6d. per dozen. Zine Killing Box, 9d., 1s. Pupa Digger, in leather sheath, 3 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. Vou. XXIITI.] DECEMBER, 1890. [No. 331. EDITORIAL. Earty in the present year we were favoured by various correspondents with kindly suggestions as to the future of the ‘Entomologist.’ As might perhaps be expected, these suggestions were very diverse, and, anxious as we were to meet the wishes of our correspondents, we found such a course impracticable, seeing that they belonged to one or other of the following classes of specialists :— a. Those who are chiefly interested in the formation of a collection of insects, and who desire a restriction of the space allotted to matters pertaining to the study of Entomology, and an extension of that allotted to field work and exchange. b. Those who are chiefly concerned in the biology of insects, and do not regard with any favour the accounts of work done by collectors in various districts. c. Those who are interested in the insect fauna of Britain alone, and cannot appreciate, or even tolerate, papers on insects from regions which they consider outside their sphere. An attempt to satisfy either of these would only have resulted in strained relations with the other two; and, besides, we did not deem it desirable to narrow down the scope of the ‘Entomologist’ to the requirements of a class, even if we could have supposed that there were many among our readers as exclusive as some of our correspondents seemed to be. In ENTOM.—DEc. 1890, 22 354 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. conducting this Journal, the primary object we have in view is to make it widely and generally useful. We have every reason to believe that our readers are, as a whole, well disposed towards us, as also to each other, and desire to assist, “‘ by mutual confidence and mutual aid,” in the attainment of our purpose. - The suggestions of our readers will always receive due consideration; but we would point out to those who do not wish the publication of such papers as those on the insect fauna of China, that others are interested; that they are a valuable contribution to scientific knowledge; and that they do not interfere with the space devoted to British or non-descriptive Entomology, as additional pages are always given when such papers are published. It would seem almost unnecessary to say that we highly value, and now again ask our readers for, notes on British Entomology, records of captures, &c. An analysis of the contents of the present volume will show that, as regards this class of matter, the volume for 1890 is equal to its immediate predecessors, and distinctly in advance of all the others. We are glad to say that the ‘ Hntomologist’ has already an increased circulation abroad, and that it still maintains the position it has so long held in this country. These facts, taken together, should make it apparent that as a medium for the interchange of views and opinions on entomological matters the Journal has gained in value. It may not, perhaps, be of direct importance to some of our contributors whether their papers or notes are read or not by entomologists abroad, but indirectly it does concern them, because the larger the circulation of the ‘Entomologist’ so much greater will be the surplus to expend on plates and extra pages. The present volume contains 400 pp. and 4 plates. That for 1889, 320 pp., 8 plates, and 1 portrait; for 1888, 336 pp. and 1 plate; for 1887, 344 pp. and 2 plates. The number of plates in 1889 was in excess of that for this year; but it is, perhaps, not generally known that the cost of the four plain plates and half that of one coloured one was defrayed by the authors of the papers which they illustrated. 355 NOTES ON THE RHOPALOCERA OF WEST NORFOLK. By A. Sirs. OF this division of the Lepidoptera, sixty species are given as having occurred from time to time within the area of the Fens. The present notes merely refer to this immediate neighbourhood, say within the confines of a day’s walk. Many other species are said to be found at a distance of a mile or two; but three or four years of close observation has produced only the limited number of sixteen species. I may add that a drive to such places as Wisbeach, March, Manea, Upwell, through Bardolph Fen to Lynn, or prolonged walks in various directions, has not afforded any additional species to those found at home. I can walk along one ditch alone and find eleven of the number in one day in August, and during that month the lot could be seen there, with one exception, the orange-tip. The district is poor as regards species. Agriculture, with its consequent drainage improvements, has deprived the fens of some grand old species, while the advan- tages of cultivation have only favoured such common ones as the whites, small tortoiseshell, and the like. The present notice chiefly refers to the last three seasons. The lateness of appear- ance of the perfect insect, in most instances, may be accounted for by the flatness of the district, the prevalence of east winds, and the backwardness of vegetation. Pieris brassice.—The remark sometimes applied to this species, that it outnumbers nearly all our native butterflies, does not apply to this locality, for, in reality, itis numerically deficient when compared with P. rape, and sometimes, as was evident this season, with P. napi. The fly is fairly abundant during the latter half of May and throughout June; with the advent of July it falls off rapidly, abounding again when August is reached, being the most profuse in that month, and on to the first week in Sep- tember, when the species begins to fail. Larvee numerous on cabbage; have seen them feeding down to the first week in November. 1888: May 2lst—September 19th. 1889: May 8th—Sep- tember 17th. 1890: May 7th—September 19th. P. rape.—This is really the domestic butterfly, as regards abundance in this restricted spot. It far exceeds the last, begin- ning its career occasionally in April, becoming very numerous in May and June; a slackness during the first ten days of July is succeeded by great numbers from that time onwards. During August the gardens, pastures, and more especially the clover fields, are alive with the whites, of which this species is by far the greatest contributor. In September it is also plentiful, appearing less after about the third or fourth week. I have 2E2 356 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. noticed fine specimens of this insect with the under surface of hind wings a beautiful yellow. Larve feeding upon their usual fare as late as the frosty mornings of November. 