74 



two or three minutes afterwards, started another out of the grass and caught it. 

 We both worked hard the rest of the afternoon, but did not see more. However, 

 by repeated visits to the place on subsequent days I managed to secure a few 

 specimens. 



The habits of this species appear to be modified according to the season. Two 

 years ago, when the ground was very wet, my specimens all occurred in low bushes 

 of beech or oak, while those I took this year, when the weather was hot and the 

 ground pretty dry, were all hiding among the long grass and rushes in the wood- 

 paths, apparently seeking the coolest places. They were generally veiy quiet in 

 their habits, starting up before my feet and settling again in the grass at the dis- 

 tance of a few yards ; but one specimen flew quite vrildly over the bushes, and gave 

 me a pretty chase, and two or three others I think I lost that way. 



Its flight closely resembles that of Crambus pratellus, which of course abounds 

 at the same place, but M. salicalis shows the dark grey colour of the fore-wings 

 even when flying. It is, however, very hard to distinguish them from specimens of 

 Bohjs fuscalis, which only look a little smaller. I met with one specimen about 

 10 o'clock in the morning, but all the rest occurred between 2 and 6 p.m., and one 

 which I captured about the latter hour seemed to be taking its evening flight. 



It must, however, also fly after dark, as I took one some years ago at a gas 

 lamp at night. It cannot at any time be very active, since I have neyer taken a 

 worn specimen, the last captured on June 9th being as fine as the first. The fore- 

 wings, however, appear to be very brittle, and liable to have little bits broken out 

 of the hind margin. 



A few sijecimens of Loiophora sexalata occur here every June. In the earlier 

 part of the day they rest, I believe, on the trunks of trees or large bushes, but 

 towards 4 or 5 o'clock p.m. they seem to mount to the upper parts of the sallow 

 bushes, and on a hot afternoon will fly off directly one comes near, and flit about in 

 a rather excited manner. I have known them dart oS" when I have been several 

 yards a\Yay, and not looking for them. On cooler afternoons they may be easily 

 beaten out of the bushes. They fly in the very early dusk, rather before most other 

 Qeometroe, and their flight is then very gentle. This species seems to frequent 

 almost exclusively sallow hedges ; I have hardly ever taken it in woods. 



EupeBcilia amhiguana has again occurred among Bhamnus Frangula, and a.mong 

 that alone. It is easily beaten out of the bushes in the afternoon, and looks very 

 distinct on the wing, as, fi-om its steady flight, the broad dai-k bar across the wings 

 is rather conspicuous. Its time of flight is about sunset. 



The place where I take it every year is just within the border of Sussex, but 

 this year I beat a specimen from a buckthorn bush in a wood in Surrey, probably 

 its first occurrence in this county. — Chas. G. Barrett, Haslemere, llth Jxhj, 1864. 



071 the re-appearance of some Lepidoptera unnoticed since the year 1860. — 

 The following observations apply exclusively to the Midland Counties of England, 

 and especially to the valley of the Trent, which suffered more severely than 

 most other parts of the country, both in its fauna and flora, during the wet 

 and sunless summer and intensely severe winter of 1860 ; from that time many of 

 our commoner Lepidopterous insects became rare, and various larvas, which one 



