286 THE entomologist's record. 



tinted purple like the flower, looked exactly like a couple of florets. 

 These spiders are very common, and account for a goodly number of 

 butterflies. Their normal colour is white, but they are capable of 

 assuming the hue of almost any flower in a short time, and are thus 

 enabled to trap any insect visitor to the flower. Three of my nostra- 

 damns were found thus entrapped, but, fortunately, they were quite 

 suitable for cabinet purposes. Erynnis alceae is frequent from May 

 to August, but by far the most abundant Urbicolid is TInjmelicus acteon., 

 which is to be met with in great plenty. Here it is really at home, 

 and one may see little parties of ten and twenty together dashing 

 about the lanes and vineyards at a great pace. In Italy the butterfly 

 seems to be more or less gregarious in habit, and large numbers may 

 be found together at dusk roosting on rye and barley stems or on 

 grasses. 



Amongst the Heterocera the most noticeable species is Sesia stella- 

 tarum, which is in the greatest plenty, and is found in every month of 

 the year. It is very fond of flying along walls in the hottest afternoon 

 sunshine and of settling there to bask. The latter habit gives oppor- 

 tunities for the lizards and geckos which they are not slow to seize. 

 Phryxus livornica is common in some seasons in June, and flies in the 

 bright sunshine as well as at dusk. Ayrius convolvidi is common in 

 the same month over flowers at dusk, and I have netted several in the 

 short Italian twilight at a single patch of flowers. Coscinia striata is 

 common in May and June in the vicinity of barley and corn fields ; 

 and on the rough ground by the coast Heliothis armiyera swarms at 

 the same time at the flowers of Melissa, which are also beloved of 

 Acontia luctuosa, A. urania, and A. lucida. The same ground produces 

 Emmelia trabealis, Rhodostrophia sicanaria, as well as Nenwria pulmen- 

 taria, of which I took a female in May last, and obtained therefrom a 

 batch of ova. The larvas of this species are said by Spuler to feed on 

 Peucedanum, Buplenrum, and other Unibelliferae, but, in the absence of 

 these plants, I had to try them with other pabulum, and found that, 

 they fed up readily on southernwood ("old man"). The imagines 

 bred from these ova appeared at the end of July. Grammodes alyira 

 and Leiicanitis stolida are to be found in the weedy lanes, and occasion- 

 ally a huge male Satumia pyri flies in to light. Large forms of 

 Synto)nis plieyea and Antlirocera purpuralis are to be taken near 

 the harbour, and everywhere one meets with Plusia yamma. Arctia 

 villica is common in early May, and is frequently disturbed during 

 the day when one is working for butterflies. At such a time 

 it will rise from the herbage and fly considerable distances before- 

 settling down again. Larvae from ova laid on May 10th last, are now 

 going into hybernation, not one of them having fed up this summer. 

 I have not been able to induce them to eat anything since early in 

 August. Pacinjyastna trifolii is common in the larval state on low 

 plants. I once came across about a dozen larvse of a Noctuid feeding on 

 Spanish broom which closely resembled the larva of our Hadena pisi 

 in coloration, but were as big as fuUgrown larvffi of Miutas tiliae.. 

 Unfortunately, owing to the vicissitudes of travel, they perished before 

 I got back home, and I have never yet succeeded in finding out to- 

 what species they belonged. 