1888: May 2lst—September 26th. 1889: April 27th—Sep- tember 27th. 1890: April 5th—October 14th. P. napi.—Another common butterfly, more so perhaps than is generally admitted, because this and the last run counter to each other, owing to their being placed in the same category, viz., the middle-sized whites; and for this cause I do not deal with this insect with the same amount of certainty as with all the rest; the experience of the past season has confirmed my opinion that I have hitherto under-estimated this fly as regards individuals. The greatest plenty, it has been noticed, was in May, 1889, ona piece of marsh land, where Cardamine pratensis was in flower and very plentiful. The insect was fluttering about in all directions, leaning most to a damp spot of several acres in extent, which was alive with them. This profusion of any one species in a given locality has only once been exceeded in my experience, which was an August brood of the wall-butterfly. The present species starts its season in April, but it is not till May is fairly in that it is seen in average numbers. During June it does not occur as commonly as the two preceding species of Pieris; from the middle of July and through August it is plentiful enough, resorting now more to cultivated tracts, scarcely occurring at all on the above-mentioned marshland. In September this fly apparently fails about the third week. Some of the individuals met with are very small. Caterpillar is said to feed upon rape (Brassica napus). Personally I have never found it on that plant, but have seen large batches of them faring upon “kohl rabi”’ (B. oleracea~caulo-rapa) ; it doubtless also feeds on ordinary garden greens. 1888: May 22nd—October Ist. 1889: May 4th—September 29th. 1890: April 28th—October 9th. Euchloé cardamines (Anthocharis cardamines).—Perhaps of all our butterflies this has the most characteristic name, at least as - regards the male. This flying flower is the pretty insect that comes careering across the croquet lawn on a fine June afternoon, seldom failing to elicit a remark from our non-entomological players; but it may be safe to say the lady insect loses the honour conferred upon her more attractive partner. This fly is generally considered to be abroad in April, but here in our flat, bleak district it does not occur till May, and not before the end of the third week. After once out, however, it is to be seen almost daily for the remainder of the month to about the middle of June, after which it falls off rapidly. Was most abundant of all in June, 1888; and on June 26th, 1889, I noticed a solitary male at Manea in Cambridgeshire. I have noticed no variation in the orange patch, neither met with the species in the pre- liminary stages. NOTES ON THE RHOPALOCERA OF WEST NORFOLK. Soya 1888: May 24th—June 28th. 1889: May 23rd—June 26th. 1890: May 21st—June 18th. Pararge megera (Lasiommata megera).—By far the most uniform in its appearance of any of the double-brooded species, and also the one that can claim to have occurred in the greatest profusion. A fen drove, with a drain one side and a ditch on the other, about a mile long, sheltered on both sides by standing corn-fields, was the scene of the August brood of this butterfly, in the dry season of 1887, which literally swarmed there. Like the green-veined white, they vary much in wing area, more so than any other species on my list; in fact some specimens did not much exceed a small copper-butterfly, and I noticed these were much darker in colour than the finer ones, or perhaps it would be safer to say that in the larger individuals the fulvous ground covers proportionately more space. The insect usually appears about May 24th, but the brood is limited, lasting only twenty-four days; and I have not known it to endure to July, neither the second to begin in that month. This second is by far the most extensive, being met with in plenty daily through August, continuing to September, gapping considerably from the middle of the month. This warmth-loving species is the most subject of any I know to the loss of a secondary wing, which, by-the-bye, seems to occasion but little inconvenience. Perhaps this insect is an article of diet with the voracious Neuroptera, as I once observed a dragonfly seize one, beginning at the head and eating downwards, the wings falling off on their respective sides; the creature did not eat the wings. This was one of the neatest mechanical operations I ever witnessed. Unobserved in preliminary stages. 1888: June 2nd—26th; August 20th—September 30th. 1889: May 238rd—June 14th; August lst—September 23rd. 1890: May 2lst—June 16th; August 5th—September 19th. Eipinephele ianira (Hipparchia ganira).—Although a common and sober-coloured insect, this is still an interesting butterfly, appearing, as is its wont, about hay-time, showing to best advantage when freshly emerged, traversing the meadow eddish, or, better still, the pastures, which by this time have generally assumed a sun-scorched appearance; indeed, if it were not for this and the next species, many a tract of parched turf would be deprived of much of its life. It has also the additional habit of remaining on the wing during the dull portions of the day, as in the warmth of sunshine. What the butterfly teaches in the general term, this one carries out specifically: in this flying mirror we may see the importance of a cheerful spirit. The butterfly is abundant during July and August, decreasing, however, towards the close of that month. ‘Two seasons I have noticed a single example in September. Unobserved in preliminary stages. 1888: July 8th—September Ist. 1889: June 26th—Sep- tember 9th, 1890; June 23rd—August 25th. 358 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. EH. tithonus (H. tithonus).