NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. 187 



good plan to sleeve them with a few large stones by way of pabulum ? 

 or would one have more success if they were to allow the larvse to pupate 

 before collecting them? — Wm. Reid. 



A Soknobia is an unsatisfactory insect to breed as one may not 

 improbably get nothing but females, which in this genus are, to say the 

 least, uninteresting. I should think that if the pupae could be 

 collected with equal ease, one would be likely to breed a larger pro- 

 portion of them than one would from the larvae, as some of these 

 would probably die before changing, I have had some small Soknobia 

 larvae on lichen-covered stones in a liower-pot this winter (1891 -'9 2), 

 but many have disappeared. — ^N. M. Richardson. 



LiPARis DISPAR AT SoUTHSEA. — The specimen of Z. dispar in my 

 box was seen at rest in the window of a grocer's shop in Palmerston 

 Road, Southsea, and my son obtained permission of the shopman to 

 box it. I should think it must occur at Southsea or on Portsea Island 

 generally. — Douglas A. Onslow. [It would be interesting to have 

 any other recent records of the capture uf this species at large. — Ed.] 



Deiopeia pulchella. — Since reporting to you the occurrence of 

 this insect here and at Dungeness, I have been informed on good 

 authority of two specimens having been seen at the beginning of the 

 month (June) at Maldon, in Essex. One was taken, so there can be 

 no question as to the identity of the species. The one I took here 

 was so fresh and perfect as to make the idea of its being an immigrant 

 rather starthng at first sight ; but as the species seems to have occurred 

 all along the coast from Gosport on the south to Maldon on the east, 

 I can hardly doubt that you, Mr. Editor, are right in your belief that 

 these insects were not bred here. The Dungeness specimen was 

 taken on the sea shore. As to Colias edusa and Cynthia cardici they 

 are abundant here at this time, the latter especially, and I have no 

 doubt whatever that they are immigrants, as neither species was to be 

 found here last autumn. That they will be abundant at the end of 

 August and early in September all along the south coast there can be 

 no kind of doubt. — R. D. Postans, Eastbourne. 



Melanjppe mon'janata. — Apropos of Mr. Gates' exhibit at the City 

 of London Entomological and Natural History Society {Ent. Rec, p. 

 94), a few notes may be of interest. Though so common, it appears its 

 life history is not over well known. My reading may not be up to 

 date, but as far as I can judge neither Stainton, Newman nor Kirby 

 bred it, although their descriptions of the adult larvae are correct. 

 Neither, however, say anything about its being double-brooded. 

 Newman says the egg is laid in the autumn and the larva is full-fed at 

 the end of March, which Kirby and Stainton extend to May. The fact 

 is, the eggs which are deposited in early summer produce larva? which 

 will be full-fed, and their metamorphosis complete within three months, 

 while others will feed slowly right through the season, hybernate 

 through the winter, and not produce imagines under ten months. As 

 regards food, Stainton and Newman say the larvae feed on primrose, 

 Kirby says low plants. They are probably not very particular in their 

 choice : mine ate anything but sallow, and prospered. Kirby says the 

 imagines appear from May to August — far too short a period, being 

 too late and too early, at least according to my e.xperience. On June 

 8th, 1890, I took a female in the Crown Woods, Shooter's Hill, which 



