1 10 [Octul)cr, 



specimens, many of them females. My stay in the district was too short to allow of 

 any search for the larva, but I have little doubt that it will be found to feed on the 

 EtiTpeirtim. 



The beauty of the moth when alive is very striking, especially in the red and 

 ashy-white varieties, and there is something extremely curious in their resemblance 

 in form, attitude, and general appearance to the pretty PempeUcB {stibornatella, 

 fZ;7«i!e//rt, and ^o?797j_t/re?Za), species which cannot be expected to occur in the same 

 district or at the same season, and to which this species is not in the smallest degree 

 allied. — Id. 



Singular habit of Hepialus hectus. — I have again noticed the very distinct and 

 even powerful perfume of pine-apple given off by the male Hepialus hectus, and 

 now think that it is connected with rather abnormal sexual habits in this species. 



One evening in June they commenced flying very early (about half-past eight 

 o'clock) in broad daylight, and on capturing some males which were quite freshly 

 out I noticed the perfume very distinctly. Presently, while watching two males 

 oscillating in their peculiar manner in a little space enclosed by two or three bracken 

 fronds, I saw a female flying along, when she entered the space, iiheflew against one 

 of the males, buzzed about a little, and then settled on one of the bracken fronds, 

 where she hung with quivering wings. Instantly the m.ale began to search for her, 

 not apparently assisted at all by vision, but buzzing blindly up and down and around 

 the spot until he came in contact with her quivering wings. 



This proceeding was so surprising that I watched further, and presently another 

 female went through a similar performance, and then a third, the males in each case 

 being within a very small space, regularly oscillating until discovered and interrupted. 

 Yet the males were not plentiful at all, and bracken was of course very abundant, 

 and the female coming from a distance, had apparently no reason for flying into the 

 little space occupied by the males, unless, as seemed evident, drawn into that direc- 

 tion by the scent. I certainly did not see any female Qj past one of these oscillating 

 specimens. 



A somewhat similar habit has been recorded in the case of Hepialus humuli, 

 where also the female flew actually against the oscillating male ; and I feel no 

 doubt that this curious reversal of the usual order of things takes place in each 

 species in which the males, instead of flying in search of their partners, oscillate over 

 a limited space. — Id. 



Leucania vitellina, (Sfc, at Finchley. — I have occasionally collected in my garden 

 here during the past summer. By netting I captured three A. ophiogramma, and 

 at sugar, amongst numerous species, several T. subtusa. About a fortnight ago I 

 was so fortunate as to secure at sugar a fine ^ L. vitellina, and since have taken two 

 X. gilvago. The occurrence of L. vitellina so far inland surprised me, as, so far as 

 I remember, it has hitherto in this country been observed only on the coast. — 

 W. T. Stdet, Cyprus Eoad, Finchley : September, 1886. 



Cldaria reticulata in ]S'orth Wales.— \\\\\\c staying in North Wales last week 