—Sometimes called the small meadow-brown; and to some extent this twin-spotted species is a small edition of the last. I should estimate that it is not much more than a third so abundant as its larger congener. The flight is slow, and in its habits it seems to be much more sedentary ; it is also on the wing for a shorter period. During 1888 only a few pairs were seen. In the present season it has been much more abundant. I noticed a batch of about eight individuals sporting about one plant. This also is the only year it has endured to September. Not seen in preliminary stages. 1888; July 20th—August 27th. 1889: July 8th—August 16th. 1890: July 16th—September 6th. E. hyperanthes (H. hyperanthus).—Nature seems to have availed herself of this species to enforce the rule that in her whole realm there is no monotony, and has, so to speak, turned this butterfly up side down; and this fact may, or may not, have first suggested the idea to collectors of setting their specimens horizontally to show the under surface. This insect agrees in the main with the two last, but it is not such a plain- loving species, seeming to prefer more shade. I have been curious to notice that it tlles deeper in the ditch than any other species, threading its way among the tangled vegetation, and often being seen to settle. Have noticed no variation in the characteristic ringlet- spots. ‘The butterfly, a rather feeble flier, is on the wing but a very short period, and was most abundant in 1890. Unobserved in preliminary stages. 1888: July 13th—August Loth. 1889: July 6th—25th. 1890: July 10th—August 5th. Cenonympha pamphilus. —This little butterfly i is usually met with on grass-land, and seems to be a ground- loving species. It is never met with in quantity; singly or a pair is the most I have observed. This may be due to their small size, the tawny colour blending more or less with the drier grasses; therefore the insect is less conspicuous than the little blue or small copper butterflies. I have watched a pair sporting on a grassy bank only a few yards distant, yet were frequently lost to view among the herbage. The insect was most abundant in 1889 during June. May occasionally be seen in August, never lingering till September. For some cause I have not seen a specimen in 1890, this being the only absentee; about the time of its appearance the weather was excessively wet. Unobserved in preliminary stages. 1888: June 1lth—July 10th. 1889: June 5th—August 3lst. Vanessa cardut (Cynthia cardui).—This butterfly appears to be a perfect cosmopolite, and is the most capricious of all, being fairly plentiful one season, and perhaps absent the next. In 1888 it was fairly common in the latter part of August and September ; while in 1889 it was most abundant of all, being observable almost daily for a time in August, diminishing rather suddenly at the NOTES ON THE RHOPALOCERA OF WEST NORFOLK. 309 close of that month. The only specimen observed in 1890 was on August 7th, one of the few warm days of the summer up to that date. Years preceding 1888 this insect did not appear at all. Hybernators are to be seen chiefly in June; I noticed one specimen as late as July 24th, 1890. Never seen in preliminary stage. 1888: August 9th—September 27th. 1889: August 6th— September 12th. 1890: August 7th. V. atalanta.—While dealing with the genus Vanessa, two things strike the observer: first, that it suffers least when compared with its exotic congeners of warmer climes; and the second, that such handsome species should be so easily obtained. As nettles do not thrive so well apart from cultivation, this again- tends to make the species the more familiar. This handsome species is, perhaps, the most gorgeous of all the British butter- flies, being most bold and fearless in its habits. I once carried a specimen, that chose to locate itself on my arm, a distance of some fifty yards and into the house. The butterfly never appears till August; and even in this last late season I did not notice it in October. As autumn is the perfection of the farmer's year, so the red admiral, painted lady, peacock, &c., crown the butterfly season. Have never observed a hybernator of this species, nor discovered the larva. 1888: August 29th—September 19th. 1889: August 16th— September 10th. 1890: September 28th. V. io.—Like the orange-tip, this species introduces itself to the observer, and is very common in the fens, being much more abundant in some seasons than others. In 1887 I reared a hat- box full of larve, turning off a hundred of this species and twenty- eight of the small tortoisehell; but this bore no effect upon the succeeding wet season of 1888, when it was rather scarce and late. Since 1887 it was most numerous in 1889. The perfect fly is never seen till August, but lingers with us till late in the autumn, the specimens occurring at this time being often much bleached, and I always consider it a brittle species. Hybernators plentiful in the spring, abroad as early as April 4th. 1888: August 3lst—October 2nd. 1889: August 5th— November 8th. 1890: August 7th—October 10th. V. urtice.—By far the most abundant of the genus, abounding everywhere on pastures, waste corners, &c., where nettles most abound. In three years I have only seen the butterfly out once in June. Half of July is gone before it is general; from that time it is common enough, generally out-lingering the other species, being often the only one to cheer the month of October. I have noticed some fine specimens of this insect, but the large tortoiseshell has never turned up. Was most abundant in 1890. Hybernators are out as early as March 17th. Patches of nettles are sometimes black with the larvee of this and the peacock. 