1P91.] 21 



Microjpteryx Kaltenhachii on hornbeam. — Mr. Machin has handed me for ex- 

 aniinaHon a very perfect specimen of a curious (very purple) Micropteri/x, reared by 

 him this year. It proves, on examination, to be of the species recently described by 

 Mr. Stainton, and reared by Dr. Wood from leaves of liazel — Kaltenhachii. Mr. 

 Machin tells me that he found about twenty mines containing larv£e on leaves of horn- 

 beam (Carpinus betulus) in the first week of June, 1889, in the neighbourhood of Ongar 

 Park Wood, Essex. One specimen of the moth was reared at the end of March. 

 The occurrence of this species in a new locality, and on a different (though allied) 

 food plant, is of great interest. — Chas. G-. Barrett, 39, Linden Orove, Nunhead, 

 S.E. : Xovember 2Uh, 1890. 



Another Plusia moneta at Dover. — My friend Mr. Webb informs me that 

 another Plusia moneta has been captured at Dover, a smaller and darker specimen 

 than that previously recorded. It flew into a bedroom window in the Maisondieu 

 Road and settled on the dressing table, about 6 or 7 o'clock in the evening of Sep- 

 tember 20th. Fortunately it fell into appreciative hands. This is clearly a specimen 

 of the second brood, probably having fed as a larva in some neighbouring garden. 

 Its occurrence is most interesting, as increasing the probability of the continuance 

 of the species in this country. — Id. : December, 1890. 



Plusia moneta, and its geographical distribution. — With great interest I have 

 read the announcement of the occurrence of Plusia moneta in Great Britain (Barrett, 

 Ent. Mo. Mag., 1890, 255) ; this species being a very good example of the great 

 changes which may take place in the geographical distribution of an insect. The 

 tendency of moving in the direction from east to west, which we find, or suspect, in 

 so many other European insects is expressed clearly in this species, and has been 

 noticed for some years by continental entomologists. 



Plusia moneta was known to be a common insect in the south and south-east of 

 Germany, but until the year 1875, was not recorded from the north-wesl of our 

 country, nor from the Netherlands. 



In the year 1875 began the invasion of the species into the above-named dis- 

 tricts, and in the course of a few years it was recorded from different places : Ehoden, 

 Arolsen (Speyer), Hanover (Wacquand), Mecklenburg, Stralsund (Schmidt), Ham- 

 burg (Grseser). In the year 1882, it was found near Arnhem, and in 18"^7, near 

 Breda, in Holland (Snellen). 



The tendency of the species to gain new ground was so intense, that even the 

 rough climate of our Harz Mountains was not able to keep it back, for I found 

 moneta in the moorland districts of the Brocken, at about 800 metres ; I noticed 

 the larva there during three years from 1879 on the Aconitum plants, in a small 

 garden belonging to a forester's house. The species was single-brooded there, whilst 

 it is double-brooded in more favourable climates. 



Now, the species having crossed the Channel, it will probably spread as rapidly 

 over England as it has done over the north-west of Germany, and over Holland. 



Tke larva may be easily noticed, when young, in May, on the aconite, spinning 

 the young shoots of the plant together, like the larvoe of several DepressaricB. Later, 

 the large yellow cocoon is easily visible hanging on the under-side of a leaf of aconite. 



