1920.] 63 



though beatuu from hawihorii in one loc;ility in ubiindauce. C. mysticus var. 

 hierof/lyphicus Ilerbst, one exaniplo only, beaten from hawthorn, end uf May. 

 The typical form was quite absent from this locality'. Molorchvs minor L., one 

 only, beaten from hawthorn, end of May. liepeated search in the same locality 

 failed to produce further specimens, lihai/iiun inquidtor F., under bark of 

 oak lo;^-, March. Strant/alia qimdrifaseiata L., very local, eight, taken on 

 Umbelliferae in a damp meadow, early August. S. nniuita Ilerbst, very 

 abundant July and August. S. nir/ra L., two in early June, sweeping 

 Ranuncidus. S. melanura L., not common, three only, on Umbelliferae. 

 Griimmoptera tabacicolor De G. and G. rujicornis F., abundant on hawthorn, 

 Leiopus uehulosus L., quite the commonest Longicorn in this district. I have 

 be.iteu fourteen out of a single dead oak branch. Pogo)iochaeri(s bidentatus Tii., 

 twenty beaten out of dead holly, June. Saperda popnlneti L., single examples 

 at intervals during June, all beaten out of sallow. Tetrops praeusta L., flying 

 in considerable numbers about an old pear-tree in the town ; also beaten out of 

 hazel, June. Steuostola ferrea Schr., a single specimen beaten out of salloAv 

 in June. Diligent search failed to produce further examples. Toxotua 

 meridinnus L., eight taken on hawthorn, end of May. One black specimen on 

 the wing, mid-June. 



In conclusion, I might say that this is my first season's collecting, and 

 with two exceptions ail the above species were taken in one locality and within 

 a radius of half-a-mile, I am indebted to my friend Mr. E. Beck, of Yeovil, 

 for verifying the rarer species. — F. Hugh Guu^peh, 10 Claremout Road, Tun- 

 bridge Weils : Januartj 2(5th, 1920, 



Apntuvd iris in the Readiny district, etc. — As I knew that Mr. W. Hollancl 

 had been taking the larvae of Apatura iris somewhat freely in the Reading' 

 district, I asked him to give me some notes on this species and on other 

 subjects ; for obvious reasons we do not give the exact locality of the much 

 sought for " Purple Empei-or " ; from the results the larvae do not appear to be 

 dilKcult to rear. Mr. Holland .>^ays that in gathering the larvae several points 

 of interest come out, which contradict recorded experiences. Firstly, the 

 larvae were not confined to broad-leaved sallows as a food ; they were beaten 

 out of any and every kind of sallow in the woods. Secondly, they do not cling 

 more tig^htly to their food-plant than other larvae, but fall easily if the 

 epot where they are is struck. Thirdly, they are not always high up, but occur 

 quite as freely on little low bushes. If, however, they have spun themselves 

 up to a leaf great care must be taken not to disturb or tumble them from it,, 

 or they wall fail to emerge or develop properly. Mr. Holland has for many years 

 taken Dasycampa rubiyinea freely in tlie Reading district; last spring he only 

 obtained one, which laid two eggs and then died ; on some seasons he has taken 

 eight or ten in one night at the same place from sugar; the difficulty is to 

 find a night with favourable weather at the early time of year at which the 

 insect emerges. The Lobster Moth, Stauropus fayi, with dark and black 

 varieties, has one of its head-quarters in woods on the Thames below Reading; 

 Mr. Holland has taken it in large numbers, but it does not appear to have been 

 plentiful in 1919. Among other things of interest that have occurred are 

 Acidalia straminata at Aldermaston and Tortrix piceana on trees at the 

 same locality, Fiunece straminalis and Schoenohius mucnmcllus at Padworth, 



