94 THE entomologist's RECORb. 



C cuhneUus. Tineides. — G^copliora formoseUa. Tortricides. — 

 Ephip'piphora pftitgiana, Tortrix rosana ! .', Peronca sponsana ! ! 

 (? Ed.), P. variegana ! !, Catoptria uJicetana. Hepialides. — 

 Hcpinius hnmuU!. — E. M. Cheesmax, Old Bank House, Stromness, 

 Orkney. March, 1897. 



Notes on Acidalia rusticata. — This species used to be very 

 abundant at Higham, among the herbage by the roadside, and for 

 some years has been much over-collected in its restricted habitat. 

 It has now become comparatively rare, and I believe the same 

 collectors still go annually to get as many specimens as possible. I 

 was always inclined to consider its food-plant Farietaria. I after- 

 wards found the insect on the undercliff, at Kingsdown, between Deal 

 and ])over, quite near the sea, and here again it was attached appa- 

 rently to Farietaria. Mr. Webb writes that : " Greenhithe was for 

 many years the only known locality for A. rusticata ; there it affected 

 a dusty piece of hedge by the side of the road, and was not found 

 elsewhere." He further states that this species "occurs on both sides 

 of Dover, and not in dusty places at all." Mr. Richardson says that 

 he finds " A. rusticata in places where pellitory grows, at Portland ; 

 but it does not appear to be specially attached to that plant, and is 

 not, as a rule, beaten out of it. The moth occurs in various spots, 

 all near the sea, some within twenty or thirty yards of it. It has no 

 taste for dusty spots in Portland, as far as I know." It may interest 

 our readers to know that I took this interesting little species in the 

 magnificent gorge, which the Eomanche has cut in its passage 

 between La Grave and Le Freney, at an elevation of about 4,500 feet. 

 Here it occurred among the rocky Jebris at the foot of the mountains, 

 and here again I observed the Farietaria. Still there may be no real 

 connection between the moth and the plant. — J. W. Tutt. Marc/i, 1897. 



Early collecting notes. — The season appears to be a very early 

 one thus far. Mr. E. W. W. Bowell (Sissinghurst) states that two 

 ^.sp//f(^/r/ //rtru"o?-»/.s obtruded themselves on his notice on the evening 

 of Feb. 27th. Mr. Hamm (Reading) writes that " the season is again 

 very early, Phiffalia pedaria and Hybernia leucophaearia being taken as 

 early as .Ian. 5th, on the gas lamps. On Feb. 13th, the latter species, 

 as well as Anisopter>j.i- aescularia, Tortricodes hyemana were common, 

 whilst one ^ Cheimatohia brumata, and several Hybernia viaryinaria 

 occurred. On Feb. 27th, five male Nyssia hispidaria were captured, 

 whilst Peronca ferruijana and T. liyewana were flying in numbers. A 

 few Kpiijraphia avellancUa were also found on the twigs. Asphalia 

 flavicornis was in numbers on birch twigs ; the latter is quite 8 or 10 

 days earlier than I have seen it before." Mr. Day (Carlisle) writes : — 

 " I was rather surprised to see a specimen of A', areola at rest on a tree 

 trunk on February 28th ; the date is fully three weeks earlier than I 

 have previously observed it. The weather of the past fortnight has 

 certainly been mild, but not sufficiently so to warrant such an early 

 emergence. Such moths as Hybernia rupicapraria, H. vraryinaria 

 and Phiyalia pilosaria have appeared normally, so that this appearance 

 of A', areola must evidently be capricious." A note from Dr. 

 Chapman, dated Feb. 27th, and written from Cannes, states that he has 

 "seen Fararye eyeria, Callophrys riibi, Antliocharis belia, Fieris rapae, 

 P. napi and /'. brassicae on the wing, whilst Macroylossa stcUatarum 

 is abundant, but spring," the doctor adds, "is hardly on yet." Mr. 



