NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. 211 



Epione vespertaria.— Whilst out collecting on Slrensall Common 

 last Thursday evening with my friends, Messrs. Walker and Dutton, I 

 obtained two female specimens of Epione vespertaria at rest on dwarf 

 sallow (which is the foodplant of the larvae). They were both in fine 

 condition,- and evidently just emerged. One of them before dying 

 laid 37 eggs, the other 8. The eggs when first laid are white, 

 and in the course of a day or two change to a beautiful coral-pink 

 colour. The above mentioned date is unusually late for this species to 

 be on the wing, and is, I believe, the latest on record, August loth 

 being about the latest date on which it had been previously taken here. 

 The usual date of emergence is from the 6th to the loth of July. The 

 earliest date on which I have known the imago to be taken is June 30th, 

 on which date I have taken a few specimens. Its time of flight is just 

 about dusk, and is continued until late into the night. It also flies (and 

 much more commonly) on warm sunny mornings about 6 a.m., although 

 its appearance is sometimes retarded until about 9 a.m., this of course 

 depending upon the amount of sunshine. It appears particularly averse 

 to cloudy and windy mornings, the passing of a large cloud across the 

 sun being sufficient to cause it to cease flying. Its flight in the morning 

 usually lasts about an hour, although odd specimens may be seen for a 

 longer period. The specimens taken at night are usually finer and 

 richer in colour than those taken in the morning. I have noticed that 

 after it has been out some time it generally flies earlier in the morning 

 than when first emerged, the reason for which seems to be that it is 

 then somewhat worn, and more susceptible to the rays of the sun. 

 [How? — Ed.] Varieties sometimes occur, but are rare. I have 

 one of a deep brick-red colour, and there are others thinly scattered 

 about in collections. Another form, which sometimes occurs is that in 

 which the border is deepened. The female is very rarely indeed taken 

 in the morning, but almost always at night at rest on the dwarf sallow, 

 and requires careful search. It is very sluggish, and is seldom taken 

 on the wing. Occasionally varieties of the female occur in which the 

 border, instead of narrowing off at the tip of the wings, is continued 

 right through. The larvse are obtained by sweeping the dwarf sallow 

 about the middle of June, and are not difficult to rear. The female 

 larvae are larger and stouter than those of the male. Singularly enough, 

 the proportion of female larvse swept generally exceeds that of the male. 

 — William Hewett, 12, Howard Street, Fulford Road, York. Septem- 

 ber i^th, 1 89 1. 



CosMiA PYRALiNA AT Chichester. — Two fine specimens of this 

 rather local moth were taken in a garden at Whyke, close to this city : 

 one on July 30th, the other in the second week in August. Both 

 insects came to sugar. — Joseph Anderson, Jun., Chichester. 



Notes on Cossus ligniperda. — For some years I had been accus- 

 tomed to take five or six imagines of ligniperda, with an occasional 

 larva. In 1889, when with my friend, Mr. Culpin, searching for Cato- 

 cala nupta, we discovered how to take the full-fed larv» of Cossus in 

 considerable numbers. In September the larvae walk around to find a 

 suitable place for their winter cocoons, and we discovered that they can 

 be found plentifully in the stumps of willow trees that have been cut 

 down. It is necessary to first rip off" the bark of stumps, under which 

 will be found a number of cocoons ; then, if the wood is at all rotten. 



