THE SEASON OF 1912 IN ABERTILLERY. 159 



January and February produced nothing except a few Phvjalia 

 peOaria $ s and some very ordinary Hijbernia viarginaria (proi/enuiiaria). 

 From several larvae collected at Weston-super-Mare last year were bred 

 a good many Hybernia Diph-apraria. T was struck with the large per- 

 centage of $ s these larva) produced. 



During March things were a little better, although hardly anything 

 but the very commonest spring insects were seen ; two Poli/ploca 

 (Asphalia) fiavicornis were taken at rest on fence posts on the 10th, 

 also a solitary ^/.soy*/i//rt (Anisopteryx) aescnlaria: the latter instct has 

 been getting scarcer every year; a few years ago it was exceedingly 

 abundant throughout the district, but has rapidly decreased in num- 

 bers each succeeding year, the specimen taken on the 10th was the 

 only example I was able to find, in spite of really close searching for 

 the species, as I was anxious to renew my series. Malenyilns [Larentia) 

 nudtistriyaria was rather early this year, the first examples, three ^ s 

 and one 2 , were taken at rest on bed-straw on March 10th, and the 

 species occurred fairly commonly throughout the month ; by searching 

 with a lantern about 11 p.m. a good many were taken at rest on grass 

 stems, several pairs in cup. Most of these were typical; ab. riryata, 

 Tutt, was scarce, and only one ab. nubilata, Tutt, was taken ; the best 

 form was one with a light yellowish-brown ground colour, taken on 

 the 12th. Several Taeniorampa yot/n'ca emerged in my breeding-cages 

 about the middle of the month, from the 8th to the 14th, a good fort- 

 night before wild emergences. 



At the beginning of April the sallows were in full bloom, and on 

 two nights, the 3rd and the 5th, insects were exceedingly abundant at 

 them. By far the larger proportion were Taeniocauipa yothica. T. 

 stabilis and T. palvendenta were plentiful enough, together with hyber- 

 nated examples of Orrhodia vaccinii : T. instabilix, as usual, was 

 decidedly scarce, two only were taken. Pachnobia rubricusa was not so 

 plentiful as usual. I was pleased to take a dozen fine and varied 

 Taeniocaiupa opium on the 5th ; this species is by no means common 

 here. The Pierids were about in fair numbers throughout the month, 

 although not so plentiful as in normal years ; Picn» napi was the 

 commonest of the three " whites," P. rapae fairly common, and P. 

 braasicac. decidedly scarce. 



On April 24th, in a small secluded valley, about three miles from 

 Abertillery, I found Callopliryu rubi out in extraordinary numbers. I 

 ■did not happen to have my net with me, but managed to pill-box 

 fourteen examples as they feasted on the few remaining sallow blooms. 

 The next day I again visited this valley fully " armed," and found C. 

 rubi even more plentiful than the day before ; I could have taken two 

 or three hundred, with very little trouble, if necessary, but was content 

 with 76 picked specimens. Some of these are heavily spotted with 

 white on the underside, a S was taken having the lower wings of 

 a golden shade ; the best variety was a $ with the underside of a 

 bronzy shade. This aberration was rare, a few were seen approaching 

 it, but only this one example had the underside of a pronounced 

 bronze. The day was cloudy, with intervals of bright sunshine ; the 

 moment the sun became obscured not a single C. rubi was to be seen, 

 they disappeared as if by magic. I carefully searched to see what they 

 rested on, and after a few minutes had no difficulty in finding them on 

 birch leaves, holly and bilberry, or anything green, not a single one 



