OBSERVED IN HEETFOTlDSniEE IN 1894. 191 



I have taken two or three specimens at " sugar." The only other 

 observer who has recorded it is Mr, Bowyer, who has found it on 

 Hertford Heath. 



The handsome catei-pillars of the mullein-moth ( Cucidlia verhasci) 

 were observed by Mr. Harold Gatward, of Hitchin, feeding on 

 a mullein plant in his garden in Tilehouse Street. Mr. Cutts has 

 also taken the larva of this insect abundantly on mulleins at his 

 residence at IN'ascot Wood, Watford. The allied species, the water- 

 betony moth (C. scrophularm), was, as usual, very abundant on the 

 plant from which it takes its name, at Ickleford and other water- 

 side places in the north of the county. It is not easy to determine 

 these two moths in their perfect state. Mr. Cutts records the 

 capture of a specimen of the chamomile shark-moth ( C. chamomilloi) 

 at Nascot Wood. This is the second record for Hertfordshire. He 

 also adds the treble-bar moth {Anaitis plagiata) to his Watford list. 



When searching some sallow-bushes for kitten-moths in July, 

 Mr. Latchmore found several beautiful cocoons which contained 

 very black-looking chrysalises. One moth had not emerged. A 

 few days later he was delighted to find in the box a specimen 

 of the herald-moth ( Gonoptera libairix). Mr. Latchmore says : 

 "I cannot conceive of a more beautiful insect than this is on its 

 emergence fi*om the pupa state." 



The common silver Y-moth {Plusia gamma) was remarkably 

 abundant in the autumn in my garden at Avenue House, St. Albans. 

 I had a number of plants of Lilium auratum in flower, and they 

 proved to be very attractive to these species, several moths being 

 frequently seen in a blossom at the same time. I did not notice 

 that other species were attracted by the lilies. 



A very pretty insect is the least-yellow underwing {Heliaca 

 ienehrata), of which Mr. Spencer and his friend Mr. Wigg caught 

 four specimens on the 14th of May at Bricket Wood, a locality in 

 which I captured it ten or twelve years ago. They were flying 

 over the blossoms of the wild strawberry and several other small 

 flowers. This species appears to be generally distributed through- 

 out the county, though it is nowhere very abundant. 



One bitterly cold evening in October Mr. Latchmore took at 

 "sugar," at Grove Mill, a fine specimen of the red underwing 

 ( Vatocala niipta). This insect he reports as being quite common 

 at Hitchin, by the water-side. On the 26th of March Mr. Spencer, 

 who, like myself, was at Bricket Wood in the day-time with the 

 net, caught a specimen of the orange underwing (Brephos par- 

 thenias), and saw several more flying among the sallows and birch 

 bushes. I also caught sight of this insect, but as it flies very liigli 

 it is not easy to capture it. This moth appears in our record-book 

 as having been captured at Haileybury, Hertford, and East Barnet. 

 It is a good insect for the cabinet, its imder- wings having a 

 striking orange tint, and its fore-wings being of a reddish colour. 



Mr. Spencer records the occun-ence of the bordered white 

 {Ihipalus piniaria) at Chipperfield Common on the 30th of June. 

 He writes: "I saw this insect flying in considerable numbers 