860 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 1888: July 17th—October 18th. 1889: June 28th—October Qist. 1890: July 14th—November 5th. Polyommatus phleas (Chrysophanus phloas)—Of the three species of this genus allotted to Britain, this is the only one we can practically claim ; for the purple-edged copper (P. chryseis) can only be considered as a visitor, perhaps the only plausible occurrence being that of Ashdown Forest, Sussex; while yet another, the scarce copper (P. virgaurea), is said to have been taken in the marshes of the Isle of Ely, and in Huntingdonshire. The large copper (P. dispar) used to swarm in the fens of Hunting- donshire and Cambridgeshire; the metropolis of the insect was apparently the vicinity of Whittlesea Mere; while a specimen is recorded from Bardolph Fen. Probably this was a border limit for the insect, as it is within a short distance of the higher ground, and possibly the only locality within our county. Bearing this in mind, I always give the water-dock a hawk’s-eye view, when happening to meet with it. Although considered specifically distinct from the continental P. hippothde by the older authors, I suppose now it is only considered to be a variety of that species, and its extinction in Britain favours this latter view, as I do not believe in the so easy extinction of a species, properly so called, and that confined to one spot of one island of a Continent. That it should exceed in size and vary in its mark- ings is not conclusive evidence, seeing that the whole order is so much subject to variation; there always seems to be an ac- commodating process going on in nature, and this fen locality may have especially suited the development of this butterfly, as it does to-day a certain breed of farm stock. Our present little species is a lively insect, flashing about in much the same fashion as the blues, but is not quite so exploratory perhaps; the flights seem to be shorter and more rushing, as if to some destined spot. I have noticed that this and the blue often rest on the same flower-head, while this species would drive a larger insect than itself away. Ihave only once come across the insect in June, skipping about in the midst of a pasture, where sorrel was very plentiful, at just about the same height and manner as related of the small heath. The last batch is more often seen in the ditches, where a greater variety of wild flowers abound. This butterfly was most abundant in 1890, after the fine weather set in, lasting well into September. Unobserved in preliminary stages. 1888: June 14th. 1889: August 30th—September 11th. 1890: August 23rd—September 23rd. Lycena icarus (Polyommatus alexis)—The only blue yet observed, and it is natural that it should be a species that is not fastidious as regards soil. Notwithstanding the rich tiling of many species, perhaps this catches the observer's eye as well as any. Assuming this is my only blue, it may be seen as far distant as any, the colours blue and green naturally contrasting COLLECTING IN WALES. 861 so well, so naturally is the colour of the upper regions reflected in this butterfly. It may be seen on the wing in June, but the latter brood is the more abundant, usually occurring most in August, continuing into fine Septembers. I saw more of it in 1887 than in the last three seasons together. Unobserved in preliminary stages. Tas : June 2lst—28th. 1889: August 30th—September 14th. 1890: June 2nd—September 15th. Hesperia sylvanus (Pamphila sylvanus).—Like the last, the only representative of its tribe. This butterfly occurs regularly in June, being often seen in a certain spot. Contrary to most species, it is far more plentiful in the first than in the second emergence, being most frequent during June. The flights of this insect are short, the so-called skipping very rapid during bright sunshine, in duller weather less active. One dull morning, after rain had fallen, I caught a specimen with the finger and thumb, as it was settled upon areed. This insect does not linger at all late in the season; I have not known it to extend to September. Unobserved in preliminary stages. 1888: June 16th—August 21st. 1889: June 28nd—August Ist. 1890: June 16th—July 24th. Nordelph, Downham Market, Norfolk, Noy. 5, 1890. COLLECTING IN WALES. By J. ARKue. For those who are high-minded let me prescribe much riding on Welsh railways. Whether you shoot along the stone heaps beyond Bala, or touch the edge of the sea-cliffs at Barmouth, or screw round a mountain onthe “narrow guage,” the moral is the same—you are as helpless, and, let us hope, as humble, as the two-year-old who possibly shares with you the compartment. There is nothing to be seen out of window to make you rise in your own estimation. You are immediately shot across a gaping glen or rocky chasm, and the sight of a foxglove, with its possible Lupithecia pulchellata, only intensifies the idea that you are done with all things sublunary. And yet accidents are just as rare as on other lines, nor are the insurance rates higher. With such philosophies the time went by until the sight of a smart groom and turn-out, at Maentwrog, suggested I might change the scene, and recollect that the business on hand was moths and not morals. Away and along the highway we rolled, and, after picking up my host, Mr. W. J. Kerr, who pointed to the scorched-looking oaks nearly defoliated by swarms of Tortrix viridana, the evening of July 14th found me once more among the leafy shades of ‘L'an-y-Bwlch (Under the Hill), and by the waters of Glan 362 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. William. The weather, which had marked the whole of the summer, was about as wet and cold as a summer could be, but we began without loss of time our raid upon the insects. The evening was so wet that we confined our operations to the garden, where we found Apamea basilinea, A. oculea, Metrocampa marga- ritaria, Abraxas grossulariata, Camptogramma bilineata, Hypena proboscidalis, and Zanclognatha grisealis (nemoralis). July 15th.—A fine, warm, sunny day, and we made the most of it. Merionethshire is a land of fritillaries, but, as everyone knows, these butterflies have their haunts. It was too early in the season for Argynnis paphia, but, in an opening in the wood among the Plas grounds, and near the lake, we netted A. selene (worn) and A. adippe, also E:pinephele ianira, and, by beating, Me- lanthia ocellata. A fine dark brown dragonfly, with yellow spots and stripes (Aischia pratensis), was also taken, but unfortunately the colours of this insect are not permanent, and soon fade after setting. The afternoon was spent on the heath-, fern-, birch-, and oak-covered slopes, which border the ascent to the celebrated Black Falls. All along A. aglaia and A. adippe—apparently fresh from the chrysalis—were common; we took a number of each species. Anaitis plagiata often rose from the heathery | banks, and beating about among the tall ferns produced Angerona prunaria. EH. wanira, a sort of robin redbreast among butterflies, —for few care to molest it,—was a frequent visitor, and pursued its meditative flight undisturbed. A fine dragonfly, Libellula cerulescens, rose from the bank, and was promptly stopped. The following is a description :—Head and thorax dark