306 THE entomologist's record. 



same to me without delay. On the other hand, as subscriptions to Vol. 

 xvi become due with the January number, and most of the regular 

 subscriptions come in during the last week of the old and the first week 

 of the new year, I should be glad if these be sent independently, and 

 addressed to Mr. J. Herbert Tutt, 119, Westcombe Hill, Blackheath, 

 S.E.— H. E. Page, " Bertrose," Gellatly Road, Hatcham, S.E. 



Some Notes on Collecting Lepidoptera at Wye and Boxhill. 



By W. J. KAYE, F.E.S. 

 In one of the worst seasons on record (now drawing to a close) it 

 is difficult to give a rosy account of any entomological expedition. 

 In a minor way, doubtless, there have been successes, and the old 

 proverb of the " 111 wind that blows nobody good " is once again true 

 enough, and some insects have been really plentiful and evidently found 

 the meteorological conditions suitable to their wants. Grass-feeders, 

 for instance, no doubt enjoyed the luxuriant growth caused by the heavy 

 rainfall of 1902, and let us hope that 1903 will have treated grass- 

 feeding larvtP in the same way. Pachetra leucophaea was, this year, 

 almost a common insect in its haunts on the downs near Wye. In 

 this favoured locality inclement conditions do not seem to be much 

 felt, as, at the end of May, this fine insect was already well out. 

 Contrasting strangely with this was Scoria lineoAa, which failed to put 

 in an appearance till June 5th, and then only singly, whilst by June 10th 

 only an odd specimen could be secured, which showed that the insect 

 was only beginning to come out. In the ordinary way the two species 

 are out at the same time, or the Geometrid at most not later than a ■ii 

 week after the other. It is possible that the hybernacula of S. lineata ■jl 

 are not so sheltered as those of P. leucophaeo, as the former, feeding on ' 



chickweed and groundsel unless it has wandered away from its food- 

 plant, would certainly not have such protection as is afforded by the 

 dense tufts of grass beloved by the latter. Maniestra {Hadena) iienistac 

 was not very plentiful and was practically over by June 6th. A(iruth 

 rinerea was probably late in appearing, as, on June 9th, I took a very fine 

 specimen and only secured two others besides in an eight day period. 

 Anthrocera trifolii was just appearing and in very fresh condition. 

 Not being able to secure a series of imagines, a hunt for cocoons and 

 larvse was made. A large number of Anthrocerid cocoons and larvfe 

 were found, but they did not produce A. trifolii, but A. filipenchdae, 

 and very few of these, as almost every cocoon contained dipterous 

 parasites, while one produced a good-sized ichneumon. The finding 

 of these cocoons has revealed an interesting fact. Nearly all of 

 them were found low down in the tufts of grass [Poa sp.) near their 

 foodplant, and, from the fact that they were low down, the 

 erroneous impression was formed that they were very probably A. 

 trifolii, which usually has this habit. From the results obtained it 

 appears as if larvfe that are stung spin up low down, while healthy larvfe 

 usually come well up the stem to pupate. Many cocoons were dark- 

 coloured, a fact that suggested that their contents were not healthy pupte, 

 but some of the cocoons were quite healthy and yellow-looking, yet these 

 also, except in two instances, produced parasites"'. Meristis triijramnnca 



* This reads very like Anthrocera hippocrepidix, St. [stephensi, Dupont), and not 

 at all like A. Jilipendidae. — Ed. 



