268 THE entomologist's record. 



of the wings a very dark brown, the white discal dot much 

 reduced in size, the marginal spots absent on the forewings but 

 present as four inconspicuous red crescents towards the anal angle 

 on the hindwings. On the undersurface the Avhite spots were centred 

 with black. One very handsome $ specimen had the marginal dots 

 on the upperside of the forewings reduced to four scarcely discernible 

 dots of red, the white discal spot conspicuous, and a white shading 

 (most noticeable at the apex of the forewings) all round the outer 

 margin of the anterior and posterior wings. In this specimen the 

 white spots on the underside were distinctly dark centred. (Later, 

 on August 8th, I took a few worn specimens of A. astrarcJie var. 

 artaxerxes at Tarbat Ness, also on Hdia)ithe>}inia-co\eved slopes by the 

 sea.) Other species of interest taken at Nigg Sutor on July 9th, were 

 Scoparia diibitalis, Klmhhta an/entella, Clerk {ciignipennella, Hb.), 

 Alicrnpteri/.r seiipella, Lita vuiDiiorca, and L. leucomelanella — the last 

 beaten from a tuft of Silene viaritiina growing in a crevice in the rock. 

 About six weeks later, on August 17th, Gnophos nbu-urata was fairly 

 abundant in this locality. Two of the specimens captured were 

 infested with about half a do^^ien small red parasites, larval 

 Tvoinhidiidac, whose head parts were buried amongst the scales of the 

 moth's thorax. lAta vicinella-''- was another interesting species taken 

 on the same day amongst the herbage on the steep slopes by the sea. 



Other Gelechiidae observed in Ross-shire last summer were : At 

 Swordale, Lita )iiacidiferdla, resting on lichen-covered oak trunks on 

 April 9th ; L. acuniinateUa, taken on July 30th ; IJnjotropha terrella, 

 abundant amongst grass during June and July ; Munochroa tenebrella, 

 beaten from herbage on a roadside on July 5th ; Brachycrossata 

 cr7!ereZ/rt, taken amongst grass on July 28th; and in other localities, 

 Gelechia vudiuella, hesiten horn vfhin at Tarbat Ness on August 8th ; 

 and Ti'U'in dodecella, beaten from Scotch fir near Strathpefter on 

 July 19th. 



During July I spent one or two interesting days amongst the 

 lepidoptera of the mountain districts. One of the more successful of 

 these was the 3rd, when I made the ascent of a round topped mountain 

 about 2,000 feet high, near Ben Wyvis. The marshy spots on the moor 

 at a lower elevation Avere frequented by FAacldata r/njuc/iosjiordla (albi- 

 della) and K. hihinnudla. The latter was very common and was observed 

 on subsequent occasions up to the beginning of August. A short 

 distance from the summit of the mountain, the bushy heather of the 

 more sheltered slopes gave place to a dwarfed variety, which scarcely 

 raised a shoot amongst the encircling moss and lichen, while the cloud- 

 berry — Fmbiis chaniainnoriis — (on whose leaves the larvffi of He.tero(inomon 

 (Tortri.v) viburniana were feeding) Avas supplanted by trailing shoots of 

 of ArctostapJii/los alpina. Just here I netted a specimen of Psodos 

 coracina that was flying low over the ground, and a little later, though 

 the sun was clouded and a cold wind Avas bloAving, a second specimen 

 Avas noticed fluttering OA^er the moss. A cold half-hour of unsuccessful 

 search ensued; but at 5.30 the sun shone out again, and tA\'0 more 

 specimens made their appearance. Another interesting species taken 

 in this neighbourhood Avas Vachnobia Injpcrborea, a beautiful specimen 



*Bankes {Ent. Mo. Mag., 1909, p. 263) shews L. vidnella to be a pale ab. of 

 L. leucomelandla. — A.S. 



