1880.] 229 



Scapula prunalis. — In addition to the foodplants given for this species in this 

 month's Ent. Mo. Mag., p. 209, may be mentioned the Stinging Nettle (Urtica 

 dioicaj. On June 14th last, I collected the larvae very freely from this plant in this 

 district, and from them reared a beautiful series of this common species. It feeds 

 here equally freely on Teucrium seorodonia. — Id. 



\_Urtica dioica has been already recorded as a food -plant of this species, which 

 is probably not fastidious as to its diet. — Eds.] 



Vanessa cardui in 1879. — With reference to the remarks of Mr. McLachlan 

 {ante pp. 49 — 51) and Dr. Jordan (ante pp. 196, 197) on the abundance of Vanessa 

 cardui in 1879, the following extract from "The Journal of a Naturalist" (London, 

 1829), may not be without interest : — 



" We occasionally see, toward the end of the summer, the painted lady butterfly 

 (Papilio cardui) ; but this is a creature that visits us at very uncertain periods, and 

 is vivified by causes infinitely beyond the comprehension of the entomologist, seeming 

 to require a succession and variety of seasons and their change, and then springing 

 into life we know not how. This was particularly obvious in the summer of 1815, 

 and the two following, which were almost unceasingly cold and rainy ; scarcely a 

 moth or a butterfly appeared : and in the early part of 1818, the season was not less 

 ungenial ; a few half-animated creatures alone struggled into being; yet this 'painted 

 lady ' was fostered into life, and became the commonest butterfly of the year : it has, 

 however, but very partially visited us since that period. The keenest entomologist, 

 perhaps, would not much lament the absence of this beauty if such cheerless seasons 

 were always requisite to bring it to perfection." It appears from this that there is 

 some connection between the occurrence of V. cardui in large numbers and a suc- 

 cession of cold, wet seasons. — H. Goss, Surbiton Hill : Fehruary, 1880. 



Capture of Ileliothis scutosa near Weston-super-3Iare. — It is only quite recently 

 that I have learned that a male Heliothis scutosa has been captured, in 1877, on the 

 coast near Weston-super-Mare, by a medical student, Mr. A. H. Jones, residing here ; 

 it was taken, he says, "flying at dusk, over a species of clover, one evening between 

 the 16th and 20th August, 1877." As the specimen is now in my possession, I am 

 desirous to place its capture on record.— W. H. Grigg, 51, Redland Eoad, Bristol : 

 21*^ January, 1880. 



Ennomos alniaria. — Mr. Heath, of Gosport, recording the capture of a dozen 

 specimens of this species, writes : " I think I may now claim for Ennomos alniaria 

 the designation of a British insect." 



He can scarcely be aware that the matter was settled to the satisfaction of most 

 entomologists, so far back as 1865-6, and that the honour of doing so belongs to my 

 friend Mr. Lacy, of Gosport, and Mr. Hellins, of Exeter ; the former having cap- 

 tured two specimens of that species, from one of which he obtained ova, and the 

 latter having reared the larva and perfect insect from the ova so obtained. See Ent. 

 Mo. Mag. for 1865-6, p. 159. — Heney Monceeaff, 145, High Street, Portsmouth : 

 February hth, 1880. 



