NOTES ON rOLLKCTINrr, 277 



hurst, and found day-collecting prolific, but night work useless, the 

 evenings being too cold. Bapta taniinata and TJthnsia mrorcida 

 {aureola) were the two couiiuonest insects, others taken were Xemeohius 

 liicina, Tephrosia consonaria, Iloannia e.rtcrsaria, Zo)V)sn}tia Unearia, 

 Z.jmnctaria, Z.porata, Z. anmdata, KiipitJu'cia (l()(hneata,K. irruiiiata, 

 E. puKillata, Epionc adrcnaria, Knripiwne dolabraria, Kiiphtcria hepa- 

 rata, Macan'a altcrnata, M. Uturata, Asthena eandidata, ('lostcra rcclitsa 

 and Erastria fu!<cida. I had not previously seen A. eandidata for years, 

 although I used to consider it very common. Larva-beating produced 

 Zephi/rns quercm, very common, Asphalia ridens, very common, Nola 

 striijula, Catocala Nponsa, C. promism, Bnarmia roboraria, Himera pen- 

 naria, Hyluphila quercana, and PKiliira innnacha, common. — (Major) 

 R. B. Robertson, Forest View, Southbourne Road, Boscombe. dime 

 12tJ,, 1901. 



Xylomiges conspicillaris at Castle Moreton. — One of the few 

 insects I have taken this year worth recording is a specimen of A'. 

 conspiciUaris, this was found in the afternoon on a stocking that had 

 been hung out to dry in the morning, and would suggest the idea that 

 the species must sometimes fly during the day ; it was taken close to 

 the spot where one was found a few years ago. — (Rev.) E. C. Dobree 

 Fox, M.A., Castle Moreton, Tewkesbury. June lOtJi, 1901. 



Pharetra menyanthidis at sugar. — When at Kendal, during the 

 first week in June, I was surprised to find that Pharetra inenuanthidis 

 came freely to sugar. The insect occurs sparingly in Cheshire and 

 Lancashire, but I have never seen it at sugar before. A $ I kept laid 

 eggs superficially like those of 7-'. noiiicis. The larv;e resulting grew 

 very rapidly on osier and willow, and those with strength enough 

 pupated about a week ago, but a good many of the larva? were attacked 

 by a kind of dysentery, a watery pink excrement coming from them, 

 and appearing to paralyse the pair of anal claspers. — G. 0. Day, F.E.S., 

 Knutsford, Cheshire. AiiijHst 2nd, 1901. 



FooD-PLANTS OF Neuronia saponari.e. — A female of Xeiironia 

 saponariae taken at Wicken in June last, remained in a box more than 

 a week before she began to lay; the eggs were then laid in rows round 

 the box. More than 100 larvte are now feeding. They eat Chenopo- 

 dinm and broad-leaved knot-grass, but seem to prefer willow. — Ibid. 



Habits of Lithosia muscerda. — Lithma muscerda appears to be 

 very local in the Broads, no doubt owing to the distribution of food ; 

 it is attached to alders and sallows whether in small patches or in 

 thickets, and the imagines fly at dusk with a regular, directly forward, 

 "footman" flight, but are inclined to soar out of reach. They come to 

 light from 10 p.m. -12 p.m., and then sit on the lamp most obligingly. 

 It is difficult to procure perfect specimens, they seem to chip and tear 

 with the slightest provocation. Females lay freely, the eggs are round 

 and yellow, but hitherto I have failed to rear the larvte. — E. A. 

 Bowles, M.A., F.E.S., Myddelton House, Waltham Cross. June 

 2it/i, 1901. 



AcHERONTiA ATROPos AT Shepperton. — On August 5th, Bank Holiday, 

 Mr. Walker, of the L.S.W.Ry., Shepperton, found a full-fed larva of 

 Achernntia atmpos on a patch of potatoes near the station, which he 

 was kind enough to send over to me. Although I made a careful 

 search I did not succeed in finding another. I understand that this 

 larva is not nearly so abundant as last year. — S. G. C. Russkll, F.E.S., 

 Chepstow Lodge, Shepperton-on-Thames. Autfimt 1th, 1901. 



