184 [August, 



Notes on Setina irrorella on the Cotteswolds. — This species is not, as many 

 writers suppose, exclusively a littoral one, as for many years a specimen or two has 

 occurred now and then at one or two localities at a high elevation on the 

 Cotteswold Hills, in Gloucestershire. This season, I have been able to discover a 

 little of its habits, and took a fine series of specimens, both male and female, which 

 are very different in appearance to the common English forms as taken on the South 

 Coast. The Gloucestershire specimens seem to be an intermediate variety between 

 the coast form as it appears in our cabinets, and the Alpine one known as Setina 

 aurita, which occurs at high elevations in different parts of Europe, and shows, I 

 think, pretty conclusively, that what we call <S. irrorella, S. aurita, and >S. ramosa 

 are only climatic variations of the same species. Most of the Gloucestershire 

 specimens have all the colour and opacity of aurita, although the spots are not so 

 large, while a few seem to approach nearer in colour and transparency to those taken 

 on the South Coast. Where it occurs it seems to be confined to a very small area 

 among high grass, and I could find no special lichen growing ; the stones are a sort 

 of coarse oolite. A few eggs which one of the females captured presented me with 

 have hatched, but the larvae do not seem to touch either of the lichens I have 

 offered them. — Geoege Harding, 9, Belle Vue, Clifton : July l^th, 1897. 



Acidalia contiguaria near Penmaenmawr. — A short visit to Penmaenmawr in 

 North Wales last week produced a few Acidalia contiguaria. The species was 

 only just getting well out, and consequently in fine condition. Agrotis Ashworthii 

 was evidently not yet on the wing, as careful searches in places where some years I 

 had found it to be not uncommon, revealed no trace of it. This was not surprising, 

 as the weather was totally against mountain species, cold almost as January, and the 

 wind often so violent one could hardly stand. — Geo. T. Porkitt, Crosland Hall, 

 Huddersfield : July 12th, 1897. 



Immunity of the Turkish oak (Quercus cerris) from the attacks of the larva of 

 Tortrix viridana. — Last year, when most of the oaks in Windsor Forest and this 

 neighbourhood generally were entirely denuded of their foliage by the ravages of 

 the larvae of T. viridana, so as to give them the appearance of mid-winter, I noticed 

 one large oak tree {Quercus cerris) at Sunninghill in perfect leaf. It was particularly 

 conspicuous, as there are a number of common oaks near it that were eaten quite 

 bare. This season T. viridana is not nearly so plentiful, but still there are a good 

 number on all the oaks except this one. The people about here have a saying that 

 when the oaks loose their spring foliage from the attacks of caterpillars, that the 

 second (or July) crop remains on the trees till Christmas ; but this certainly was not 

 the case last autumn, as I took note the trees shed their leaves at the usual time, and 

 I must say I expected they would. — T. A. Gerald Strickland, Ascot : July, 1897. 



Fidonia piniaria at Glendalough. — I spent three days at Glendalough at 

 Whitsuntide, but the weather was not favourable for collecting. I found Fidonia 

 piniaria, which I had not taken before, abundantly, though I only secured males. 

 It is not recorded in Birchall's list for any ascertained locality.— G. V. Hart, 

 Woodside, Howth : June tllh, 1897. 



