92 THE entomologist's kecord. 



morning, afternoon, or evening, to enable them to use their wings when 

 their period of flight arrived. — C. Fenn, Lee. Aprils 1891. 



It seems to me that the result of the discussion on this subject has 

 been to show a very general agreement with the broad proposition I 

 laid down in my last note. Even Mr. Fenn, who is the most doughty 

 opponent, practically yields the point when he admits that time of 

 emergence has some relation to time of flight. If this be so, however, 

 why should the dusk-flying Sphinges follow the example of their day- 

 flying congeners and emerge in the early morning as I have found to 

 be the case with the hawk moths ? I do not think breeding cage 

 observations are so reliable as field observations, inasmuch as our 

 pupae can hardly be considered /;/ statu naturd. Of course, field 

 observations are less frequently possible, but a careful record of the 

 times of finding insects either unexpanded or drying their wings, might 

 in time be worth generalising. — Francis John Buckell. April 29///, 

 1891. 



Northern Range of Hemerophila abruptaria. — I should 

 like to mention that this insect has been discovered as far north 

 as Stonehaven in Kincardine, but I never heard of its being taken in 

 Aberdeen. — Wm. Reid. March 23?-^, 1891. 



Foodplant of H. senecionis (cretacella). — By the notes on 

 the life habits of H. senecionis in the Record {vo\. i., p. 326), some of your 

 readers might think an error of observation has been made, but this 

 is in seeming only, for like many other species of lejjidoptera the larva is 

 an internal feeder only when small. Thus both statements are correct 

 for it mines the tops of the stems whilst young, afterwards living 

 within a compact web which envelops the whole of small flower shoots. 

 I have seen the central blossom thus surrounded but only in small 

 plants, when vigorous the side flowering stems will alone be attacked. 

 It used to be common at Chattenden, and the perfect insects were 

 larger from there than anywhere else I know of. — Sydney Webb, Dover. 

 March 22nd, 1891. 



FOODPLANTS OF HOM/EOSOMA NEBULELLA AND H. SENECIONIS. 1 



bred a number of Z^ nebulella from the dwarf thistle Cnicis acaulis from 

 the dry pastures in Norfolk. Of senecionis, some years ago, I bred 

 large quantities from larvae feeding in the top of ragwort under a web. 

 The fat brown larva was at home among its frass. There is always 

 plenty of breeze on the coast where I got them. I have two specimens 

 without any markings whatever, the ground colour being as in the 

 typical form.— J. B. Hodgkinson. March, 1891. 



Suggestions for a New Work on British Tortrices. — It may 

 be treading on old ground to suggest the great want of a thoroughly 

 practical work, with accurately coloured plates, on the British Tortrices, 

 but I am induced to re-open the subject by personal need of it. 

 Stainton's standard book of reference exists, but it is not by any means 

 up to date ; and there are other works, obsolete, untrustworthy, inaccurate, 

 which I can only describe as " brain-twisters " to young or any aged 

 students of this most interesting group. Doubtless the number of 

 micro-lepidopterists in Great Britain is comparatively small, and only 

 the valiant attack the Tineina, but would it not be a step in the right 

 direction to contemplate — contemplation often precedes action — the 

 advisability of a modern work on Tortrices. There must be a round 



