1892.] 47 



Curious food--pl ant of Anchocelis lUura. — Vfhcw in Essex the end of June I 

 found in a garden at Grreat Saling some Noctna larvae, which I did not recognise, 

 feeding in the flowers of the showy Iceland poppies and other species. On reaching 

 home I supplied them with flowers of Fapaver rhceas, and also those of Olaucium 

 luteum, which I happened to have in water brought up from the sea shore. I found 

 they ate any of them, so did not try them with anything else. On September 20th 

 a fine A. litura emerged, followed in a few days by two more. On ascertaining the 

 species, I referred to the account of the larva by the late Wm. Buckler as given at 

 p. 40 of Yol. ix of this Magazine, which is in his usual accurate style, the food-plants 

 then tried (rose and bramble only) being so very different from what I found them 

 on naturally, hence the value attaching to this note, if any. Of course roses 

 abounded in the garden, but I did not pay any attention to them, being quite 

 ignorant at that time of my larva and its history.— William R. Jeffrey, Ashford : 

 Decemher Zlst, 1891. 



Substitute food for Phorodesma smaragdaria. — As larvae of Phorodesma smarag- 

 daria seem to have been taken in large numbers during the past autumn, it may 

 enhance the chances of rearing more specimens of this beautiful insect to place on 

 record the fact that the larvae will feed up just as well on the common garden Ar- 

 temisia abrotanum (locally known as " southernwood," "old man," or "lad's love,") as 

 on its natural food, Artemisia maritima. I reared them from quite minute larvae on 

 this plant last year, and have now larvae hibernating from eggs obtained from the 

 moths bred in July, and which have tasted no other plant than A. abrotanum. The 

 two plants must have very much in common, as larvae of Eupithecia extensaria feed 

 equally well on both, though they refused some other species of Artemisia with 

 which I tried them. P. smaragdaria I tried with only A. abrotanum, and probably 

 all A. maritima-heding species would take to it. — Geo. T. Porritt, Huddersfield: 

 January 8th, 1892. 



Callimorpha Rera not a Yorkshire insect. — It would be interesting to ascertain 

 where the late Dr. F. C. Lukis obtained his information as to Callimorpha Hera 

 having established itself completely, and since spread through large districts in 

 Yorkshire, as quoted by Mr. Luff at p. 22 of the current number of the Eut. Mo. 

 Mag., from a Guernsey Guide Book. Suffice it to say, I believe there is not an 

 authentic record of the occurrence of a single specimen of the species in Yorkshire, 

 either in an absolutely wild state, or even through such a supposed introduction as 

 there detailed.— Id. 



Noctua f estiva and its varieties. — I have received from Mr. G. Y. Hart, of 



Dublin, a series of Noctua festiva for examination, in which I find some peculiarities 



of interest. It appears that in the past season he found specimens of this species 



already badly worn quite early, before the end of June, in fact, and that these were 



followed by others in fine condition which remained on the wing through July, 



getting worn of course. On August 7th perfect and freshly emerged specimens 



again appeared, but these, instead of being of the ordinary size like the preceding, 



were small, and in this and all respects, of the form called couflua, formerly believed 



to be a distinct species. 



E 2 



