236 [October, 



of the specimens captured by Mr. Chitty and myself have not been recorded. Four 

 in all were taken at Brandon, within a radius of a few yards, on the following 

 dates : 14.VI.1902— one beneath small stone (C. M.) ; 6.V.1906— one in rabbit's 

 hole (A. J. C.) ; 7.V.1906— one (dead) in rabbit's hole (C. M.) ; 5.V.1907— one in 

 rabbit's hole (A. J. C). — Claude Moeley, Monks Soham House, Suffolk : Sep- 

 tember 2nd, 1909. 



Notes on Noctum that occasionally feed hy day. — Everyone is familiar with 

 day-flying Quadrifinse, and with such Trifinse as Anarta, Sydrelia, Brephos, and 

 their allies. All these are included by Mr. Meyrick in his Flusiadse. Some of 

 them fly by day only, others, notably our friend Plmia gamma, L., are on the go 

 morning, noon, and night. 



There are, however, among the gi'oups whicli usually hide themselves by day a 

 few species which may from time to time be met with upon flowers in full sunlight. 

 Such are : — 



Leucanidse : — Leucania conigera, Fab. Of this species, which is rather com- 

 mon in the Mortehoe district, I found a very worn example on a Knapweed flower 

 (Centaurea nigra) in full sunlight at .3.45 p.m. on August 1st, 1904 ; another was 

 seen on Ragwort at 1 p.m. on August 17th, 1908; a third was caught flying in the 

 forenoon of August 6th, 1909. 



ApameidcB : — Charseas graminis, Linn., is of course well known as a frequenter 

 of Ragwoit bloom by day. It is curiously scarce in this district, for in thirty 

 summers but four specimens have turned up (two this year), of these two were 

 taken at light, one at Ragwort, and one at the flowers of Scabiosa arvensis. Its 

 day-flying habit is noted by Mr. South, but more detailed accounts are given by 

 Newman and Barrett. 



Hydrsecia {Hadena) nictitans, Bork. This moth is met with here by night 

 from time to time, coming to both sugar and flowers, but in 1907 it was found 

 abundantly on Ragwort bloom on sunny afternoons. Its day-flying habit is 

 alluded to by Newman, Barrett, and South, but none of these authors mention the 

 fact that Hydrsecia (Caradriua) micacea, Esp., has a similar habit. The moth is 

 not uncommon at Mortehoe; in August, 1891, I took a specimen on Hemp Agri- 

 mony {Eupatorium cannabinwm) in full daylight, and again on September 6th, 1908, 

 another specimen on Scahiofsa succisa on a dull afternoon at 4 p.m. 



Miana {Hadena) literosa, Haw., is common at Mortehoe, both at sugar and 

 flowers ; I once took it on Ragwort in the afternoon. 



Noctuidse : — Noctua (Agrotis) xanthographa. Fab., is, as might be expected, 

 very abundant here, often swarming at sugar. Twice, and twice only, at long inter- 

 vals, I have taken solitary examples on Ragwort bloom in the afternoon sun. 



[The well known day-flyers, Celsena haicorthii. Curt., and Eremobia (Hadena) 

 ochroleuca, Esp., both belonging to Mr. Meyrick's Caradrinidx, do not occur in this 

 district.] 



The point that I desire to emphasize, as needing explanation, is that some of 

 the common night-flying Noctuse are from time to time, though comparatively very 

 rarely, to be found active and feeding by day. 



