40 THE entomologist's record. 



with what ultimate results it would be difficult to say. Every evening, 

 at dusk, they wake up and regale themselves upon the fresh catkins I 

 place daily in the jars. I have not seen a single micro yet, and the 

 only geometers I notice at night about the sallows, thorns, and briars, 

 are Selenia illnuaria, Hybernia progetninarui, and Am'iclea badiata, the 

 two latter, especially A. badiata, being abundant.— J. Arkle, 2 George 

 Street, Chester. April i€>t/i, 1891. 



Kings Lynn. — Notwithstanding the continued cold weather during 

 the last few weeks, there seems to be some indication here of a better 

 season. At any rate, the few species which I have looked for have 

 been decidedly more plentiful than I have known them to be for several 

 years. For instance, pupae of Fidonia piniaria are common enough 

 beneath moss to enable me to collect some 200 or more with very 

 little trouble, from which I hope to breed a few varieties. Whilst 

 searching for these, I came across an odd pupa or two of Macaria 

 litiirata, and a nice sprinkling of those of Trachea piniperda. Amongst 

 the few imagines of the latter which have at present emerged, are some 

 beautiful varieties. Recent examinations of the shoots of young 

 Scotch fir trees has resulted in my finding numbers of pupae of 

 Retinia turioiiana. This is the first time in my experience that this 

 species has been fairly abundant here. Of course the larva of R. 

 turionana continues to serve as a host for several species of ichneumon- 

 parasites, and I confess that I felt less surprise than annoyance at the 

 fact that for every healthy pupa found, at least four times the number 

 of these ruthless destroyers were observed, and I will not apologise for 

 taking steps to prevent their power for mischief upon the future brood. 

 In common with several other species of lepidoptera, Cymatophora 

 flavicornis has been late in making its appearance. I looked for them 

 as usual, about the middle of March, but, as I expected, not a single 

 specimen could be found. However, on the 2nd of April, two spe- 

 cimens turned up at rest upon the stems of birch, and n:i the same 

 locality on the 5th inst., I had no difficulty in finding a dozen spe- 

 cimens in fine condition. The sallows have been in full bloom here 

 for some days, but up to the present time not a single suitable 

 evening has turned up for working them. — E. A. Atmore, King's 

 Lynn, Norfolk. April lotli, 1891. 



Hereford. — Sallows have been in bloom for perhaps five weeks, and 

 are not yet over. I have only visited them twice, and on perhaps as 

 favourable nights as there have been, and the success was very meagre 

 indeed. The weather has been continuously cold and bleak, and the 

 sallows exhibit one curious result. In a fine season, the season is 

 short, each tree bursts into a mass of bloom and is soon over, other 

 trees may be a few days earlier or later ; but this year, each sallow 

 tree has developed a few blossoms at intervals, and trees may be seen 

 with some catkins dead and withered, a few in full bloom, others 

 developing, and some perhaps hardly beginning to swell, so that each 

 trei lasts in a miserable way for some weeks. The moths appear to 

 suffer in a similar manner, instead of coming out in good numbers at 

 once, each species seems J;o appear in driblets, as may be guessed 

 from their small numbers, and the presence of fine and worn spe- 

 cimens together. All the Tcrniocampas put in an appearance except 

 gracilis and opinia, nor was Hoporina croceago seen. Petrificata, vaccinii, 



