172 THE entomologist's record. 



forward in such matters, and I may as well confess that it was the 

 blandishments of your excellent secretaries, who hinted at the 

 connection between age and experience, and the value of ripe wisdom, 

 which once more broke down my objections, and encouraged me to 

 promise to take up your time this evening. Having consented, I had 

 no doubt whatever about the subject which I must select. There 

 appeared to be no alternative. I had the pleasure, three years ago, of 

 bringing before your notice some peculiarities in the structure of the 

 larva of Phorodeawa sniant(jdaria, and I had then, somewhat hastily I 

 now think, almost promised to examine its near relation in the same 

 way. This is just where I fell into a trap. Of P. Krnaraijdariu I had 

 learned a great deal, and I was able to pad out the dryness of my paper 

 with a good many hints and suggestions, as to the habits, foodplants, 

 and other lesser points ; finishing up with a detailed examination of 

 the variation to which that extremely local species is liable, but with 

 P. piiatulata the case is very different, and this is just where my 

 troubles began. 



This ]s a fairly common and well studied insect. Its life-history 

 and habits are well worked out, and the records are easily accessible. 

 There is, as far as I have been able to learn, no variation recorded, 

 except a difference in she between the sexes, and a difference in 

 cundition between bred and captured specimens. These differences are 

 scarcely worthy of the title of aberrations, but I may suggest to any 

 collectors, who may wish to add to their series mtermediate specimens, 

 that the insects beaten out in the morning, are, in my experience, often 

 very much better than those netted in the evening, and, indeed, are 

 frequently quite passable. 



The moth, as I said before, is not an uncommon one, especially in 

 wooded districts, and I suppose that, even where the oak is scarce, P. 

 jtiistulato is able to exist, for here, where most of the trees are elm, 

 and the oaks few and far between, I had the pleasure of netting a 

 specimen and adding " the Blotched Phnerald " to the Mucking list. 

 I mentioned oak as the only known foodplant. but I should n)ention 

 that 'Sir. Mera, our respected President, tells me that he once fed a 

 brood upon knotgrass as far as hybernation. Among the many notices 

 of the capture of the perfect insect in lists from various districts, I 

 have noted but two really worth repeating. Mr. Tremayne a specimen 

 " at light " at Brondesbury, on June 80th, 1H97 (Kntoin. Heconl, vol. 

 ix., p. 297), and Mr. Pearson at Chihvell " assembled " males freely in 

 .July, 1898 (Kntoiii. IleconI, vol. x., p. 281). I have myself constantly 

 taken specimens at sugar in localities where the net produced but few, 

 and these specimens were generally in very fair condition. Above all 

 things, however, give me bred specimens. There is a gloriotis charm 

 of beauty about these, which defies description, and Avhich it is 

 impossible to expect in caught ones, 1 think ttiat anyone who has ever 

 had the luck to rear a series, will confess that henceforwai'd caught 

 ones are an impossibility, even for exchange. 



Mr. Russell E. James, one of our members, publishes a curious 

 observation in the Kntnm. Tleeurd (vol. xi., p. 103). He says that he 

 fo)md that the fumes of ammonia temporarily (very temporarily im- 

 fortunately) restore the green to the pinkish yellow specimens, which 

 one so often takes in the net. It is unfortunate that the effect is 

 merely momentary, as it would be a real boon to be able to restore 



