LEPIDOPTERA OBSERVED IN 1893. 75 



Brickct Wood present sueli an appearance of devastation as tlicy 

 did in June, the larvie of that destructive little green moth, Tortrix 

 viridana, literally eating up every green leaf on some of the trees. 

 A shake brought dovrn (luite a shower of both larvte and pupaj of 

 this species. Mr. Arthur Lewis and I took a considerable number 

 of larvie of the feathered thorn moth {Ilimera pcnnaria)^ and also of 

 the curious-looking larvae of the purple hairstreak [Thecla qiiercm). 

 In June Mr. W. H. Shaw, who was then living in Clifton Street, 

 St. Albans, brought me a number of small larva?, which turned out 

 to be those of Cerostoma xylosteUa, one of the Tinea3. It was a 

 pale yellowish-green creature, with a broad brownish-red stripe all 

 along the back ; it fed on honeysuckle, and proved a great pest. 

 It crept into the house to pupate, seeking such convenient places 

 as the hollows in the mouldings of the doors and window-friimes 

 wherein to spin its boat-shaped cocoon. The moth is a pretty one. 

 On May 15th I found the larva of the large emerald moth feeding 

 on bii'ch at Brickct Wood. Unfortunately the moth emerged a 

 hopeless cripple. Mr. Arthur Lewis obtained the larvae of 

 Pterostoma palpina on a sallow in his garden. A curious instance 

 of the power which certain species have to change their colour 

 in order to adapt themselves to their suiToundings, came under 

 my notice. A number of larvae of the peppered moth [Amphidasys 

 letularia) were reared from the e^^, separated into two lots, and 

 placed in large-mouthed glass bottles. One lot was fed on birch, 

 which has a brown shining stem, and the other on the false acacia 

 {Rohiuia pseudo-acacia), which has green petioles. Those which 

 fed on bii'ch became of a dark shining brown colour, while the 

 others were a bright green, the larvae assuming in each case the 

 tint of the stem or leaf -stalk of the plant on which they were feeding. 



I am pleased to be able to report that I have received communi- 

 cations from several fresh correspondents this year. Lists of 

 captures in their several localities have been sent by Colonel 

 Gillum, East Barnet ; Mr. S. H. Spencer, jun., Gladstone Eoad, 

 AVatford ; and Mr. Xoel Heaton, Sans Souci, Watford. 



Mr. S. H. Spencer's list of captures includes Notodonta dictcea 

 (larva), Asteroscojms sphinx, Busy chira pud ihunda, Selenia illustraria 

 {tetralunaria), Pseudoterpna pruinata, Phorodesma piustulata, Ligdia 

 adustata, Cheimatohia boreata, EmmeJesia affinitata, PJupethecia 

 minutata, Plithalapteryx tersata, P. vifalhata, Scotosia rhamnata, 

 Cidaria silaceata, Acronycta rumicis, CaJamia liitosa, Ceriyo maiura, 

 Luperina cespitis, Apamea oplnogramma, Ayrotis puta, Bianilmcia 

 carpopliaga, Hadena dissimilis, H. getiistcs, and Hahrostola triplasia. 

 Kyssia hispidaria he took several specimens of, on oak trees in 

 Cassiobury Park, but unfortunately it was not found again this 

 year, at least Mr. Cutts and I searched for it in vain, and Mr. 

 Spencer tells me that he was equally unsuccessful. Several rare 

 moths were taken by Mr. Spencer at the electric light at Messrs. 

 Andre and Sleigh's Works at Bushey, and also on the street lamps. 

 He has reared Loplwpteryx camelina from ova fi'om Biicket Wood, 

 Bicranura bifida from ova found on aspen, Leucoma salicis from 



