2g4 [December, 



Heinemann s Dicrorampha. — Mr. C G. Barrett's well-known accuracy in the 

 differentiation of closely allied insects entitles him to considerable weight as an 

 authority in such matters ; I regret, however, that I cannot concur in his recently 

 expressed opinion that distinctana, Hein., is separable from the North Deyon con- 

 sortana. No two of the bred specimens of the latter insect submitted to him, a few 

 weeks ago, were exactly alike, but there were certainly among them specimens marked 

 precisely as Mr. Barrett says his German types are, and I consequently feel no little 

 surprise that the fact should have escaped Mr. Barrett's practised eye. — Eichaed 

 South, 12, Abbey Gardens, London, N.W. : November, 1886. 



[I willingly admit that no two specimens in the series of D. consoriana sub- 

 mitted to me by Mr. South were exactly alike, any more than any two specimens of 

 any other species, are exactly alike ; but the variations were slight, and by no 

 means suggestive of their belonging to more than one species. No one of them 

 agreed with either of my authentic specimens of distinctana, Hein. ; but I fear that 

 I cannot more clearly describe the distinctions between them than I have already 

 done on p. 142 of the present volume. The only point of difference in my opinion 

 between Mr. South and myself now appears to be as to the distinctness of distinct- 

 ana, Hein., from consortana. — C. G. B.] 



On the flight and pairing of Hep ialus humuli. — Some ten years ago, in the 

 Ent. Mo. Mg. (vol. xiii, p. 63), I made a note of an observation on S. humuli. This 

 was a solitary observation, and, therefore, not of much weight, but it met with 

 sufficient scepticism to lead me to believe that the fact recorded was a new one, and 

 though it is highly probable that similar observations have since been made and 

 recorded, they have not come to my notice, until, by a curious coincidence, Mr. 

 Barrett's observations on H. hectus this year. I was therefore pleased this summer 

 to find H. humuli abundant in a meadow conveniently near, and devoted a short 

 time on several evenings to observing its flight. 



The first week in June is the usual date for its being fully out, but this year it 

 was not out till ten days later, and it was not in full flight till the 4th week of the 

 month, and it was on the long evenings following June 21st that I made my notes. 



The flight lasts but twenty minutes, on a dull, overcast evening, from 8.50 to 

 9.10, and when the sky is bright and clear, from 9.10 to 9.30, beginning at the first 

 indication of dusk, and ceasing when tlie white male becomes a somewhat dim object. 

 At first, an odd male or two may be seen creeping up the grass stems and taking 

 wing : often, at first, making a wild dash or two of some yai'ds, before settling down 

 to the ghost-like hovering, and before the vagaries of one or two specially observed 

 have been noticed, the males are seen to have turned out in force, and to be 

 busy hovering in all directions, and one will occasionally dash off for a few feet or 

 yards and take up a fresh spot, or passing near another, will be followed for a short 

 distance, and so it often happens that two males may be seen hovering close together, 

 but taking no notice of each other. Meantime, sundry $ may be observed hovering 

 over the tops of the grass, but instead of keeping to one spot, they steadily move 

 forwards ; when these pass near the hovering males, they rarely attract their atten- 

 tion, or only draw them out of position a few inches to at once return. The female 

 moths acting in this way are ovipositing, dropping their eggs loosely into the grass, 



