NOTES ON COLLECTING. 195 



emerged ones. The weather had been mild up to that date. There 

 was quite a multitude of the larvae of ( 'itnillia rerhasri in June and 

 July, devouring the leaves of Verhascum f/irt/>.s■?^s■ in one of the Essex lanes 

 here. They also occurredin theSuffolkpartof thedistricton<SV?-o^j/(M^rt/7a 

 aquatica, but much more sparingly. I fear these larv^ are cannibals 

 in confinement as I observed an otherwise unaccountable decrease in 

 those that I took for the purpose of breeding. These larvae are 

 subject to the attacks of some species of parasite, but I have been 

 unable to ascertain what it is. It oviposits externally, firmly attach- 

 ing its ova to the skin of the larva ; 1 counted ten which were 

 scattered about the body of one larva. Unless the parasitical ova are 

 ■detected there is no other indication that the larva is affected by them 

 until full-grown, when it dies after spinning its cocoon and before 

 attaining the pupal state. 1 took a few larvae of Flusia c/irysitis feeding 

 on wild mint. The abundance of Plmia <iamma is worthy of notice as 

 it was plentiful in both districts here all through the season. A 

 female which I caught deposited some ova on June 18th, which 

 hatched June 23rd. The larvae were full-fed and pupated July 16th, 

 the moths emerged July 27th. It seems as if there were several 

 broods during the season. Some ova of Catncala nupta which I 

 obtained from a female the previous autumn hatched on June 10th. 

 The larvfe were full-fed and pupated on July 23rd, and the imagines 

 emerged August 18th. They emerged in the early morning. Among 

 numerous captures at treacle (Suffolk), I think the following are 

 worth mentioning Noctna plecta, Noctna c-ni<iriun, Amphipyra 

 pijrmitidea, A. tra;iopo(jo)iis, Naenia typica, Mania maura, Orthosia lota, 

 CerastiR Uyula (spadicea), Mellinia (filrai/o, M, circellaris, Mhelia 

 oxyaranthae and Catocala niipta. — Edward Ransom, Sudbury, Suffolk. 

 March 1901. 



Larv;e of Aciptilia galactodactyla in late June. — I see in 

 your " Practical Hints," antea p. 129, that the larvae of Aciptilia 

 (jalactodactyla occur in May ; last year I took some on June 27th at 

 Bungay, Suffolk, which pupated, and the imagines emerged in due 

 course. — W. G. Clutten, 10, Hallwell Street, Burnley. April 16i/i, 

 1901. 



Brephos notha in Worcestershire, with some notes on the habits 

 OF the imagines. — Until April 18th I had done absolutely nothing except 

 get two Amphidasys strataria on March 12th, whilst on the former date 

 a visit to sallows produced Taeniocanipa yracilis and Anticlea badiata 

 and very little else. A visit to Worcestershire for Brephos notha from 

 April 19th-24th was successful, and I obtained a good series, the 

 weather being perfect for the work. Before 11 a.m. there was a large 

 number on the ground, and they were easy to catch ; after that hour, 

 however, they got up in the trees, beginning to fly fairly freely at 

 2 p.m. (when the sun was hot), but very rapidly, and they were hard 

 to catch. On Monday, the only cloudy day, they flew very freely when 

 the sun was hidden, ceasing immediately during the short hot intervals 

 of sunshine. I believe B. notha is an insect " scheduled " as one to be 

 very sparingly taken by the " protection committee." I think 

 "Aunty" cannot have had much practical experience in taking B. 

 notha, or she would not have put it in the list. I have only seen it in 

 two large woods where aspens were numerous and high ; practically 

 none but stragglers would be caught and then only in the rides. One can 



