NOTES ON COLLECTING. 183 



rear the few we did get. They are looking very unhealthy just now, 

 and eat next to nothing.— F. H. Day, 6, Currock Terrace, Carlisle. 

 May 11th, 1897. 



Epichnopteryx reticella larv^ at Canvey.— On May 3rd, I 

 obtained a good supply of larva? of Epichioptenj.,- reticella, on a salt 

 marsh at Canvey. It is necessary to lie down and search very closely 

 for the cases, to obtain them in any numbers. — F. G, Whittle, 3, 

 Marine Avenue, Southend. 



Spring collecting at Swansea.— Spring collecting at Swansea has 

 been unsatisfactory. A few T. lmt,ntata (melanic specimens were rare), 

 Xijlocawpa areola (litJtoriza) and Lnbapliora lohidata were taken at rest,' 

 and Eupit/uria abhren'ata was abundant at rest on oak, larch and 

 other trees.— (Major) K. B. Robertson, Wellington Court, Cheltenham. 



Taeniocampa opima at Canvey.— I found a fine Taeniacampa opiina at 

 •Canvey, on sea-wormwood, on April 19th.— F. G. Whittle. 



Melit.ea aurinia in Ireland. — I have been very successful in 

 getting the larvae of this species into the pupal condition. I found a 

 web in the winter, the larvs have fed up slowly, and I have now, at 

 least, 150 pupae. The larva? appeared to be very partial to warmth, 

 collecting at the hottest corner of the cage, and becoming lively when 

 the sun was on them. I noticed they continued to make use of a web 

 throughout their larval existence. The pupa is a very beautiful object, 

 and, suspended, it looks like the bud of some flower.— C. Bingham 

 Newland, Killetra, Mallow, co. Cork. 



Dasycampa rubiginea and other spring Lepidoptera at Beading. 



•Of the early spring lepidoptera, Hybemia leucophaearia was well to 

 the fore, the dark-banded forms not uncommon, and H. maryinaria 

 was in plenty. Nys^sia Jn'spidaria was not very well forward, but I 

 had one good day's work at AspJialia jiavicornis. Sallows produced 

 fine forms of Taeniocampa instabilis, T. yracilis, T. popnleti, T. iiuuida, 

 T. miniosa, Calocampa retmta, and Panolu piniperda, whilst sugar, on 

 March 21st, produced three Dasycawpa rubiyhiea. I took Tejdirosia 

 ■bistortata in the larch woods on the same date. — W. Barnes, Reading. 



Spring lepidoptera at Reading.— Collecting in our beech woods 

 has been saved from utter barrenness during the last month by an 

 occasional capture of Staurojms fayi. It has been on since April 

 S6th. I have in various years captured it from April till July. It 

 has appeared as a second brood in August from larva^ sleeved out of 

 ■doors, and has been taken in our woods as late as November. What 

 other large moth has such a range in time as this ? Tephrosia conso- 

 naria is again all but absent. One female I took on May 4th. This, 

 •and one other specimen, comprise all those taken to my knowledge! 

 The insect is seldom abundant; 1892 was a year of plenty ; in 1893 

 it occurred sparingly, the number taken since could be counted 

 on the fingers. I'latypteryx cultraria and Donas coryli are scarce. 

 Leucophasia dnapis is not out in its usual plenty. Maovylossa himbij- 

 iiformis (the narrow-bordered species) flew freely 'in the" sunshine "to 

 flowers of OrobK.s tuherom on May 22nd, 24th and 25th. I have been, 

 •during May, eleven times to the beech woods, and have not seen 

 Tejdirosia rrejniscidaria [biundnlaria). It has been a good season for 

 T. bistortata, but to date (May 31st) only two or three of its near 

 relatives have been found on the beech. ' If the two were one species, 

 the conditions favouring the one form should not be absolutely bad 

 lor the other.— J. Clarke, Reading. Maii 'dlst, 1897. 



