21(3 [Seiitember, 



their wings, none were disposed to fly, or indeed to move about, and 

 there was no case of pairing or of the laying ot" eggs. 8till a good 

 number of pupae remained alive, and from these, moths were produced 

 in the following spring. They however showed very little of the 

 vigour of those of the preceding spring and summer. A few — 

 reluctantly — paired, and eggs were duly laid ; but of these not ci 

 single egg hatched. Here the long experiment, conducted for years, 

 had arrived at an absolute conclusion ; an end due, notwithstanding 

 the extreme docility of the species, no doubt to continuous in- 

 breeding. Perhaps if one had been upon the south coast of Kent 

 wild males might have been attracted and fresh strength introduced. 

 But it is very difficult to understand why so complete a failure should 

 have been immediately preceded by a vigorous effort on the part of 

 the race to produce a. fourth brood in the year, and at a time when no 

 food could have been obtained even had there been resulting eggs and 

 larva? ! 



The fate of the larvae turned out of doors upon the poplar trees 

 is obscure. No indication has been seen of them after the first few 

 days, during which some of them remained upon the branches — no 

 cocoons have been found about the trees, nor moths sitting about or 

 coming to light, and some females put out to attract possible males 

 remained disregarded. Whether the smoky condition of their food 

 and the atmosphere, or the weather, was fatal to them, or whether 

 their disappearance is due to the unfailing energy and activity of our 

 legions of sparrows, remaiu questions open to argument. 



Tromont, Pcckhtiiii Rye, S.E. : 

 June, 1903. 



OCCURRENCE OF THALERA FIMBRIALIS, Scop., IN GREAT BRITAIN. 



BY CHARLES CAPPER. 



When sitting on a slope undei" Bcachj Head last year (August 7th) nij little 

 boy, who was with me, noticed on a blade of grass, apparently just emerged, a 

 specimen of a moth quite unknown to me, which I at once boxed, and sent to 

 friends at Liverpool for identification. They forwarded it to Mr. C. Q-. Barrett, 

 who has informed me that it is certainly Thalera fimbrialis, Sc. 



30, Glyn Mansions, Kensington, W. : 

 Juli/, 1903. 



[This specimen, which has unfortunately been damaged in the post, must hare 

 been in very perfect condition when captured, since the peculiar and rather striking 