brown, with the usual couple of yellow frontal stripes,and couple of dorsal yellow spots, colours not permanent; body ample, plum-coloured blue, colours permanent, length 13 in., segments with black divisions ; wings transparent, nervures black, expanse 23 inches. I see from my notes that the afternoon list ends with C. bilineata, and that its profusion was fearful and wonderful. Evening found us on the Festiniog road watching the honey- suckle bloom on the hedges for a late Cherocampa porcellus or C. elpenor. We were unsuccessful, although this is a favourite haunt for both insects. Our captures were Uropteryx sambu- caria, Rumia luteolata (crategata), Boarmia repandata (excep- — tionally large and light-coloured), Acidalia aversata, Abraxas grossulariata, Hypsipetes sordidata (elutata, variable as usual), Cidaria populata, Hubolia limitata (mensuraria), Phalera bucephala, Noctua plecta, Triphena pronuba, Aplecta nebulosa (all very light forms), Cucullia wmbratica (common), Plusia iota, Caradrina cubicularis, and Aphomia colonella. July 16th.—A fine morning, spent in setting. We started in the afternoon for the Black Falls, taking on our way Dictyopteryx bergmanniana and Coccyx ustomaculana. A deluge of rain com- pelled us to return home, where we arrived wet through. The COLLECTING IN WALES. 3638 evening was a damp one; but we turned out, and netted Cabera pusaria, M. margaritaria, Thyatira batis, Hydrecia nictituns, Agrotis exclamationis, Bromolocha fontis (crassalis), and Hypena proboscidalis. At sugar we had poor luck, meeting only our old friends Xylophasia monoglypha (polyodon), T. pronuba, A. excla- mationis, I’. batis, and Cidaria truncata (russata). I boxed a female glow-worm, Lampyris noctiluca, as it brilliantly lit up an inch of grass in the wood. July 17th.—A fine, warm, but sunless day. Mr. Kerr and I drove to Penrhyndeudraeth, a distance of eight miles. The nearest approach I can make to this formidable word is Pen-rin- dy-dreth. Like other Welsh names it is singularly descriptive, and means the headland between the two estuaries. There we started by train for a week’s collecting at Aberdovey, a little town of a thousand inhabitants, half-way along the shores of Cardigan Bay, and, as the name implies, at the mouth of the Dovey. Parallel with the north shore of the estuary, and running away east and behind the town, is a range of heights some 300 feet above the sea-level. In the neighbourhood of the town these hills are covered with grass, furze, and fern, and are said to be a locality for Lycena arion. As the heights run inland they are covered with a luxuriant growth of native oak, and midway between Aberdovey and Glandovey Junction they descend, within a few hundred yards of the estuary, in woody valleys meeting round a common centre. Here lies some of the finest scenery imaginable, and here lay our best butterfly ground. We reached Aberdovey, vid Barmouth, at noon, and operations began at once by the discovery of Dianthecia larve in the seed-pods of bladder. campion growing about the railway-station. ‘These caterpillars we made out to be D. carpophaga and D. capsophila. They pupated after I returned to Chester, before the end of the month. After lunch at the Dovey Hotel we turned out to secure quarters, and noticed on our way specimens of Bryophila perla at rest upon the walls. Our first attempt at securing lodgings was a failure, owing to the landlady taking alarm at our demand to be out at all hours of the night. This, coupled with a statement that our business was “moths,” brought upon us expulsion. However, at No. 1, Bodfor Terrace, we triumphed in the surrender of a latch-key, and there we spent as happy, as homely, and as com- fortable a week as could fall to the lot of humanity. The list for the afternoon is as follows:—Larve of Bombyx rubi; C. umbratica at rest; by beating brambles, St. John’s wort, &c., Hemithea strigata (thymiaria), Emmelesia decolorata, Hupithecia subfulvata var. oxydata, H. linariata, E. exiguata, HL. pumilata (plentiful), Mimeseophilus plagiodactylus, M. ocellata, Acidalia bisetata, A. marginepunctata (promutata), Cidaria pyraliata, Pelurga comitata, aud Scoparia mercurialis. A bottle of rum, a lantern, a treacle-pot and a blacking brush 364 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. are not common ornaments to a sea-side costume, and our hostess viewed these auxiliaries in the art of fascination with some curiosity. Every evening we sallied forth with these additions to our personal appearance. We had two sugaring grounds, and they had the advantage of being near at hand. No. 1 began at the large white hotel, a few hundred yards away on the road to the railway- station, and occupied some years ago by a religious community, but since untenanted. The deep silent doorways of this lonely building were convenient shelters in the rain, until we were informed we were upon forbidden ground. Every succeeding night a sentry was placed upon the premises, and the occasional step we heard through the darkness showed—as they harmoniously sing in ‘The Yeoman of the Guard’—“He kept his solemn watch and ward.” From this hotel, along the road at the base of the hills, we sugared everything,—gates, posts, rocks and plants. Our second ground was the sand-hills, only a couple of hundred yards off, and near the sea. Here a line of posts in the fence beyond the railway provided every accommodation for the treacle. ‘The sand-hills are not equal to those of Wallasey. A suspicious-looking mark looks as if much of the ground lay under water in the spring tides. Still there is plenty of vege- tation,—the trefoils, the bedstraws, mullein, fennel, and maritime grass. Farther away, a marsh lies between the sand-hills and the road, with any amount of water-dock, sedge, and willow. Flowers there were, and fit to adorn any garden:—the viper’s bugloss, with its host of purple and pink blossoms; the sea thistle, with its prickly, pale, pea-green leaves and sky-blue flower-balls; and groves of the tall evening primrose, with its large yellow blooms open to the night. We triedhs ee at dusk to see if Deilephila galit would turn up, but we only netted X. monoglypha and Miana bicoloria (furuncula). The night was warm, dark, and threatening for rain. It was now time to examine the sugar, and we found moths in swarms at it. I never saw anything to equal our success. X. monoglypha, in hundreds, Showed several beautiful varieties, — the finest, a very light- coloured example, with markings almost black, being now in the collection of Mr. Kerr. The next insect in point of numbers was Hadena oleracea, and it was equally conspicuous for varia- tion. Triphena pronuba, T. orbona, Leucania lithargyria, L. conigera, X. lithoxylea, came next. We also took several speci- mens of Mamestra albicolon and M. persicarie, Caradrina blanda, Nonagria fulva, and light and dark varieties of Agrohs segetum. The following are our additional lists at sugar :— July 18th.