^6 The Irish Naturalist. April, 



to Windsor Avenue, as I have had the flocks timed from my office to my 

 home with the aid of the telephone. 



It is extraoi-dinary with what regularity they keep to this route, for 

 they have no regular leader, but just fly haphazard. Still they all have a 

 fixed idea as when to leave home each morning and when to return in the 

 evening. 



W. H. Workman, m.b.o.u. 

 Lismore, Windsor, Belfast. 



Mamestra persicariae and Aporophyla nigra. 



There is a record in C. G. Barrett's Lepidoptera and also in the B.N.F.C. 

 Guide for the capture at Rostrevor of Mamestra persicariae, which I fear 

 is incorrect, and which arose in the following way. In 1891 I spent a 

 couple of months, August and September, in that district and used to 

 work for moths up the hill above Kilbroney, searching especially ragweed 

 bloom. There I met with Triphoena fimbria, Cosmia trapezina, and 

 made my first acquaintance with N. glareosa. But one night two black 

 moths made their appearance on a ragweed flower ; I missed both, 

 however, in my excitement. The next night, to my delight, they were 

 there again and both were captured. On my return to Belfast, Dean 

 Bristow came over to take notes of my collection for some list about 

 to be published (no doubt Kane's List of the Lepidoptera of Ireland). 

 Seeing the two specimens he was doubtful what they were, but finally 

 named them as Mamestra persicariae, and took a note of their capture 

 at Rostrevor, Co. Down. They are both rather rubbed, as they were 

 exceedingly restless and nearly escaped me, but I have them still in my 

 collection. But as far as I can make out they are not Mamestra 

 persicariae at all, but Aporophyla nigra. Since then I have met with 

 nigra on the county Down coast, two specimens turning up at Kircubbin, 

 and September last I captured another resting on the flowers of Tritoma 

 at Strangford. So unless there is some other Rostrevor record for 

 persicariae, I fear this one must go. However, we have instead for 

 nigra, the County Down coast generally. 



(Rev.) G. Foster. 

 Strangford. 



Kerry Moths. 



Bapta bimaculata. According to Barrett this geometer has not been 

 recorded from Ireland ; and Kane (Catalogue of Lepidoptera, p. 105) 

 expresses a belief that Birchall's record of it as abundant at Killarney 

 was erroneous. However, it is quite abundant at Caragh Lake, Co. 

 Kerry, at least it was so a few years ago. But it is stated to be an un- 

 certain species, one year abundant, and then disappearing ; so I may 

 have chanced on its year. With bimaculata, its near relative temerata 

 is also abundant in the same locality, as already recorded. But 



