102 The Scottish Naturalist. 



species at Moncreiffe on birch, and I have reared one fine 

 specimen from a larva found by him. Dictnea also occurs in 

 the immediate neighbourhood, but not within the precincts of 

 which I am treating. 



Lophopteryx camelina is a common insect on Moncreiffe 

 Hill, from loo feet upwards. It varies considerably in shades. 

 of colour, from light brick to dark red brown. It appears in 

 May and June. 



Ptridea treptda. — I bred a fine female of this insect from a 

 larva beaten off oak, at an altitude of 300 feet, in 1874, the 

 only time it has been recorded as occurring here, I believe. 



Pygcera bucephala. — The larva of this moth was common 

 here at one time, I am told, and was very destructive to the 

 foliage of the trees which it attacked. Since I commenced 

 collecting, however, in 1870, it has been scarce, and I have not 

 even been able to obtain a set. I can give no reason for its 

 disappearance. 



Dasychira lyudibunda. — I reared a specimen of this insect 

 in 1870, but as I did not know the larva by sight, and was 

 rearing other larvae at the time, which my son had brought 

 from England, I cannot be quite certain that I gathered the 

 larva of pudibimda at Moncreiffe. Although it is my firm 

 opinion that I did so, I shall omit it in the meantime. I 

 think it will prove to be resident here yet, as I feel confident I 

 saw one on the wing on another occasion. 



Porthcsia chrysorrhwa. — When not out collecting at night, I 

 am in the habit of sitting with my study window open, and the 

 gas burning as brightly as I can make it, keeping a good 

 look-out for visitors. The only specimen of P. chrysm^rhma 

 which has been taken anywhere in this locality landed on the 

 middle of my writing-table, on the night of the 28th of June, 

 1872. I just managed to bang down the window in time to 

 prevent his departure, as he did not seem to like his quarters. 

 Where this specimen can have come from is a mystery to me, 

 as if the insect breeds anywhere in the neighbourhood, Mr. 

 Herd or I would most probably have ferreted it out. It is 

 very curious how instances occur of occasional specimens 

 being taken in a locality where they are not known to occur 

 again. 



Gnophria ruhricollis. — This is an insect which appears to 

 have departed from among us without good cause. Mr. Herd 

 used to take it on Moncreiffe Hill 10 years ago, and Dr. 