— Warm, wet day, with night showers. Thyatira derasa, Cerigo matura (cytherea), M. bicoloria ( furuncula), Agrotis lunigera, A. corticea; X. monoglypha and H. oleracea (nuisances) ; LL. conigera (fine varieties), L. lithargyria, L. pallens, Noctua COLLECTING IN WALES. 3865 plecta, Hydrecia nictitans (all sorts of varieties from the lightest to darkest), 7’. orbona and 7’. pronuba. July 19th. — Warm, moist. Acronycta rumicis (plentiful, beautiful varieties), Mamestra abjecta, Noctua baia, N. festiva, Hadena contigua (common), H. pisi, H. adusta, A. lunigera (common), T’. derasa, C. matura (cytherea, common), M. bicoloria (furuncula), Apamea basilinea, Caradrina quadripunctata (cubicu- laris), and, at light, Plusia chrysitis. July 20th.—Still warm and damp. A similar list, with the addition of 7’. wnterjecta. Netted Nudaria mundana, C. fulvata, Aphomia sociella (colonella), and Hyponomeuta padellus. We fre- quently saw T’. interjecta at dusk, and as frequently missed it, owing to its partiality for bramble protection. Its russet colour was unmistakable. C. bilineata, as usual, added very materially to our netting exertions. July 21st.—Dry, temperature lower. Botys ruralis (verticalis), L. conigera, L. littoralis, A. lunigera, C. matura (cytherea), Hu- plexia lucipara, H. contigua, H. trifolit (chenopodii, worn), and HI. metitans. July 22nd.—Blew half a gale from the N.W. Dry, much colder. X. monoglypha only by the dozen; a few X. lithoxylea, H. nictitans, A. exclamationis, four specimens of C. matura (cytherea), one M. albicolon, one M. literosa, and afew L. lithargy- ria and L. pallens. July 24th.—A cold, dry evening. Poor results. A few X. monoglypha, X. lithoxylea, T. pronuba, T. ianthina, H. pisi, H. oleracea, and H. nictitans. ‘The last-mentioned was always very variable. The following are our diurnal records :— July 18th.—A wet day, devoted to setting. July 19th.—Warm and sunny. Went to the oak woods on the heights between Aberdovey and Glandovey Junction. On our right we had the sea, or rather estuary; on our left, wooded slopes, with occasional clearings green with fern or purple with blossoming heather, bosky dells, and shady delicious streams. Netted A. selene (worn), A. aglaia, A. adippe, and A. paphia (the three last abundant). Kuaxsvie.—_June 10th, Nebria brevicollis, N. gyllenhali, Patrobus hyperboreus, Carabus catenulatus, Quedius fuliginosus, Otiorhynchus scabrosus. Westmann Istzs. Huimary.—June 12th, Otiorhynchus monticola, Barynotus schonhervi, Nebria gyllenhali, Calathus melanocephalus var. nubigena, Cryptohypnus riparius, Notiophilus bipustulatus, Creophilus maaillosus, Platysma vitreus, Byrrhus fasciatus, Amara quenselii, Aphodius lapponum, Lesteva bicolor, Patrobus hyperboreus, Otiorhynchus —? Rryxyavix.—June 18th, Nebria gyllenhali, Philonthus e@neus, Calathus melanocephalus var. nubigena, Otiorhynchus monticola, Amara quenselii; June 14th, Nebria gyllenhali, Barynotus schonherri, Calathus melanocephalus var. nubigena, Otiorhynchus monticola, Patrobus hyper- boreus; June 15th, Nebria gyllenhali, Aphodius lapponum, Otiorhynchus monticola, Calathus melanocephalus var. nubigena. Enczy Isuanp.—June 14th, Nebria gyilenhali, Oryptohypnus ripa- rius, Calathus melanocephalus var. nubigena, Patrobus hyperboreus, Otiorhynchus monticola. * See pp. 310, 311. INSECTS TAKEN IN ICELAND, Etc., IN 1890. 875 First VoyaGEe RounD IcELAND. Hast Coast.—Berufjordr: June 17th, Nebria gyllenhali, Patrobus hyperboreus, Otiorhynchus monticola, Notiophilus bipustulatus, Byrrhus fasciatus. Seydistjordr: June 18th, Nebria gyllenhali, Aphodius lapponum, Byrrhus fasciatus, Otiorhynchus monticola, Barynotus schon- herri, Tropiphorus mercurialis, Patrobus hyrperboreus, Calathus melano- cephalus var. nubigena, Platysma vitreus. Nort Coast.—Akureyri: June 19th, Nebria gyllenhali, Platysma vitreus, Amara quenselii ; June 20th, Nebria gyllenhali, Amara quenselit, Otiorhynchus monticola, O. —?, Cryptohypnus riparius, Byrrhus fasciatus, Calathus melanocephalus var. nubigena, Chrysomela staphylea ; June 21st, Nebria gyllenhali, Patrobus hyperboreus, Cryptohypnus riparius, Creophilus maxillosus, Amara quenselii, Byrrhus fasctatus, Calathus melanocephalus var. nubigena, Otiorhynchus monticola, O. sca- brosus, O. ? Saudarkrok: June 22nd, Otiorhynchus monticola. West Coast.—Isaryardr: June 28rd, Agabus bipustulatus, Brady- cellus cognatus, Nebria gyllenhali. Onundafjordr: June 28rd, Otio- rhynchus monticola, Nebria gyllenhali, Amara quenselii. Dyrafjordr : June 24th, Nebria gyllenhali. Patriksfjordr: June 24th, Otiorhynchus monticola, Calathus melanocephalus var. nubigena. Stykkisholmur : June 25th, Nebria gyllenhali, Patrobus hyperboreus, Platysma vitreus, Byrrhus fasciatus, Cryptohypnus riparius, Notiophilus bipustulatus, Otio- rhynchus monticola, Calathus melanocephalus var. nubigena. Flatey Island: June 25th, Nebria gyllenhali, Byrrhus fasciatus, Amara quenselit, Otiorhynchus monticola, Calathus melanocephalus var.nubigena, Bradycellus cognatus, Philonthus sordidus. Reykjavik : June 26th, Creophilus mazillo- sus, Nebria gyllenhali, Otiorhynchus monticola, Calathus melanocephala var. nubigena, Cryptohypnus riparius ; June 28th, Nebria gyllenhali, Platysma vitreus, Creophilus maxillosus, Patrobus hyperboreus, Amara quenselit, Otiorhynchus monticola, Barynotus schonherri, Calathus melanocephalus var. nubigena ; June 80th, Nebria gyllenhali, Creophilus mazillosus, Patrobus hyperboreus, Amara quenselti, Otiorhynchus monticola, Barynotus schonherri, Calathus melanocephalus var. nubigena; July 1st, Nebria gyllenhali, Patrobus hyperboreus, Amara quenselii, Otiorhynchus monticola, Bembidium bipunctatum, Cryptohypnus riparius, Calathus melanocephalus var. nubigena. Road to Hengill Mountain: June 27th, Nebria gyllenhali, Patrobus hyperboreus, Calathus melanocephalus, var. nubigena. SrconpD VoyaGE RouND IcELAND. West Coast.