286 [December, 



Lyccena Hylas, Esp. (Dory/as, Hiib.), in Britain. — On September 7th of 

 the present year I had the good fortune to capture a specimen of this species 

 in the neighbourhood of St. Margaret's Bay, Kent. So similar was this specimen 

 to a variety of a common species that I was in some danger of allowing it to escape, 

 and I cannot help thinking that the insect may be of more frequent occurrence with 

 us than is supposed. — G. O. Sloper, Highworth, Swindon : November, 1902. 



With reference to the specimen of Lyccena Hylas captured near here by Mr. 

 Sloper, it may be well to record that Cooke had the first British specimen. It came 

 to him in 1863 among a quantity of L. Adonis captured in the Isle of Wight, and 

 he sold it to Mr. Bond. It was reported (see Zoo!., 8402) that two were taken at 

 that time, but I never heard what became of the second. Another was stated to 

 liave been secured in the following year at Brighton -on the day succeeding that 

 of the capture of L. hcetica - and this also passed into Mr. Bond's hands, but it is 

 only L. Adonis with unspotted cilia. — Sydney Webb, Dover. 



[Lewin, " Insects of Great Britain," figured this species as British under the 

 name of Hyacinthus ; and upon this the late Mr. Henry Doubleday remarked 

 (Zool., 8402), " I do not know whether any of Lewin's specimens are now in 

 existence, but his figures most certainly represent the sexes of L. Dorylas, which 

 is distinguished from L. Adonis by its paler blue colour slightly tinged with green, 

 immaculate cilia, and the absence of the two transverse ocelli at the base of the 

 fore-wings beneath." — C. G. B.] 



Acidalia rusticata in Devon. — Between the 1st and 14th of last August I met 

 with six specimens of this species at Torquay ; they were all in fine order, some 

 being taken at rest on rustic palings, while others were secured on the wing at dusk, 

 at which time it has a curious "buzzing" or hovering flight. As A. rusticata site 

 on a fence with its wings spread out, the insect has a wonderful resemblance to the 

 excrement of a small bird, and it was when in this position that the species was 

 first observed. The trees near were mostly privet and lilac, and I am not quite sure 

 whether there was any elm. The capture of this pretty little Acidalia, for the first 

 time, has pleased me immensely. — C. Granville Clutterbuck, Lauriston, Denmark 

 Boad, Gloucester : October 17th, 1902. 



Crambus hamellus, Thnb., at Chobham. — Between August 17th and 20th, 1892, 

 I found this in abundance near Chobham Common. It was, however, confined to a 

 piece of heather-covered roadside waste of about 60 yards in length, and to the 

 adjoining moor; on the other side of the road, where there was little or no heather, 

 it was not to be found. It was very lazy, fluttering gently from one piece of heather 

 to another, and could be boxed with the greatest ease. If frightened, it tried to 

 hide itself, and sometimes (though very rarely) settled on a grass stem, but evidently 

 felt itself at home only on heather {Erica tetralix). Although in excellent condi- 

 tion on August 20th, it had quite disappeared on the 26th of the same month. — 

 A. H. Clarke, 109, Warwick Eoad, Earl's Court, S.W. : October 27th, 1902. 



Meloe rugosus at Broadstairs. — It was a great pleasure to me this morning to 

 pick up a specimen of this beetle close to the spot where I had taken two other 



