OBSERVED IN HERTFORDSHIRE IX 1893. 81 



to find it in a field ncai* Rouse Barn Lane, Watford, where it 

 is generally pleutifid. Mr. Spencer had a somewhat similar 

 experience. I have taken it flyiuii,- witli the common hurnet-moth 

 in a field between Green Street and Theobald Street, near Elstree. 



In the summer Mr. Cutts found the larvae of the cinnabar- moth 

 {Euchelia jacohmce) in great abundance near his house. He sent 

 some to Mr. A. Lewis, which were nearly all " stung," but those 

 I got fi'om the same place are now in the chrysalis state and 

 appear to be fi'ee from this infestation. Mr. Heaton says that he 

 finds the moth in only one field of small area, and has only taken 

 one specimen elsewhere. I do not find this species to be very 

 common at St. Albans, but I heard of several specimens being seen 

 last year. 



In my last year's report I alluded to the discovery of a large 

 number of the larvae of the goat-moth (Cossus ligniperda) at 

 Hitchin by Mr. Latchmore. He was good enough to send me 

 some of them, which duly pupated, and, in June last, emerged. 



A larva of Aeronijcta aliii was taken by Mr. Pilbrow, of Colney 

 Heath, upon "acacia" on the lawn at Oaklands in July. He searched 

 very closely, but failed to find another. Being unable to find the 

 proper food for it, it died. Mr. Bowyer, of Haileybury, reports with 

 reference to this moth: " A larva of A. alni was brought to me 

 and at once entered a thistle stem. On looking at it to-day 

 (7th Feb., 1894) I find that it died without pupating. This 

 was new to our Haileybury list." I was last year able to report 

 two other records of the occurrence in Hertfordshire of this rare 

 moth. Mr. Bowyer was also fortunate in securing another rarity 

 in the great prominent {Notodonta trepida), which has only been 

 recorded for one other Hertfordshire locality, viz. Sandridge, where 

 it was taken by Mr. A. F. Griffith. Mr. Bowyer says : "I bred 

 from the egg a fine series of iY. trepida. The female was caught 

 in one of our dormitories in 1892." 



Mr. Pilbrow tells me that though he has not found {\\e puss-moth 

 {Bicranura vinula) at Colney Heath, ho has seen traces of it. I get 

 it occasionally at St. Albans. Mr. Cutts, of Silverdell, Nascot 

 Wood Road, Watford, says : " Judging from the way in which 

 the foliage was eaten, D. vinula must have been fairly common 

 on my poplars. I did not notice them until just upon full-fed, 

 but 1 have three pupae from the larvae I took, and have since 

 found two others in the garden." Messrs. Latchmore and Gatward 

 tell me that the larvae were found on some weeping-willow trees 

 at the Hitchin Town Cemetery. The same recorders also report 

 that several prominents were taken last season on the same trees. 

 In hunting for kitten cocoons on the bark of willows and poplars 

 Mr. Latchmore met with no success nntil February 8th of this 

 year, when after infinite labour he dug out two specimens, which, 

 he says, "may after all be ichneumoned," and he continues : "You 

 disturb some queer creatures in tearing ofi: the bark of these trees 

 with a ' jemmy.' The other day I exposed beetles in great numbers 

 and of brilliant colours, ladybirds, a queen wasp, and some luminous 



VOL. vm. PART III. 6 



