1901. J 11 



Leucania vitellina, L. oXhipuncta , Laphijgma exigua, Heliothis armigera, ^c, in 

 South Devon. — On August 24th last I left home to have nearly three weeks in South 

 Devon, in company with my friend Mr. J. Jiiger, of London. Our special object 

 was to take Leucania vitellina, L. albipuncta, and Laphygma exigua. A South 

 Devon friend had suggested a locality which he thought would be likely to produce 

 these species, though that particular bit of ground had never previously been sugared ; 

 and during our stay he frequently joined us in our work. Unfortunately the season 

 was a late one, and the best work was done after I left on September 12th. Mr. 

 Jager remained acme days after me, and our friend continued to sugar into the early 

 days of October. Of the three species only L. albipuncta seemed to be out at the 

 time of our arrival, and of it I took one the first time I sugared, on August 25th. 

 One night the following week, the only nigiit during my stay in which the atmospheric 

 conditions were really satisfactory, I took five, but it was tlie sole occasion on which 

 more than odd specimens occurred to us. L. exigua I did not take until the end of 

 our second week, but a few days after I left Mr. Jiiger captured as many as five one 

 evening ; and still later it occurred even more freely to our friend. L. vitellina did 

 not turn up at all during my stay, but Mr. Jager was fortunate enough to take it a 

 few days later, and from that time to the first week in October a fair number were 

 captured, mostly in fine condition, and one of them " as red as the red form of 

 albipuncta." Thanks to the generosity of my friend, a nice representative set of it, 

 as well as of L. exigua, now grace my own cabinet. L. vitellina comes early to 

 sugar, almost as soon as dusk comes on ; it is very skittish, and requires careful 

 boxing. Our experience with L. exigua was altogether contrary to Mr. Woodforde's 

 ('■/. Barrett's British Moths, vol. v, p. 274). With us it also came early, and was 

 practically over by 9 o'clock ; and it only came in numbers on calm, dark, warm 

 nights, being scarcely seen during strong wind, or late, the latter being the condition 

 in wliich Mr. Woodforde took it. But, unlike L. vitellina, when once on the sugar 

 there is no further trouble with it, as it sits perfectly quiet, and will not be frightened 

 off. It deposits its eggs freely, and Mr. Jager, our friend, and myself, all now have 

 larvse feeding from the captured moths. During this time, too, a few fine Heliothis 

 armigera occurred, and probably it has not often happened to one collector to take 

 L. vitellina, L. albipuncta, L. exigua, and H. armigera on one — and the first — 

 " round " of his sugar, as occurred to our friend on September 16th ! To proceed 

 to more ordinary species, Colias Edusa was abundant everywhere on the many miles 

 of coast we explored, and any number might have been taken ; a few of its variety, 

 Helice, occurred with it, but of C. Hyale we never saw a specimen, though we con- 

 stantly kept a sharp look out for it. The other butterflies included a single late 

 Argynnis Paphia, Vanessa lo, Atalanta, and cardui, in plenty ; and Lyccena agestis, 

 alexis, argiolus, and Adonis in smaller numbers. Macroglossa stellatarum flew about 

 flowers, but was scarce ; CalUgenia miniata and Lithosia caniola occurred, but the 

 latter, although it had been unusually common in the district, was then practically 

 over. The same remark applies to Leucania putrescens, though it turned up still in 

 fine condition at ray sugar on August 25th. Stilbia anojyiala was plentiful in one 

 spot, and of it quite a number of females were taken at sugar, but singularly not a 

 single male appeared at the sweets, though on the wing common enough. One of 

 the most abundant Noctuoe was certainly Caradrina am'iigua, which continued, and 

 in good condition, all through our visit. A fine form of Noctua neglecta was fairly 