—Stykkisholmur: July 8rd, Otiorhynchus monticola, Nebria gyllenhali, Amara quenselii. Arnarfjordr: July 4th, Otio- rhynchus monticola, Nebria gyllenhali, Amara quenselii, Cryptohypnus riparius, Byrrhus fasciatus, Calathus melanocephalus var. nubigena, Patrobus hyperboreus. Dyrafjordr: July 5th, Otiorhynchus monticola, Nebria gyllenhali, Amara quenselit. Nortu Coast.—Siglufjordr: July 8th, Nebria gyllenhali, Crypto- hypnus riparius, Patrobus hyperboreus, Amara quenselii, Akureyri : July 9th and 10th, Nebria gyllenhali, Philonthus @neus, Aphodius lapponum, Patrobus hyperboreus, Amara quenselii, Otiorhynchus monticola, Calathus melanocephalus var, nubigena, Husayik: July 11th, Nebria 376 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. gyllenhali, Aphodius fatidus, Amara quenselit, Calathus melanocephalus var. nubigena. : East Coast.—Vopnafjordr: July 12th, Nebria gyllenhali, Crypto- hypnus riparius, Amara quenselii, Otiorhynchus monticola, Calathus melanocephalus var. nubigena. Seydisfjordr: Nebria gyllenhali, Amara quenselit, Cryptohypnus riparius, Calathus melanocephalus var. nubigena. Eskefjordr: July 13th, Amara quenselii, Lesteva bicolor, Cryptohypnus riparius, Nebria gyllenhalt. Faroz Istzs. THorsHavn.—July 15th, Nebria brevicollis, Amara spinipes, Calathus melanocephalus var. nubigena. The three forms of Calathus melanocephalus were obtained in 1890, as follows :— Westmann Istzs, June 12th, typical 7, var. nubigena, 18. Reykjavik, June 18th, typical 2, var. nubigena 2; June 14th, typical 8, interme- diate 1, var. nubigena 3; June 15th, intermediate 4. Engey Island, June 14th, intermediate 10. First Voyace rounp IceLanp.—Seydisfjordr (EH. coast), June 18th, typical 8, var. nubigena 2, intermediate 38. Akureyri (N. coast), June 19th, typical 1, var. nubigena 2; June 20th, typical 4, intermediate 4, var. nubigena 4. Patriksfjordr (W. coast), June 24th, typical 2, inter- mediate 1. Stykkisholmur (W. coast), June 24th, typical 6, interme- diate 3, var. nubigena 5. Flatey Island (W. coast), June 25th, inter- mediate 2, var. nubigena 7. Reykjavik, June 26th, var. nubigena 1; June 28th, intermediate 2, var. nubigena 3; June 80th, typical 4, intermediate 8, var. nubigena 14; July 1st, intermediate 2, var. nubigena 2. Road to Hengill Mountain, June 27th, typical 2, inter- mediate 1, var. nubigena 5. i Szconp VoyacGE RrounD IceLanp.—Arnarfjordr (W. coast), July 4th, intermediate 5, var. nubigena 1. Akureyri (N. coast); July 10th, yar. nubigena 8. Glarafoss (N. coast), July 10th, typical 1. —Husavik (N. coast), July 11th, typical 2. Vopnafjordr (H. coast), July 12th, intermediate 1. Seydisfjordr (EH. coast), typical 8, var. nubigena 1. Farozs, July 15th, typical 1, var. nubigena 2. Total of specimens, 158: typical, 41; intermediate, 47; var. nubigena, 70. Calathus melanocephalus, as captured in 1889 :— Thingvellir, July and August, var. nubigena 2. Reykjavik, July, typical 2, intermediate 8, var. nubigena 1. Patriksfjordr, July, inter- mediate 1. Onundafjordr, July, var. nubigena 1. Saudarkrok, August, typical 1. Total 11: typical, 3; intermediate, 4; var. nubigena, 4. In Staudingeyr’s list of Iceland insects this species is termed Calathus nubigena, owing doubtless to the preponderance that he found there of that var., and to which he gave its name. In Paijkull’s list of Iceland insects the species is termed Carabus melanocephalus. DIPTERA. Sarcophaga mortuorum: Westmann Isles, June 12th; Reykjavik, June 13th and 14th; Berufjordr, June 17th; Seydisfjordr, June 18th ; INSECTS TAKEN IN ICELAND, ETC., IN 1890. 377 Akureyri, June 21st; Onundafjordr, June 23rd; Dyrafjordr, June 24th; Reykjavik, June 26th and 28th; Siglufjordr, July 8th; Akureyri, July 9th; Glarafoss, July 10th; Vopnafjordr, July 12th. Helophilus pendulus: Reykjavik, June 18th and 14th, 28th and 30th, July 1st and 2nd; Akureyri, July 9th and 10th. Sericomyia lappona: Reykjavik, July 2nd. Scatophaga litorea: Engey Island, June 14th. Fucellia fucorum: Akureyri, June 21st; Husavik, July 11th. Platy- cheirus albimanus: Seydisfjordr, June 18th. Scatella stagnalis: Reyk- javik, July 2nd. Chironomus tibialis: Reykjavik, June 13th and 14th. Scatophaga stercoraria and Calliphora erythrocephala: common every- where. Tipula confusa: Westmann Isles, June 12th; Reykjavik, June 18th and 14th; Berufjordr, June 17th; Seydisfjordr, June 18th; Isafjordr, June 28rd; Arnarfjordr, July 4th; Engey Island, June 14th. T. lunata: Thorshavn, June 9th; Reykjavik, June 13th and 14th. T. oleracea: Thorshayn, June 9th and July 15th. HYMENOPTERA. Ichneumon luctatorius: Westmann Islands, June 12th, one speci- men; Reykjavik, June 13th and 30th, one; Road to Hengill Mountain, June 27th, one. J. vaginatorius; Akureyri, July 9th, three. Pimpla aterrima: Stykkisholmur, June 25th, one; Husavik, July 11th, one. Alysia manducator: Husavik, July 11th, ten. Bombus terrestris: Akureyri, July 9th, one; Gldrafoss, July 10th, one. LEPIDOPTERA-HETEROCERA. Faroz Istzs.—Thorshavn: Chareas graminis (from chrysalis), June 9th; Coremia munitata, June 9th; C. propugnata, June 9th; Crymodes exulis, June 9th; Aphelia osseana (= pratana), July 15th. Icr~anp. — Caradrina cubicularis: Onundafjordr, June 28rd; Chareas graminis: Akureyri, July 9th and 10th. Crymodes eaulis: Stykhisholmur, June 25th; Reykjavik, June 26th; Road to Hengill Mountain, June 27th; Siglufjordr, July 8th; Akureyri, June 20th, July 9th and 10th; Dyrefjordr, July 5th. Noctua conflua: Road to Hengill Mountain, June 27th; Akureyri, July 9th and 10th. Hadena contigua?: Road to Hengill Mountain, June 27th; Akureyri, June or July. Coremia munitata: Reykjavik, June 26th and 28th; Engey, June 14th; Stykkisholmur, June 25th; Siglufjordr, July 8th; Dyrefjordr, June 24th; Isafjordr, June 23rd. Melanippe thulearia: Reykjavik, June 13th; Dyrefjordr, June 24th; Patriksfjordr, June 24th; Stykkisholmur, June 25th. M. biriviata: Reykjavik, June 18th, 26th, and 28th; Onundafjordr, July 5th; Akureyri, July 9th and 10th. Phycis fusca: July 2nd and 5th. Aphelia osseana (= pratana) : Engey, June 14th; Reykjavik, July 2nd; Dyrefjordr, July 5th; Husavik, July 11th. From pupe found under stones at Thorshavn, Flatey Island, Stykkisholmur, &c.:—The only specimens that emerged were Charaas graminis (Thorshayn), and I think it is probable that all the chrysalids were of this species. NEUROPTERA.