1876 109 



Capture of Cidaria reticulata. — Yestonlay I took a sppoimon of tins insect at 

 Windermere. In 1856, the late T. H. Allis and I took several specimens ; but since 

 then, though I have gone every year in search of it, I had not met with it till now, 

 an interval of 20 years. I must have gone at least fifty journies, and it is over fifty 

 miles to the lake side, and then I have to row a mile across the lake, so that this 

 specimen has been hard earned. The Impatiens iioli-me-tatigere, which is said to be 

 its food-plant, I have this time found in plenty. A week or two ago, I found on the 

 Impatiens a queer larva, which puzzled Mr. Buckler ; but he now thinks it is that of 

 lladena rectilinea. Perhaps, as there is bilberry near, the parent moth dropped her 

 eggs just where she alighted. --J. B. Hodgkinson, 15, Sprink Bank, Preston : 

 August lOtk, 1876. 



Capture of a black variety of OrtJio^ia snsperfa, nnhti. — Near Dunkold, on the 

 26th August, I beat out of a Scotch fir tree a black moth, which I could not recognise, 

 but Dr. F. Buchanan White, who was present, thought it might possibly be Orthosia 

 suspecta ; this suspicion is proved to have been coi'rect, for a careful investigation 

 and comparison with ordinary examples have satisfied Mr. McLachlan and me that 

 my capture is a female of this species. The head, thorax, abdomen, and fore-wings 

 are soot-black, the form of the stigmata on the latter being traceable by a delicate 

 whitish outline ; the lower wings are fuscous ; the antennoe are black, with white 

 annulations on the basal portion. This capture is worth notice, for, as far as I can 

 discover, melanism in this species has not been observed or recorded. — J. W. Douglas, 

 Lee : Wth September, 1876. 



Notes on the larva, S^'c, of Agrotis hyperborea, Zett. {Pachnobia alp)ina, Westw.). 

 ■ — We found the larvae of this species at the end of May in fir-woods under moss, in 

 places where Vaccinium myrtillus especially grew. All appeared to enter the pupa 

 state, although those which we found first rambled about briskly after being disturbed. 

 Length, 30 mm. Head yellowish, marbled with brown, with two brown lines in 

 front. The 1st segment has a very slightly horny shield, divided in the middle by a 

 whitish line, which is also apparent on the following five or six segments. Body 

 reddish-grey, strongly sprinkled with black points. Above on each side a paler line, 

 wliich inwardly, at the beginning of each segment, has a shorter black streak, the 

 individual streaks separated by a lighter reddish spot. The last two black streaks 

 on segment 11 converge hindwardly. The horny ring round the spiracles is shining 

 black. Forelegs yellowish, brownish at the tips. Abdominal legs whitish. Tho 

 larva makes for itself a loose cocoon in the moss, wherein it remains for about three or 

 four weeks as a pupa. The latter is 17 — 18 mm. long, chestnut-brown, and the not 

 very strong, even " cremaster," has four spines, curved at the end, to which the 

 larva skin remains hanging. I obtained, in the beginning of August, a number of 

 young larva; from the egg, which all ate Vaccinium myrtillus eagerly. They grew 

 very little, and at the beginning of winter were still very small, only 6 — 8 mm. long. 

 Unfortunately all died in the winter. Unless they grow more speedily in the north, 

 it appears to me almost necessary that they must hibernate twice, for, at the end of 

 May, when we found them full grown, it was still very cold, and their food-plant 

 not yet in leaf, so that it was impossible they could have eaten much that spring. 

 As confirmation of my opinion, we found also, at the end of June, several small 



