1S76.] 143 



had found a small bed of the plant, and that gentleman informed me that ho knew the 

 history of the insect, and that it had been bred by Carl Plotz from a green larva feeding 

 on that plant. Mr. Gregsou described the locality to me, but added that he had been 

 tliere several times, and could not re-find the plant. I determined to try different 

 dij^tricts from Ambleside on both sides of the lake, but the result appeared hopeless, 

 until one day towards the end of August I found a few plants, when trying to extricate 

 myself from a thicket in a very wet place ; others were found by tracing the sound 

 of rushing water. As I did not wish to destroy so tender a plant, I picked a few 

 outside tall specimens to see if there were any eggs. After bringing home some 

 sprigs, I set to work with my glass, and found a few eggs ; the first larva that hatched 

 I sent to Mr. Buckler, and a second after first moult : he will no doubt give an ample 

 description. The larva feeds by night only, on the seeds ; occasionally, from hunger, 

 it will nibble the leaves. I fancy some larvee may hibernate. I saved every bit of 

 the plant, and to-day have found a pupa and dead larva. — J. B. Hodokinson, 

 Preston : 9th October, 1876. 



Notes on Dianthaecia ccpsia and other Lepidoptera in the Isle of Man. — Dian- 

 thoecia ccBsia has been abundant in the Isle of Man during the present summer. 

 Ov,ing to an accident, I was unable to climb to the dangerous positions on the chffs 

 which it has been common to select for the capture of this insect, during its short 

 twilight visit to the flowers of Silene maritima, and perforce had to be content 

 with what a few plants nearer home and on the level might produce. I was fortunate 

 enough to find a little recess, about ten feet across, amongst the rocks on the shore, 

 of easy access, and where the Silene grew freely ; this I visited on twenty evenings 

 during June and July, and without moving from the spot, indeed, sitting on a stone 

 the most of the time, I captured the following moths, flying over the solitary patch 

 of flowers : — 105 Dianthcecia ccesia, 32 D. capsophila, 4 Flusia v-mireuni, 16 P. 

 gamma, 6 Cucullia umhratica, 2 Sadena adusta, 10 Xylophasia polyodon (including 

 several melanic varieties), 4 Hepialus velleda, and 8 Setina irroreUa $ (the two 

 last named captured as they passed, not I think attracted by the flowers), and 12 

 Eupithecia venosata. Basilinea, brassicce, exclamationis, and cuhicularis also came iii 

 some numbers, but ccesia was by far the most abundant species ; nearly all the moths 

 named visited the flowers between 9.15 and 9.45 p.m. There were very few other 

 flowers within 100 yards, and probably most of the moths in the neighbourhood were 

 concentrated on this isolated patch. 



CcBsia remains on the wing for at least three months ; I captured the first, s 

 worn 9 , June 2nd, the last, a S hi fine condition, August 25th. This unusually 

 long flight is probably explained by the circumstance that this species sometimes re- 

 mains in the pupa-state two, three, and even four years (see Gucnee, Noctuelites, 

 vol. ii, p. 18), and we might expect that moths which are the produce of the larva3 of 

 various years would emerge from pupa at slightly different dates. — E. Biechall, 

 77, Derby Square, Douglas : October 1st, 1876. 



Occurrence of Tinea angustipennis, Herrich-Schaffer, in England. — Of this very 

 striking species (of which probably not ten specimens are known), a specimen was 

 sent to me by Mr. Sorrell for determination last April. It was taken in 1874 in a 

 weedy field opposite Acton G-rcen. I was in hopes that Mr. Sorrell would liimself 

 have couHiiunicated a notice of this interesting capture. 



