NOTES ON COLLE(^TINa LEPIDOPTREA AT WYE AND BOX- HILL. 307 



occurred plentifully at the sugar-patches, but the variation was very 

 moderate and the var. bilinea was not seen at all. Besides this common 

 species, Apamea haMinea occurred, but not in any abundance, and, 

 besides the other Noctuids mentioned, there were no other species on 

 the sugar till June 9th, when three Mamextra dentina visited the 

 patches. Of odd species that turned up, either singly or only 

 occasionally, Enni/chia nifirata, AnaitU plaijiata and Cidan'a vori/lata 

 were secured, while one must not forget to mention that four or 

 five Eupithecia f^cahinmta were taken either by walking up in the day- 

 time or at early dusk, and were in excellent condition. Leptomeria 

 ornata was not seen, and was doubtless late in making its appearance. 

 Polyomwatna astrarc/te was just beginning to appear as we were 

 leaving. Mr. James, besides the insects mentioned, added Melanippe 

 hastata by walking several miles to a wood, but when, on the next 

 day, I went to secure further specimens, none were to be seen. The 

 woods, in this part of Kent, look particularly inviting, but, to the 

 stranger, the downs are even more alluring, as, apart from the specimens, 

 the air and the view from their summit is splendid. 



Several days and evenings were spent at Boxhill this year. It is 

 refreshing to know that all the species that used to occur there are 

 still to be obtained, but it must be confessed that some of them want 

 considerable finding. After many previous fruitless hunts for larvae 

 of ('ipuatophora abietaria this year, a decent number of Ct/tnatophora 

 larvte were beaten on IMay Kith and 19th. All were assumed to be C. 

 abietaria, but six only turned out to be this species, the remainder pro- 

 ducing fine ('i/)}iato/>/inra (icnniiaria. But the two sets of insects are 

 remarkably interesting. All the six C. abietaria are black, whilst all the 

 C. (p'inmaria are normal, some even rather strongly tinged with yellow, 

 and none tend to become ab. perfiwiaria. Observations as to the resting- 

 habit of C. f/emniaria would be most interesting, and one conceives the 

 idea that it cannot rest on the same surface as does its brother C. abietaria, 

 unless a selective agent has not made this latter insect black. Having 

 seen the proportion of ('. abietaria to C. (leinmaria in a two-dozen batch 

 of the first larvae that came to hand, a visit was paid on July 17th, at 

 dusk, to net whatever came. The result was one C. abietaria and ^ '. 

 iieininaria in numbers. Ptt/rhopoda fi(scorenoHa ( = interjectaria) was in 

 great abundance and a single Aventia fieA-ula was netted. LitJuma deplava 

 had not yet appeared. 'L'wo days previously, in the afternoon, 

 Leptomeris ornata occurred, and, at dusk, Arentia Jiexula, Eudalinua 

 mariiaritaria, Ptijchopoda fiiscorenosa, and (laradrina blanda. On July 

 10th a long search was made for Cucullia li/chniti>i, and the day's bag 

 was seven larvae. On July 21st the whole day was spent in beating 

 for imagines of Lithoda deplana. Quite a large number was seen, but 

 the insects were so shy that it was difficult to secure them. The day 

 was hot (it was one of the few hot days) and the "footman " was to be 

 seen sitting conspicuously on the upperside of a branch of yew. The 

 slightest touch of the tree, and they fell to the ground, where they were 

 invariably lost. At one of the strokes of the beating-stick a belated 

 larva of (Jymatophora abietaria fell into the tray, which, in due time, 

 produced a splendid black female specimen. Early in May, larvae of 

 Kupithecia mbriimta were plentiful, and even more so were those of 

 Lithosia deplana, from May 13th to i22nd. After three years' failure I 

 managed to breed a few specimens of the latter, but the number one 



