110 THE entomologist's RECORD. 



rounded, with dorsal surface ending in two sharp spines ; colour light 

 brown, segments slightly darker, also the ocellar area (beneath glazed 

 eye). 



Habits of imago : The imago flies just before dark, and the flight 

 is straight, and just above the herbage ; they frequently settle, and if 

 alarmed drop to the bottom of the fen and sham death. They fly very 

 little after dark. The $ is very rarely met with, and seems to sit 

 about on the rushes, and seldom flies. 



Habitats : The insect is very local, even in its favourite haunts, 

 which are fens and rushy meadows, and it seems to keep to the rushy 

 patches m the broads, and not to be all over the fen. Mr. Prout tells 

 me he has taken the species in the Isle of Wight, where there is a 

 small trickle of water down the clift", with a few reeds and rushes 

 growing in it, the whole spot being only a few feet square. It occurs 

 throughout Britain towards the end of July. 



Parasites : The following parasites were bred from the larvae : 

 Barichni'umon lepidns, Aritranifi carnife.r, and Bracon fidvipes. 



Variation : The perfect insect varies a good deal, and in addition 

 to the forms mentioned in Brit. Noct., vol. i., p. 48, viz., (1) the type, 

 (2) ab. lineola, Stph., (8) ab. pallescenx, Tutt ; there is (4) an interest- 

 ing reddish-brown form = ab. fiisra, Bankes. 



I am indebted to Mr. Main for the photograph. 



Explanation of Plate X. 

 Photo of body of Coenob'ui rnfa ? , showing the cutting spines. 



The Lepidoptera of the Dischma=ThaI. 



By .T. W. TUTT, F.E.S. 

 The morning of August 1st, 1908, broke wet and chilly at Davos, 

 and it was not until after noon that a change for the better occurred; 

 then the sun broke out some\vhat fitfully, and a start was made for 

 the Dischma-Thal. For a little while towards the end of the after- 

 noon, the sun got more power, and a few butterflies were soon observed 

 on the wing. First and foremost was Erehia tyndanis, which is very 

 abundant throughout the valley, and then Chrijsophanus hippotho'e, a 

 few specimens in good condition, but the greater part worn. The $ s 

 appear to be of a dark race, with scarcely a trace of copper in the 

 upperside colour. With these were Loireia sitbalpina, a most interest- 

 ing insect, very dark, and in rather better condition than (\ idpimtho'e. 

 Besides these, Melauipias )itela»ipiis were common, but Krehia tnanto 

 was over, only a few worn $ s being observed. By the roadside a 

 few 5 s of Paranic viaera were flying, and, on the nettles, were large 

 numbers of larvse of !'i/ranieis atahtnta oi all sizes and ages, and Aglaia 

 urticae from newly-hatched to pupa>, hanging on the stone walls. A 

 mile or so up the valley the slopes began to take on more of the aspect 

 of the alpine pastures, and less of that of cultivated meadows, and the 

 herbage was less wet. Stepping up on these slopes, a fair number of 

 species were disturbed, among Avhich Coenmuimpha iphis and Hfsperia 

 alveus were most conspicuous, whilst An/ynnis aylaia, BrentJiis 

 amathmia, were in fewer numbers, the latter apparently quite over. 

 But the two species that were most abundant on the slopes were 

 Adkinia coprndactyla, and Crainhiis cnnchelliis ; the former was in the 



