196 A. E. GIBBS — NOTES ON LEPIDOPTEEA 



plays havoc with tlie foliage. Along the streams the water-betonj 

 is also infested by it. Mr. Buller in 1891 sent to me from Welwyn 

 half a dozen pupae of this moth enclosed in their earthen cocoons, 

 but only one emerged. In a note on rearing these insects Mr. 

 Latchmore writes : "On the water-betony they thrive splendidly, 

 and attain a large size. I get a plant of betony and put it in 

 water. This does not then require re-planting. They finish off 

 by eating the top shoot, after they have changed their skin for the 

 last time. When this is done they will invariably commit suicide 

 if not removed to a box of earth. I often keep larva3 in the yard 

 at the back of my house, and after watching them grow up let 

 them wander away to pupate." The same observer sent to me a 

 number of specimens of the five-spotted bumet-moth {Zygcena 

 trifolii), which, as usual, was abundant in a marshy common at 

 Ippollytts, and at Oughton Head, Hitchin. 



Mr. Gatward, of Hitchin, took two larvte of the pebble-prominent 

 {Notodonta ziczac) on a weeping-willow at Hitchin, and he success- 

 fully reared them. Mr. Arthur Lewis took a pale prominent 

 {Pterosioma palpina) creeping about the branches of an oak tree 

 in his grounds. He also found a caterpillar of an apple green 

 colour, which turned out to be the large ranunculus-moth [Polia 

 Jlavocincta), eating the leaves of the ivy covering his house. This 

 larva seems to feed upon a variety of low-growing plants, such as 

 chickweed and groundsel. I^ewman says that the full-fed cater- 

 pillar rests in an almost straight position, with its head slightly 

 tucked in, but falls off its food-plant and forms a rather loose ring 

 when annoyed. Mr. Lewis has secured a nice series of specimens 

 of the moth from these caterpillars. One of the best captures 

 made by him was that of two fine specimens of the bird-wing moth 

 {Bipterygia scahriuscula) at sugar in the garden. The occurrence 

 of this rare moth is interesting as it is new to the neighbourhood, 

 though not to the county. I hope that during the coming summer 

 it may occur again. Mr. Lewis also tells me that he took that 

 pretty moth, the white-spotted pinion ( Calymnia diffinis) at sugar 

 at Sparrowswick, St. Albans. In 1891 I took a single specimen 

 of this at Bricket Wood, and Mr. Lewis had previously taken it at 

 St. Michael's, St. Albans, but it is a moth which ought to be 

 fairly common with us, and no doubt would not prove to be scarce 

 if sought for in the right places. It is recorded by other collectors. 

 Among other insects in Mr. Lewis's cabinet, all of which he tells 

 me he took at St. Michael's, are the frosted green {Asphalia ridens), 

 taken while flying round a lamp, the lilac beauty {PericaUia 

 syringaria), the straw underwing [Cerigo maturd), and the double- 

 lobed moth [Apamea ophiogramma), which has also been taken by 

 Mr. J. E. K. Cutts, of Watford. 



Mr. Cutts was singularly fortunate in his captures last year. 

 Amongst other rare insects taken by liim was the miller (^Acronycta 

 leporina), a larva of which he found on a fence in Langley Iload. 

 He made a hole in a cork for it to pupate in, and it enlarged 

 the hole and used it. Neuria reticulata and Aplecta advena he took 



