344 THE entomologist's record. 



infertility of the eggs may be due to this. I did not see them mate, 

 and as the calling of the 5 generally takes place on the first night after 

 emergence or rarely on the second, it seems as though it might be a 

 sine qua non to ensure fertility, somewhat analogous to a similar period 

 with animals. The majority of the specimens bred were vars. virgata 

 and rutilago, and there was only one of the type. Light was less at- 

 tractive than in 1892, at least in the autumn, probably on account of 

 the constantly clear sky and frequent bright moon, in some or other of its 

 phases. I feel certain there are three essentials at least, for success with 

 light (trap or otherwise). (1) A commanding out-look ; the more ex- 

 tensive the better. (2) A powerful light, with no other near to act as a 

 counter-attraction, whether natural or artificial, moon or lamps, and (3) 

 Absence of any cold easterly wind. My trap acted well in the spring, 

 and frequently held 20 to 30 moths in the morning, the best being 

 Hypslpetes ruherata, Selenia Imiaria and Grammesia trigrammica var. 

 hilinea, but was a comparative failure in the autumn, though it has 

 given me a few L. cespit/s, Himera pennaria, Diloha cierideocephala, and 

 latterly, roecilocam2')a populi. 



Sugar was a failure, as usual here, but the myriads of Aphides on all 

 sorts of trees and plants left so much honey-dew that, this year at least, 

 it cannot be a matter for surprise. A few Bisulcia Ngnstri, Cahjmnia 

 affinis and worn C.p«/ra//wi were its best visitors. Apropos of p?/mZma, 

 I missed it in its freshness, as I did many others owing to their un- 

 usually eai'ly appearance. It must have been out during the two last 

 weeks in June and seems to have a short life. I sleeved three worn 

 females on plum, elm and pear, and fed them, hoping to get eggs, but, 

 as before, had no success. The insects simply battered themselves 

 to pieces in a week or ten days. Why is this ? If impregnated, 

 they would surely remain, as others do, more or less quiet, fulfil 

 their life-purpose of laying eggs, and then die. Can it he that they do 

 not pair directly they come out, and that their wild flights in confine- 

 ment are struggles to escape and seek their mates ? I did not find any 

 $ s near them, but they were sleeved a little way off their haunts. 

 However, the idea seems possible, and I should be disposed to test it, 

 if I have another opportunity, by keeping (^ and $ together. 



Another very unusual event, connected with the temperature, has 

 been the rearing of third broods of Ephyra porata anii Cidaria silaceata. 

 The 1st brood of both, emerged early in April ; the 2nd, about the 

 middle and end of June ; and the 3rd, the middle and end of August. 

 E. porata was, in each case, some days later than C. silaceata, and only 

 some half-dozen of both the last broods came out, and the remainder 

 are going over till next year. — W. S. Riding, Buckerell Lodge, near 

 Honiton. November 2[)th, 1893. 



OCIETIES. 



City of London Entomological and Natural History Society. — 

 Tuenday, November 21st, 1893. — Exhibits: — Dr. Buckell, a series of 

 Ennomos angvlaria, bred from larvae found on lime trees in Kensington 

 Gardens. The males, with one excej^tion, were of the normal ground 

 colour, but the females were pale, two of them indeed almost white ; 



