240 THE entomologist's record. 



twelvemontha I have bred several specimens of ab. centralipuncta, n.ab., 

 a form of Jiavofasciata in which the costa, instead of having three 

 black blotches, has only one, and that situated above the discal spot. 

 The whole insect has thus a very light appearance, especially as the 

 discal spot is, as a rule, strongly developed. A very striking form of 

 ab. hitea has the hindwings pure white, and I decided to name this 

 ab. semilutea, n. ab. Of this I have only reared five specimens. 

 A very peculiar form of A. urossnlariata has all the wings tinged with 

 pale black, and may be aptly described as ab. nigrotincta. Only two 

 specimens of this have emerged in my breeding-rooms. All the three 

 above-named forms are of Lancashire origin. — Rev. G. H. Raynor, 

 M.A., Haz;eleigh Rectory, Maldon, Essex. September llth, 1910. 



:^OTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



Agrius convolvuli at New Brighton. — I have recently had brought 

 to me a specimen of Afiriufi convolvuli, which was captured in a house 

 at New Brighton, near Liverpool, on August 29th. Having made 

 enquiries locally, I find there appears to have been no other records of 

 captures of this moth this year. Can you say if there have been any 

 recorded captures in the south of England this year ? — E. Watts, 

 Balmoral House, Stalybridge. September dth, 1910. [We have heard 

 of none. Perhaps our readers may know of some. — Ed.] 



Breeding Tapinostola extrema and T. hellmanni for the first 

 TIME. — I am glad to report that Mr. Todd and I have succeeded in 

 breeding Tapinostola extrema and T. hellmanni. With the exception 

 of a few minor details their life-histories are complete, and I hope 

 shortly to publish the same. I believe it is the first time these species 

 have been bred in this country. — H. M. Edelsten, F.E.S., Forty Hill, 

 Enfield. September 1th, 1910. 



Gastropacha ilicifolia reported from Tavistock. — On Friday, 

 September 2nd, I caught a female Gastropacha ilicifolia at light about 

 11.15 p.m. Weather thick, misty rain. Is it not rather late for this 

 rare moth to be out ?— W. J. Monk, Tavistock. September 15th, 1910. 

 [We suspect our correspondent has named his capture wrongly. The 

 species occurs in the imaginal stage only in early spring, and by 

 September the latest larvte should have spun their cocoons. A full 

 account of the " Habitats and habits " of this species, both in Britain 

 and on the Continent, was published in A N'at. Hist, of the British 

 Lepidoptera, vol. iii., pp. 196-198, and is readily available, whilst all 

 the actual dates of the insect's capture recorded to date are given (op. 

 cit., p. 198), including not only the British, but Continental, captures. 

 Reference to this paragraph shows that March 20th and 25th, 1857, are 

 the earliest recorded dates (both English), whilst mid- June is given as an 

 outside late date for the turf-moors near Hasik, in the Baltic Pro- 

 vinces, by Nolcken. Our knowledge of the species therefore suggests 

 a specimen emerging in September as most improbable. Horton 

 records a Bomby.v larva, said to be of this species, but the nnago not 

 reared, as having been taken August 3rd, 1864, near Lynton, in North 

 Devon (see Nat. Hist. Brit. Lep., iii., p. 193). This is, of course, 

 reasonable for the fullfed larva, but a September imago is so far quite 

 unknown. — Ed.] 



Thymelicus acteon in the Isle of Wight, — About the middle 



