46 THE ENTOMOLOGIST'S RECORD. 



emerged in August, 1887, and all these were unusually bright, the 

 black dusting being almost absent, particularly on the forewings, and 

 the black band standing out very clearly. These specimens are 

 strikingly different from their brothers and sisters which emerged the 

 following spring. Some of the latter show very little orange on the 

 underwing, and the black border is so much suffused that it becomes 

 practically absent. My original stock was quite normal. — A. W. 

 Mera, 77, Capel Road, Forest Gate. January 18th, 1907. 



HOTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



Laphygma exigua larvae taken at Sandown. — Although there 

 have been plenty of records of the imago of L. exigua in this country 

 in 1906, I have not noticed that anyone reports having met with the 

 larva in a wild state. It is, therefore, worth recording that, on 

 September 2nd, my friend, Mr. John Taylor, of Sandown, took a 

 larva on seabeet (Beta maritima) on the shore near the town. 

 Naturally, the identity of the species was quite unsuspected, until, 

 on October 16th, the perfect insect was found out in the box in which 

 it had been kept. I understand that no L. eangua were seen wild at 

 Sandown after October 3rd. — Louis B. Prout, 246, Richmond Road, 

 N.E. January 21st, 1907. 



Hybernia defoliaria in January. — On the night of January 14th, 

 1907, a male of this species flew to light at my study window. On 

 coming to set it out I was surprised to find that it was absolutely 

 fresh. Hitherto, the few odd specimens I have taken early in the 

 year have been worn, and I have always imagined them to haye been 

 born in November, but, on referring to Barrett's British Lepidoptera, 

 vii., p. 232, I find the following interesting remarks: — " On the wing 

 usually in November and December, occasionally as early as October. 

 Should there, however, be any continuance of severe frost in these 

 months, emergence is deferred till January, or even February. This 

 happened in 1864, and to a considerable extent in 1891, and in 1895 

 belated specimens were captured in March." What is the experience of 

 your readers in this matter ? I see from my diary that the last " New 

 Year " specimen I took was on January 10th, 1902. — (Rev.) G. H. 

 Raynor, Hazeleigh Rectory, Maldon. January 18th, 1907. 



Decadence of Fidonia conspicuata in Essex. — I can quite bear 

 out Mr. Mathew's remarks as to the disappearance of this insect in 

 some of its most favoured spots. In August, 1884, I found it in great 

 abundance, and, in September, 1886, the larvas were plentiful. After 

 that date I had no opportunity of visiting the spot for some years, but 

 in May, 1898, I made a journey to the spot, and, for a whole day's 

 work, I only succeeded in taking one specimen. I found the ground 

 very much altered and nothing like what it was in the early eighties. 

 My knowledge of the insect goes back to some ten or fifteen years 

 before that time, for I remember going after the larvae with the 

 late Mr. Garrett, of Ipswich, which was probably about the year 

 1868. Then the broom was growing some six or eight feet high, and 

 the place was used as a game preserve, with rides cut through the 

 broom for shooting purposes ; but, as my friend had been previously 

 warned off by the keepers, our visit had to be short and hurried. 

 Nevertheless, we managed to take our quarry, as, with every tap of the 



