238 [March, 



theeia centoMreata and succentwriata, Anticlea ruhidata (I obtained eggs from 3 $ ), 

 Scotosia duhitata, Cidaria miata and corylata, Euholia pahimharia, Platypteryx 

 hamula, Petasia cassinea (16<J), Notodonta camelina, Diloha coeruleocephala, Leucania 

 comma, Gortyna flavago, Cha/rwas gramiinis, Cerigo cytherea, Miarut, literosa, Aplecta 

 advena, ffadeno, pisi, adusta, and thalossina. 



My light proceeds from an argand bnmcr, and is reflected by an 8-inch 

 concave mirror. — George J. Heaudek, Powicb near Worcester, January 19th, 1865. 



HybemaUon of Cidaria miata and other Lepidoptera. — Lately, on a bright 

 sunny day, when one could see as well in-doors as out, I found time to carefully 

 examine two empty buildings. The result was that I found the following species 

 hybernating on the walls and ceilings : — 4 Vanessa iirticw, 2 Cidaria miata (in very 

 fine condition), 4 Oonoptera lihatrix (also very fine), and 5 Alucita polydactyla. 



I used to fancy that some of the miata remained in pupa all the winter, as the 

 spring examples were sometimes so fresh-looking ; but certainly no bred specimens 

 could exceed in brightness of colouring the two above mentioned. The species must 

 be abundant about the building, for there were lots of the wings in the spiders' webs 

 with which the windows were plentifully furnished. — C. G. Barrett, Haslemere, 

 February 1st, 1865. 



Hybernation of Cidaria miata. — Yesterday, while helping to remove the snow 

 from the top of my house, I saw a fine specimen of Cidaria miata, with its wings 

 up, walking daintily on the dazzling snow-drift. It had probably been disturbed 

 from its hybernacnlum under the tihng. — E. Horton, Worcester, February 1st, 1865. 



Pterophoriis osteodadylus : correction of an error. — I beg to call attention to a 

 slight error in the Annual for this year. At page 115, Pt: osteodadylus is said to 

 have been taken by me at Wokingham : it should have been North Devon. It is 

 rather remarkable that I also took this species on the opposite side of the Bristol 

 Channel, in South Wales. — Id. 



Abundance of Syrphi a/iid other destroyers of Aphides. — The occurrence of 

 Syrphus pyrastri and one or two other species in vast swanns has already been 

 recorded. Probably they have extended along the whole or the greater part of the 

 south coast, but beyond these limits I beheve evidence is wanting. Here, the 

 whole family of Syrphidcc were particularly scarce throughout the spring months, 

 and up to the end of July ; after this time the commoner kinds of Syiphus began 

 to appear in fully their usual numbers, and one species, S. halteatus, in far greater 

 numbers than usual, still not in swarms, but strikingly abundant. It was not until 

 after the third week of August that they were at their height, or a trifle later than 

 the swarms on the south coast. They had probably been bred in this neighbour- 

 hood, as I found the pupa in difi'erent places. There was no great excess of 8. 

 pyrastri. 



Spending a week at Ollerton, Notts., in September, I was surprised at the 

 great abundance of Cocclnella septempunctata. They seemed to pass the night in 

 companies of from ten to twenty individuals, the furze bushes being their favourite 

 resort ; and were so to be seen in the morning until the heat of the sun was sufiicient 

 to rouse them into activity. Frequently there would be upwards of a hundred on 



