1917.] 117 



speeimeu iu various loL-alities, and au isolated colony iu one of the New 

 Forest enclosures, it was a pleasure to find the insect in such numbers 

 and in perfect condition. It Avas equally common, but not quite so 

 fresh, in 1913 and 1914. I was greatly struck with its remarkable re- 

 semblance to the flower heads of the common burnet saxifrage (Pirn- 

 pinella sa.vlfmga), which grows freely with the usual chalk-down thistle 

 (Cnicus acaalis), and when a butterfly was perched on a flower of the 

 latter, or on a scabious or hawkweed, it several times deceived me 

 until the apparent umbel flew up almost from under my feet. Two 

 beautiful specimens of Grapta c-alhum. were seen on different days, 

 but neither of them secured. 



On mulleins {Verhascum fhajysns) on the site of a small beech 

 plantation (mostly felled), on the side of a valley behind Pitchcombe, 

 I found Peutatoma verbasci (baccarunh) in all sizes, from larval forms 

 an eighth of an inch across, to perfect insects ; this bug was seen 

 nowhere else in the district, although mulleins are common there. 



Besides the common Bomhi, the Psithyri seem to be well repre- 

 sented : rvpestris, vestalis, rovipiestris (all forms), did Indus and (pi.adri- 

 color have all been met with, the first three being common. The males 

 seem very fond of. knapweed flowers {Cenianrea nigra), those of cam- 

 pestris being partial to dyer's rocket {Beseda luteola), and those of 

 rupestris were especially attracted by the flowers of Teucrium cham- 

 aedrys, a handsome and local labiate growing in a large patch in one 

 station in the district, and met with nowhere else. 



In 1913 I discovered a delightful stone quarry near Slad, which 

 proved a happy hunting groun<l. then and on subsequent visits. Here 

 Psitl/yri were discovered in great force, especially camvesfris, and here 

 it was I captured the specimen of Didea alnefi recorded in this maga- 

 zine (Vol. L, p. 17). In the immediate vicinity, I also took that year 

 a single specimen of Adimonia tanaceti, a beetle supposed to be attached 

 to tansy, but there was no trace of that plant in the district. 



I also took a rather worn example of Criorrhina oxyacanthae on 

 a flower of viper's bugloss (Echiinn) in the quarry. On the banks of 

 a bi'ook running through a meadow near Painswick, I found four 

 larvae of CuculUa lychnitis, feeding on the buds and flowers of water 

 figwort (Scrophularia aquatica) . These were brought home still feeding, 

 and they eventually pupated, and after passing two winters in the 

 pupal condition, three of them produced nice specimens in May, 1915. 



I paid a visit to Birdlip, and on a piece of rough land alongside 

 the road found a good deal of wild parsnip (Pantinaca sativa), on 



