1907. Notes. 161 



Lepidoptera in the North of Ireland during 1906. 



I saw my first butterfly of the year on April 2nd, Vanessa urticce. and a 

 week later observed Pieris rupee on the wing. In the same month I took 

 Anticlea badiata and Larentia casiaia in my own grounds. Pararge egeria 

 put in an appearance on May 2nd, and Euckloe cardamines on the 10th. 

 On Jure 16th I captured a very battered Painted L,ady {V. cardui) in one 

 of my fields, and a few days afterwards while out driving saw r another 

 specimen, but this was very perfect. At Newcastle, Co. Down, on July 

 27th, Graylings {Satyrus semele) were abundant, also the Common Blue 

 (Polyommatus icatus). I got several larvae of /'.- cardui on thistles, which I 

 brought home and endeavoured to rear, but failed in every case, as the 

 larvae had been attacked by a Braconid, which Mr. Claude Mode}- says is 

 probably Apanteles vaness<? t Reich. It was curious that all should have 

 been affected, for Mr L. Bouaparte-Wyse tells me that of those he bred 

 in Waterford none were affected by the parasite. I was glad to get a 

 couple of specimens of Argynnis ag/aia, as I had not seen this Fritillary 

 since I caught it many years ago at Castlerock. I saw but could not 

 capture a Humming-bird Moth (Matrogiossa stellataruni), and curiously 

 enough I saw another on that day two mouths, Sept. 27th, while driving 

 from Carlingford to O'Meath. Zygaena loniccnv and Z. filipendulce were 

 pretty abundant. Besides these I captured Agrotis valligera, Anailis plagiata, 

 Cidariafulvata, Acidalia aversata, and Gnop/ios obscurata. I was very favour- 

 ably impressed with the locality for L,epidoptera, and no doubt an 

 entomologist staying in Newcastle for three or four weeks w r ould reap a 

 rich harvest of insects. 



Sugar was a dreadful failure, and finally I gave it up in despair. I was 



not, however, without some compensation, for I took at sugar a pair 



of Aporophyla nigra, a moth which Barrett (•' British L,epidoptera," vol. iv., 



p. 280), records as very rare in Ireland and usually on the coast, and 



gives as localities the neighbourhood of Dublin, Kerry, Gal way, Donegal, 



and Antrim. Besides these I took Noctna glareosa, Helotropa fibrosa, Miana 



literosa, Triphana fimbria, Caly?nnia trapezina, and very dark specimens of 



Xylophasia ?/ionog/ypha } Apaviea oculea, and Cidaria russala. I also took 



sitting on the trunk of a pine tree near the sugar a specimen of Depres- 



sari a arendla. 



W. F. Johnson. 

 Poyntzpass. 



Late departure of a House-martin. 



On Sunday, November T8th last, a House-martin {Chelidon urbica) was 

 seen at 2 p.m. flying close to Beech wood House. It circled round a few 

 times, and then turning to the south gradually disappeared from view. 

 Both the House-martin and Swallow leave us, as a rule, in October, and 

 it is only rarely a straggler is seen so late in November. 



J. Trumbui^i,. 

 Malahide. 



