NOTES ON HEMITHEA .ESTIVARIA, HB. 247 



uot absolutely fine, so 1 can only assume that, during my absence in 

 Herculesbad, the species had come out and was over ; yet I strongly 

 suspect it to have been a bad year for the Melanargias, as M. galathea 

 was exceedingly scarce in Berculesbad, where it usually swarms; 

 moreover, Miss Fountaine further tells me that the Melanargias were 

 this year very scarce in Bosnia. 



I To be concluded.) 



Notes on Hemithea aestivaria, Hb. (with /date). 



By (Rev.) C. R. N. BURROWS. 

 (Continued tram p. 236). 



I do not feel inclined to dilate upon the life-history, although this 

 has, as far as I know, never been carefully written. There is a descrip- 

 tion ol the full-grown larva, by Edward Newman, in the Entomologist, 

 l^GG, p. 65. My own observations are not, I suppose, very different 

 from those of other collectors. 



The ova are laid some time in July, or thereabouts. Some, which 

 I have been watching, were laid on July 24th. These hatched on 

 August 10th, which makes the oval-period about 17 days, but 

 Dr. F. J. Buckell gives 9 days in his note (Entom. Record., vol. hi., 

 p. 2*)-">j. The larva appears to be exclusively a tree-feeder. Birch, 

 blackthorn, whitethorn, oak, etc., are given as foodplants. It feeds 

 up well upon whitethorn. If anybody knows of any other food- 

 plants it would be well to have them straightway put on record, 

 especially if low-growing plants be amongst them, for the special 

 reason which I shall mention further on. The larvae proceed to feed 

 leisurely so that, in the third stadium, they are ready for the sleep 

 of hybernation. Early in May they niay.be found feeding again. 

 They pupate in a very slight web, amongst leaves, and emerge from 

 the middle of June to. the middle or end of July. The moth comes 

 to sugar and to light, flies at dusk, and is often more of 

 a nuisance to the collector than a pleas;; re. yet it is, in perfect condi- 

 tion, a decidedly pretty insect, with its peculiar blue green upperside, 

 and almost white underside, but, unfortunately, it soon ^ets quite 

 horrible when living ah ait. and worse still when faded. So a series 

 always looks unattractive and shabby, unless renew ''1 year by year. 



There is a note of the capture by Mr. Charles Capper, in the Entom. 



/, vol. xv., p. 273, of a, specimen of the very closely allied 



ra ftmbrialis, in England. This is interesting, as bearing upon 



what 1 have written before respecting the confusi >n in the works of 



authors between this insect and Hemithea aexticaria. Perhaps 



I may be allowed to quote the note, which appears t > be editorial : 



".Mr. ('In is of the capture of a sing] aoiH.fimbrialia 



allied to H. strigata, thai we e have once or twice 

 ■ 'mitineut, a-> tli;it of the latter species at BeachyHead, 

 on Augusl 7th, L903. The locality appears to us to Bavour 



of the latter Mr. Capper prom to I Mr.Prouti men, 



bo that we may hope to i fntheme loubtful II. strigata 

 from down ully exami 



No further note has, so far as 1 have l ! • i 



published, but Mr. Proul assures in. , thai 

 identified, and tha ,ini ■. Vhalera jimbrialis bas a valid 



