298 THE entomologist's record. 



ferous, plants as accepted foods of the species. Anethnm foenicidum , is, 

 I suppose, a synonym of Foeniculum officinalis, common fennel. A. 

 Spuler adds Ferula, Meion, and braijana, the latter certainly looks 

 doubtful. It is very probable that there are various other umbellifers 

 that it will eat, or maj^ even be found on in nature, but the one in 

 which Mr. Raine has found it seems certainly one of the least likely. — 

 T. A. Chapman, M.D., Betula, Reigate. (ktober, 1905. 



A Second brood of Epione apiciaria. — On July 80th I took in my 

 moth trap here two female specimens of Epione apiciaria. During 

 the next two days each deposited a few ova round the glass-topped 

 box in which it was placed. These ova in about a week turned to a 

 dull red colour. On August 14th one batch of ova hatched. These 

 (there were eight) larvie fed up rapidly on willow, and about September 

 6th began to spin slight webs round the lid of the glass-topped box 

 and became pupae. From September 27th to October 7th, eight 

 specimens, five males and three females, emerged. The other batch 

 are ova still. Both batches of ova were kept under the same con- 

 ditions in a room facing northeast. In Practical Hints, pt. iii., 

 p. 12, it is stated that the oval stage of Epione apiciaria lasts 9f 

 months. The above proves an exception to this rule. — A. Druitt, 

 WilJow Lodge, Christchurch. October 12tli, 1905. 



Pairing habits of Butterelies. — Some time since (antea, vol. xiii., 

 pp. 298, 328) there were notes by various observers as to the sex 

 which carried the other when the species were disturbed whilst in 

 copula. With regard to this I should like state that on July 28th, 

 1905, at Eastbourne, I saw a (? Pieris rapae carrying the $ , and on 

 the 29th, I saw a $ Polyommatus corydon carrying a 2 , and a ? 

 Epinephele ianira carrying a $ . The two latter were also seen by Mr. 

 G. B. Smith, whose attention I drew to the fact. — C. W. Colthrup 

 127, Barry Road, East Dulwich. October 9th, 1905. 



CiDARiA picata IN MoNMouTHSHiRE. — Moumouthshire may be added 

 to the list of counties given by Mr. Barrett as localities for Cidaria 

 pncata, which is referred to in the Rev. G. H. Raynor's article on this 

 species {antea, p. 266). I have met with it in this neighbourhood, but 

 fancy it must be very scarce, having only seen three or four in 1904 

 (July 12th to August 1st), and a single specimen this year, date not 

 recorded. — J. F. Bird, The Nurtons, Tintern, Monmouthshire. 

 October 18t/,, 1905. 



The foodplant and distribution of Thywelicus act.eon in Britain. 

 — In Practical Hints, pt. iii., p. 68, Mr. Tutt notes that the larva of 

 ThynielicKs actaeon may be found from Swanage to Weymouth "feeding 

 on the leaves of Brachypodiniu sylvaticuin.'' This statement is un- 

 questionably erroneous, for the only known natural foodplant of T. 

 actaeon in Britain is Brachypjodiuin pinnatum, nor does B. sylraticuni 

 occur in the insect's Dorset haunts. In Ent. Mo. May., xxv., p. 283, 

 the Rev. E. R. Digby, at my urgent request, published extracts from 

 a letter received by him from the late Mr. W. Buckler, in which the 

 latter acknowledged his mistake in having at first identified the food- 

 plant of T. actaeon as B. sylvaticiun, instead of B. pinnatum. Sub- 

 sequently, in Ent. Mo. May., ser. 2, iv., p. 214 (1893), I had occasion 

 to correct a repetition of the error, which, alas ! after being published 

 by Buckler in the Ent. Mo. May., and re-published in his Larvae of 

 British Butterjiies and Moths, seems to be quite immortal. Again, in 



