THE RRITISII LIPARID MOTHS. 125 



tufts, which are the characters chiefly responsible for the similarity of 

 appearance, are present on the 2n(l and Srd thoracic segments, which 

 arc usually weak in Liparid larvas, and, in no case of which I ajn 

 aware, do they bear tufts. The importance of the anterior over the 

 posterior trapezoidals, the strength of the 8th abdominal segment, the 

 close proximity of the anterior trapezoidals and their great size on this 

 segment, and the possible greater importance of the 2nd and 3rd 

 thoracic segments (judging by their bearing both dorsal and lateral 

 tufts), are traits which are frequently developed in species arising from 

 the Lasiocampid stirps. 



{To be continued.) 



Tephrosia bistortata and T. crepuscularia in the Northern Counties. 



I have only taken two specimens of T. I'lrpuandrnia [Jiinnilnlaria) 

 in this neighbourhood. This was about eighteen years ago, and I 

 believe they were taken between May 20th-21th. Strange to say, I 

 have collected over the same piece of ground every year, many times 

 in the season, since, and I have never seen another specimen of the 

 species, nor have I seen one in any of the collections in this 

 neighbourhood of either of these species, therefore they must be ex- 

 tremely scarce in this locality. — J. Finlay, Meldon Park, Morpeth. 

 (This note was written Sept. 15th, 1896.— En.). 



I took T. crcpuHcularia (hinndnlaria) at rest on the moor at Wolsing- 

 ham, in June, 1895. This was in the immediate neighbourhood of 

 largo pine woods. — W. Milburn, Darlington. 



The following are the dates on which I have captured the species. In 

 1895, April 29th, 4 7'. ab. dclaiiu-rcnsis, and 1 typical ; April SOth, 2 7'. ab. 

 dclti)iifnnisis,iim\r) typical; ]\Iay2nd, 1 T.ah.drlaiiii'roisis, P, tyjncal : iVIay 

 Brd, 4 typical ; J\Iay 6th, 1 T. ab. ddaineirusis, 2 typical ; May 8th, 2 

 T. ab. diia)iic)ynsis, 1 typical ; May 9th, 2 T. ab. ddaiiirrrnsis, 2 typical, 1 

 pale ; May 14th, 4 7'. ab. dilainciriisis, 2 typical, 1 pale. Those all 

 occurred in a small space, less than 100 yards in length and 80 in 

 breadth. In 1896, T. rrcjnisrulaiia [hiu)ididari<i) was very .scarce. 

 I made several expeditions, but the total number scon wiis : —2 males, 

 type form, 1 female very pale, 1 dark male and 1 female. I find 

 the species almost invariably on fir or alder, generally from one to 

 two feet from the ground, the pale forms generally on fir and the 

 dark on alder. — (Rev.) C. D. Ash, B.A., Skipworth Vicarage, Selby. 



I do not think that both species occur in the neighbourhood of Rother- 

 ham. Our specimens occur from the latter end of March until late in 

 July, and the late ones are usually the darker. I have bred from both 

 the light and dark forms, and have* obtained dark and light specimens 

 from both forms of the female. My cabinet series of 7'. bistiirtatu is 

 from N. Devon ; the specimens are certainly much browner than 

 those we get here. Referring to actual dates, I find I have taken 

 T. ncjiusruliiria (hiundiddiiti), at Edlington, as early as March 2nd, 

 and as late as July 29th, but should .say the middle of April to the 

 middle of May is about the time when the insect is most plentiful in 

 average years. Although July 29th is an abnormally late date for this 

 species, my observations lead me to believe that there is only one 

 brood in this district ; there is no interval that I have observed, and wo 



