310 ENTOMOLOGY. 



Acherontia atropos. — A fine specimen of the Death's Head Hawk Moth 

 was taken last month by Mr. J. C. Browne, in a field near here, and yesterday 

 a boy brought me three chrysalides of the same moth, which he had found 

 while lifting potatoes. — W. G. Gibson, Dumfries, October 15th., 1858. 



Catocala nupta. — I can confirm what Mr. Crewe says of this insect 

 flying about in the day-time, and fast they do fly. I used to see them 

 thus at East Garston, near Lambourne, Berkshire, some five-and-twenty years 

 ago; starting off, if you approached them, from some grey old lichen-covered 

 barn-door or bridge, to which their grey colour, when the upper wings are 

 closed over the lower, closely assimilates. They always, however, gave me 

 the idea of only flying about thus when alarmed, and not of their own 

 accord for pleasure or food. — F. O. Morris, Nunburnholme Bectory, November 

 2nd., 1858. 



Stay at Some. — I have not for a long time seen a more useful paper than 

 the short and homely one with the above title, by Mr. Crewe, in the October 

 number. Every entomologist must agree with him, and say "crede experto." 

 Many is the time* one has missed good things, or at all events good specimens, 

 at one's own door, by going to a distance in search of something better. How 

 often too are good specimens wasted, or rather how often have they been, 

 by being dried up before the day is over, though this may be safely avoided 

 by the adoption of the method recommended in the "Aphorismata" published 

 with my "History of British Butterflies." How often too, while going to a 

 distance for "scarce articles," not perhaps after all to be obtained, are the 

 common species that might be caught in one's own garden, or the adjoining 

 lane or field, left until it is too late to obtain good specimens, or any at all, 

 and the cabinet is disfigured by worn-out or badly-set ones, while it might 

 have been set off by fresh and fine ones; little or nothing having been after 

 all gained to make amends, by the acquisition of "Crewe's Catalogue of 

 Barities," with which the present Mr. Crewe is right in having nothing to do 

 to the disparagement of home treasures. — F. O. Morris, October 14th., 1858. 



Eupithecia assimilata. — Eor the last two or three years I have devoted a 

 good deal of time to observing the habits of the larva? of the genus Eupithecia, 

 and a more interesting family it is impossible to conceive. I have bred and 

 taken the larva of some twenty species. I had never seen the larva of E. 

 assimilata, and so yesterday I thought I would try if I could not turn up 

 this species in Derbyshire, and following Mr. Logan's advice, I set to work 

 inspecting the black currant bushes in the kitchen garden. I had only been 

 at work half an hour when the dinner-bell rung, but had the satisfaction of 

 taking home a bag of sixteen. I have been at work again to-day, and not 

 without success. Some of the larva; are still quite small. — H. Haerur Crewe, 

 Breadsall Bectory, near Derby, October 14th., 1858. 



Acronycta alni. — I have just become the fortunate possessor of two pupse 

 of this rare insect. The larva; were both found by my father in July, in 

 this parish, (Breadsall,) crawling up some gate-posts. They spun up imme- 

 diately just on the surface of the earth. — Idear 



