18S2.] 91 



perfectly fresh, I attribute the discovery of a fact which I have not seen recorded — 

 that this species, when in fine condition, diffuses a very decided perfume, almost 

 exactly the same as the perfume given off by the larva of Papilio Machaon, when 

 its curious forked tubercle is extruded, and more like that of ripe pine-apple than 

 any other perfume that I know of. I noticed it faintly when turning the moths out 

 of the pill-boxes, but when a number were pinned into a box it became very 

 noticeable indeed. It was confined to the male moths, and seemed especially to 

 come from the curious bladdery termination of the aborted hinder legs, but of this 

 I am not positive. It certainly does not continue to be observable when the moths 

 get worn. I suspect that it has some connection with the curiously inverted habits 

 of the sexes in Hepialus, and seems to attract the females. — Id. 



Captures of Lepidoptera in Yorkshire. — On Saturday last, August 5th, I found 

 a larva of Acronycta alni on the Upper-side of an oak leaf, in Edlington Wood, near 

 Doncaster. Images of Thecla w-album were plentiful in the same wood, but worn, 

 and evidently nearly over. On the bank-holiday, Monday, August 7th, the York- 

 shire Naturalists' Union made an excursion to Grassington, in Upper Wharfedale. 

 Erebia Blandina was flying in great abundance on all the grassy slopes in the Grrass 

 Wood, and I could, in such places, net as fast as box them. Hundreds must have 

 been secured by different collectors, and hundreds more might as easily have been 

 taken. Mr. E. P. P. Butterfield, of Bingley, took, on the same ground, a specimen 

 of Miana expoUta, a species quite new to the county of Yorkshire. But although 

 some few interesting species have occurred, it is, I think, thus far in Yorkshire, the 

 worst season for Lepidoptera I ever experienced. — Geo. T. Poeeitt, Huddersfield : 

 Auffust 8th, 1882. 



Scoparia conspiciialis, Hodg ., near Doncaster. — This morning I received several 

 specimens of this species from Mr. Brest, of York. Previously I did not know the 

 insect, but on opening the box saw directly that it was perfectly familiar to me, and, 

 on looking over my store boxes, I at once picked out seven nice specimens. I took 

 them cei'tainly two, and probably three, years ago in Edlington Wood, near Don- 

 caster, and am pretty sure I have seen the species on the same ground each season 

 since, but have always passed it over as a form of ambiffiialis. Probably, when its 

 distinctive characters are well known, it will prove to be common enough. — Id. : 

 August 17th, 1882. 



Laverna atra. — Between 7 and 8 o'clock on the evening of the 16th inst. my 

 attention was arrested by a swarm of 20 or 30 small black moths performing an 

 ecstatic dance over a gooseberry-bush growing under the spreading branches of an 

 apple tree, each individual settling repeatedly for an instant on one of the terminal 

 leaves of a branch, and then darting off again. This temporary insanity lasted only 

 about five minutes, and then all was still. I soon came to the conclusion that this 

 was a lei'ee of lords in waiting, thus showing their devotion to an attractive queen 

 hidden in the recesses of the leafy bower, or, in the more prosaic phraseology of the 

 old Aurelians, they were male moths engaged in a " 'sembling match." During the 

 fit I managed to capture six of the Lotharios, and found, afterwards, they were all 



