302 [November, 



A new toor/c on the Lejiidoptera of the British Islands. — I have undertaken a 

 very serious task, and do not in the least under-estimate its difBculties. The amount 

 of knowledge of our Britisii Lepidoptera, from the large number of students, is now 

 so enormous, that a work on the subject to be equal to modern requirements must 

 necessarily be a formidable undertaking. This, however, is what I aspire to, and, 

 well knowing that no one man can in a lifetime hope, himself, to work it up, I ask 

 for the help of those who have made a practice of observing insects in their natural 

 conditions. I have been so engaged for forty yeai's, and naturally have personal 

 knowledge of the majority of the native species ; and what I now want is informa- 

 tion as to the habits (particularly in the perfect state) of the more rare, and 

 especially of the very local species, their manner of flight, time of flight, habits of 

 resting, of feeding, of amusing themselves, everything about them in their living 

 state. An enormous mass of information is already in hand, but there must still 

 be a great deal of unpublished knowledge, and for this I ask. The friends to whom 

 I have applied have responded in the warmest and kindest iiianner, but I cannot 

 write to every one. 



The Rhopalocera will come first, of course, and I want observations of the 

 living and moving habits of any local butterflies, but particularly of such as I have 

 little or no personal acquaintance with in their Tiative haunts, as Melitcea Cinxia, M. 

 Athalia, Erebia Blandina, Tliecla pruni, T. heiulce, Hesperia paniscus, and II. 

 comma. 



I am extremely anxious to examine one of the British specimens of Danais 

 ArcMppus (Plexipptis), and if possible, of Lycana boetica. Probably, it will be 

 necessary to figure these species from European or exotic specimens, but it is im- 

 portant to see and compare the native specimens as far as possible. 



One further question. Can any one ixxvm&h, from personal knowledge, parti- 

 culars of any capture of the larva of either I'ieris Daplidice, Vanessa Antiopa, or 

 Arggnnis Lathonia in the United Kingdom ? — Chas. G. Bakrett, 39, Linden 

 Grove, Nunhead, London, S.E. : October 6th, 1S91. 



Coleophora leucanipeunella, Hb. : an addition to the British fauna. — An example 

 of a Coleophora, which agrees with this species in every respect except that it is 

 smaller than is usual, was taken by the Rev. C. T. Cruttwell in a small wood on the 

 borders of Norfolk, flying with other species of the same genus in one of the open 

 wood-paths in June, 1890. In June last, I went down to Denton, to assist him in 

 searching for more, but no success whatever attended our efforts in 1 hat direction, 

 and the single specimen of the previous year remains, as far as is known, unique in 

 this country. 



It is somewhat allied to saturatella. Its head and palpi are silvery -grey, 

 antenute also silvery-grey with darker rings. Fore-wings glossy, dark bronzy-grey, 

 shot with reddish ; the costa regidarly and rather broadly white fi'om the base almost 

 to the apex, where it tajjers off into the costal cilia, which are dark grey ; remaining 

 cilia dai'k bronzy-grey. Jlind-wings dark grey. Thorax bronzy-brown ; abdomen 

 dark brown. A pretty and distinct looking species. 



Sorhagen says that its larva lives in a seed capsule of Silene nutans, injlata, or 

 Lychnis viscaria, in June, afterwards cutting off the capsule and using it as a case. 

 —Id. 



