The Scottish Naturalist. 117 



May 16 — Scopelosoma salellida, hybernated ; poor specimen. 



May 23 — Cidaria siiffumata, 4 days later than last two years. 



May 23 — Pieris rapce, about the same time as formerly, but smaller. 



May 28 — Fidonia atoinaria, 6 days sooner than in former years ; females 

 appearing two days before the males. 



June I — Pieris brassiccc, earlier than usual, and smaller. 



June 1 — Cabera exatitheinaria^ newly out of chrysalis ; two days earlier than 

 last year. 



June I — Eudidia mi, 7 days earlier than last two years ; in fine condition. 



June I — Euchlo'e cardamincs. As I only took this for the first time last 

 July, I cannot give its time in former years. This and the last three were 

 seen by me going to church ; but the beauty of cardaniines overcame the 

 sanctity of the day — with hat in hand I captured it. — ROBERT Renton, 

 Fans, Earlston. 



Notes on ' The Lepidoptera of Moncreiffe Hill.' Thecla rubi. — The diffi- 

 culty about the food-plant is very puzzling. Vacciniiim (blaeberry) seems to 

 me altogether improbable ; and bramble I believe to have been an absolute 

 blunder from the first. Is there no Genista anglica or broom near ? I should 

 think Lotus comiculatiis or L. major not improbable, and even Ornithopus, or 

 any vetch, more likely than Vacciniiim. 



[Orjiitkopiis is too local a plant in Scotland to be more than an occasional 

 food-plant, if even that ; Genista anglica and broom are often not within miles 

 of the places frequented by Thecla rubi ; Lotus is more likely, but even it is not 

 present always where the insect is. All I can affirm on the matter is that 

 Vaccinium ?fiyrtillus (blaeberry) has almost, if not quite, invariably been pres- 

 ent where Thecla rubi occurred, and been, in fact, the plant of the locality. 

 This is Sir T. Moncreiffe's experience as well as mine. I wish some one 

 who has an opportunity would obtain eggs of Thecla rubi and try the larvae 

 on Vaccinium, Sec. — Editor ' Scottish Naturalist.'] 



Apamea unanimis. — The late Mr Newman's remark on this being 'larger 

 than geinina ' is evidently a blunder. 



Miana fascitincida. — It is very curious that the varieties should inhabit 

 distinct localities. Usually they are mixed together, but the paler specimens 

 are frequently females. 



To find A gratis obeli sea, Noctua depuncta, and N. ditrapezium, all in the 

 same place is really wonderful, and upsets our ideas of distribution a good 

 deal. 



Anchocelis lunosa comes best to light. 



Plusia gatnvia feeds up at all times in the autumn and winter, and seems 

 to take the first favourable chance of emerging. I have found a spun-up 

 pupa in December, and the moth has appeared in a fortnight; yet I hardly 

 think the perfect insects hybernate or survive a severe frost, 



Mr Herd's discovery that Llybernia 7-upicapraria i carries its 9? if not a 

 mistake, is a most interesting one. Is it certain that he did not sweep the 

 pair accidentally from overhanging bushes ? I do not say that it is impossible, 

 but such a circumstance is hardly known in any creature. I have supposed 

 that the larvae of these species with apterous females must sometimes travel, 

 and so distribute themselves. 



Professor Zeller still doubts the distinctness of Oporabia dilutaria and 

 O. autumnaria, but I think that Dr Buchanan White has proved it. 



