222 [September, 



The habits of Nyssia lapponaria. — My friend Dr. McCallum, J. P., of Kinloch 

 Rannoeh, has this year had the probably unique experience of capturing this insect 

 in its wild imaginal state. It is excessively local, being found, for instance, on a 

 spot of about an acre in extent, and limited entirely to that area, although the 

 surrounding moorland may be of exactly the same type and character. It appa- 

 rently flies but little (by day at all events), as only one specimen was seen on the 

 wing. Its usual habit is to sit on the heather, where it will remain in cop. for 

 hours together. Generally it is found on the bell heather (Erica), though some- 

 times on the common ling, and occasionally on a birch tree. The female lays her 

 eggs by inserting her ovipositor into the dead flower tubes of the bell heather, 

 which she fills with eggs, or into the crevices of the bark of the birch tree. The 

 eggs hatch towards the end of May, and the larvae are full fed about the end of 

 July.— Id. 



Luperina testacea, Hb., at treacle. — Of the habits of Luperiua testacea, Mr. 

 C. G-. Barrett, in Brit. Lep., iv, 337, writes as follows : — " At dusk it flies swiftly 

 about fields, lanes, and grassy places generally, but is never found at sugar, nor 

 known to feed at flowers or any kind of sweets." Since it is " the exception " that 

 " proves the rule," it may be of interest to put on record two or three exceptions 

 to the latter part of Mr. Barrett's statement that have recently come under my 

 personal observation. During the last two years, while "sugaring" on the South 

 Devon coast in August and September, I have not unfrequently found specimens of 

 L. testacea sitting rather near the treacle patches, but taking no notice of them. 

 In these cases, no doubt, the moths happen by chance to have crawled up on to 

 what seemed to them to be convenient resting places. The same excuse, however, 

 cannot be made for all the individuals noticed under more suspicious circumstances, 

 for on September 2nd, 1900, 1 saw and watched, with much interest, a male and a 

 female, and on September 6th, 1901, another female, which were all three engaged 

 in eagerly sucking up the treacle through their outstretched tongues. How far they 

 had been attracted to the spot by the sweets it is impossible to say, but the above 

 instances clearly prove, at any rate, that if the sweets happen to come in their way 

 they are, if so inclined, fully capable of enjoying them. The powerful attraction 

 that artificial light has for L. testacea, more especially for the males, is probably 

 well known : the females are in general very lethargic, merely crawling out of their 

 hiding places at night, and sitting quietly about on grass stems, posts, &c, though 

 under favourable conditions of weather I have before now taken them at electric 

 light in a first floor room. — Eustace R. Bankes, Norden, Corfe Castle : July IQth, 

 1902. 



Captures of Lepidoptera in Wilts. — Although the wet and cold spring greatly 

 retarded the appearance of some species (in some instances by as much as from 

 thirty to forty days), I do not find that there is any scarcity of Lepidoptera this 

 season, when proper search is made for them. Amongst recent captures in this 

 district were the following local species, some indicating an extension of the known 

 geographical range. 



Senta maritima. — In a marsh on the Kennet near Chilton Foliat I took a fresh 



