40 THE entomologist's record. 



to kill or drive all moths frequenting ivy bloom into winter quarters, 

 and I have never found that a succeeding spell of mild weather ever 

 induced them to appear on the wing until the following March. 



Ri/lu'ginea is what I should term rather a shy insect. You find it in 

 out-of-the-way places, seldom occupying a front seat on the ivy bush, 

 and it has the habit of seeking the sweets of blossoms partially hidden ; 

 in fact, the insect wants well searching for on bushes which are not 

 amenable to the beating stick ; it also appears to have a partiality for 

 small detached bushes of ivy with but few heads of bloom, and the 

 collector is as likely to find a rubiginea on a bush of this size as on a 

 large one close by with abundance of flower-heads. I have only on 

 one occasion taken it on the wing ; it is rather a sluggish flyer. This, 

 I suppose, partly accounts for the fact that the insect is always in good 

 condition ; and I believe I can say, without exaggeration, that I have 

 never seen or taken a worn or dilapidated specimen either in the 

 autumn or after hybernation ; for even those taken in spring, with the 

 exception of being slightly paler than autumn specimens, are quite fit 

 for the cabinet. Hybernated specimens sometimes appear in March if 

 the weather is mild. I once took a ritlnginea at rest in close 

 proximity to a pair o{ JInvicornis in cop. The female lays her eggs 

 during April. Captain Robertson, when living in the neighbourhood 

 of Winchfield, took several imagines at sallow in the spring of 1888, 

 from one of which he got a few ova, and was fortunate in rearing a nice 

 series ; the larvce were fed on apple. Instances of breeding this insect 

 are rare ; in fact, I have only heard of one other : in this the larvae were 

 fed on plum. In conclusion, I may say I have never seen any inclina- 

 tion to variation in the markings in any specimen of rubiginea ; some 

 few are lighter in colour than others, but age may possibly account for 

 this. — J. Mason, Clevedon Court Lodge, Somerset. April 14, 1890. 



Habits of Lobophora viretata. — In its localities in this district 

 the ova of this species may be found during the last week in April, on 

 the terminal shoots of holly, particularly those at the top of the trees bear- 

 ing flowers. The larvae are hatched out in from seven to twelve days, 

 feeding first on the flowers, if there are any, next on the green berries, 

 and lastly on the young leaves. In confinement they take readily to 

 common privet, and devour the bark as well as the leaves. The larvre 

 are difficult to beat, a sheet spread on the ground and a ladder being 

 necessary. In emerging the perfect insect is somewhat erratic in con- 

 finement, some appearing as a second brood in August and September, 

 others from the same batch remaining through the winter in the pupal 

 state. — H. Tunaley, Erdington Hall, Birmingham. 



[This species is also partially double-brooded in nature. Such in- 

 stances have come under my notice at Deal and other localities, and 

 there are a few records in back numbers of the Entomological Monthly 

 Magazines — Ed.] 



Moths at Flowers of Tritoma uvaria. — Have any readers of 

 the Record noticed the fondness of moths for the flowers of the 

 autumnal blooming Tritoma nvaria (popularly known as Red Hot 

 Poker, or Torch flower) ? I noticed this especially last autumn, taking 

 on one evening specimens of Aixchocelis litura, A. lunosa, Xanthia 

 citrago, X. cerago, X. sila^o, Agrofis saiuia, A. nig7'icans, Noctua xantho- 

 grapha, Tryplmna pronulni, T. orbona {comes), Amphipyra tragopogonis, 