—PHRYGANEIDE. Limnophilus griseus: Thorshayn (Faroe Isles), June 9th ; Reykjavik, June 18th, 14th, 26th, 28th, and July 2nd; First voyage round 878 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. Iceland,—Seydisfjordr, June 18th; ~ Akureyri, June 20th; Isafjordr, June 28rd ; Dyrafjordr, June 24th ; Second voyage round Iceland,— Dyrafjordr, July 5th; Siglufjordr, July 8th ; On steamer off Orkneys, July 16th. HEMIPTERA. Salda littoralis, and larve of same, Reykjavik (June 30th, prob.) ; “other larve of same species, Akureyri, prob. ORTHOPTHERA. Forficula auricularia (N.B. The earwig abounds in the Faroe Isles, but does not occur in Iceland): Thorshavn, June 9th, all very small and immature (on flowers of Caltha eu-palustris, which they had gnawed nearly down to the calyx); July 15th, under stones (Gansce ably grown in a month’s interval). ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES, CAPTURES, &c. Dr. SrauDINcER’s CoLiEction. — There is no foundation for the rumour that Dr. Staudinger desired to dispose of his collection in conse- quence of failing health. We are in a position to state that at the present time the Doctor is better in health than he has been for some years past, and that he has never had any intention of disposing of his collection. Norres From Cannock Cuasx.—lI have this year found imagines to be quite up to the average in point of numbers, though I cannot say the same of larve. In the early spring I took Brephos parthenias, Asphalia flavi- cornis, Larentia multistrigaria, and others. Visiting the Chase again during the beginning of August, I was gratified by the sight of numbers of Siilbia anomala, which were flying over the heather. It has, so far as I can dis- cover, never been taken there before. I took about 150 in-all, only three of which were females, and the majority had managed to damage themselves more or less. I also took at that time Orthosia suspecta, Hepialus sylvanus, Polia chi, Gortyna ochracea ( flavago), Crocallis elinguaria, Asthena luteata and Hupisteria obliterata (heparata), both getting worn, and Geometra papilionaria. I had to leave before Calocampa solidaginis emerged, but heard that it occurred abundantly. Hupithecta nanata and E. minutata occurred plentifully among the heather, and I got larve of EH. pulchellata from foxglove; it had, however, entirely deserted its old haunts, though there were plenty of foxgloves. I got my larve from a garden on the edge of the Chase. I paid another visit in September, and devoted my energies to larve. From young poplar trees I got Dicranura bifida and Notodonta dictea. I beat an immense nnmber of birch trees with but meagre results— Notodonta dicteoides, N. dromedarius, Lophopteryx camelina, Drepana lacer- tinaria and D. falcataria, Cymatophora duplaris and Asphalia flavicornis, Hadena adusta, and Geometra papilionaria dropping into my umbrella, at long intervals, one at a time. I got about thirty larvee of the above in all. I also got three or four Amphidasys betularia, usually common enough. With regard to this insect, I have found that all the larve from the Chase, and which are birch-feeders, produce the var. doubledayaria, while the lime- feeding larve I get in Rugeley—about 1} mile from the Chase—almost NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 379 invariably produce the normal form. The “ Huddersfield soot theory ” evi- dently will not do here. Possibly the nutritious value of the food has something to do with it. Cabera pusaria and Phalera bucephala were both abundant, the latter unusually so. Ragwort yielded Hupithecia absynthiata and E.. castigata, and I also got E. frawinata, E. assimilata, and E.. exiguata. One of the chief prizes of the district, viz. Acronycta leporina, was con- spicuous by its absence, which applies also to Panolis piniperda, usually fairly plentiful. I heard that Cosmia paleacea (fulvago) had been turned up on the Chase this year by a Birmingham entomologist. This makes another addition to the already long list of insects to be found there. I believe it is stated that the brown form of the larva of N. dictea only occurs after the last moult. I have taken a large number of these larve, and I find, if they are kept in a box or case, the interior of which is not well lighted, every larva, irrespective of size, will become brown, or at any rate much more brown than they originally were; irrespective of size and age, the younger individuals do not assume such a dark and well-marked brown coat as their seniors, but the yellow line on each side disappears, and the whole larva becomes a dirty yellow in colour. At the end of the season, about the beginning of October, when the poplar leaves become scanty and yellowish in colour, the larve rest mostly on the twigs, and even when feeding they insure their safety by retaining a hold on a twig by means of their anal claspers. ‘These larve are all, or nearly all, of the brown type, and some will be found that have not undergone their last moult. These larvee may be found full fed from the end of July to the middle of October, _ and this also applies to the larve of N. dictwoides. They do not seem to be double-brooded, as I have never bred the perfect insect-in the autumn from the early larvee. I have found the imago of N. dictgoides in good condition as late as the 7th of September. I have never, however, taken an imago of JN. dictea, plentiful though the larve are about Rugeley. At this present time (October 3rd) I have half-grown specimens of both N. dictea and N. dicteoides, and I got both full fed the first week in yetleste —Ricuarp Freer; St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, W. Nrw Forrest Notes. —I have read with much interest Mr. H. G. Alderson’s notes on his experiences at Lyndhurst during the last week of June (Kntom. 258); and now forward a few observations concerning the Lepidoptera seen by me from the 13th to 26th July, in the same neighbour- ‘ hood. The weather during the first half of my stay was very unsettled, but it improved greatly afterwards, and the result was, consequently, rather more encouraging than that recorded by your correspondent. 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