24 THE entomologist's record. 



I made this autumn has been the number of Pi/ravieis cardui that 

 occurred in Essex, during the latter part of September. There is little 

 doubt that they were immigrants, as the specimens were all more or 

 less worn. I saw a large number at Barking, in Essex, about 

 September 26tb, and they were to be seen in fewer numbers in my 

 own neighbourhood. I believe the first innnigrants were seen about 

 September 19th over southeast Essex. — A. W. Mera, 79, Capel 

 Road, Forest Gate, London. Norentber 13th, 1903. 



Plusia gamma at sugar. — In answer to Mr. Colthrup's enquiries 

 {antea, p. 295), it would be quite safe to say that where I have taken 

 I'liiKia <iamma not uncommonly at sugar, there has been an absence of 

 light, for I have never sugared in any spot where artificial light could 

 possibly prove a counter-attraction. I do not, however, think that 

 on such occasions there has been any absence of wild flowers. 

 I quite agree with Mr. Colthrup that P. (/anuita does not, as a rule, 

 come freehj, in proportion to its numbers, to sugar, for although it has 

 appeared at it more commonly in my experience than in his, I never 

 remember to have seen it, as has Mr. Tutt [nd. loc. cit.), "in large 

 numbers" at this bait on any one night, even in the seasons when it 

 has been particularly abundant. — Eustace R. Bankes, M.A., F.E.S., 

 Norden, Corfe Castle, l.^eannber 1th, 1908. 



LEpmoPTERA IN the NorfolkBroads, &c., IN 1903. — The season, gene- 

 rally, has been a very bad one for lepidoptera, and one could hardly expect 

 anything else from the execrable weather that has prevailed throughout 

 the summer. I spent a few days in the Norfolk Broads at the end of 

 June last, when tine weather prevailed, but the collecting of insects 

 generally was a failure, neither light nor sugar proving at all attractive, 

 and, with the exception of a few Spilosoiiia urticae, I took none of the 

 special fen insects I wanted, nor did 1 succeed in finding larv* of 

 Tapinostdla neuru-a, Nonai/ria cannae, &c., but I have no doubt that it 

 will take more than one odd visit to get into the way of finding these 

 reed-feeding larvtB. Papilio iiiachaon seemed to be fairly plentiful and 

 it was a pleasure to see it in its native haunts. Sugar proved attractive 

 enough at Middlesborough in July, but, as the only insect in numbers was 

 Triphaena /;/•(>« »/j(7, which appeared in hundreds and was in grand variety, 

 it could not be accounted satisfactory. However, I sugared in the garden 

 throughout the autumn, with the result that, although autumn moths 

 were very scarce, I captured on September 26th a large Noctuid, 

 which has proved to be Xylophaaia zollikoferi, particularly worthy of 

 note as being taken at the time that large numbers of F)/ra)iieh cardui 

 were noticed all along the coast here from Redcar to Sunderland. 

 This last species was particularly abundant at Redcar and Hartlepool, 

 specimens also occurring in my garden, where I first noticed them on 

 September 20th, it was also observed commonly at Redcar on 

 September 21st, and at Ingleby Greenhow on the 28th. — T. A. 

 Lofthouse, Middlesborough. Xoirinber 19th, 1903. 



Lepidoptera at Oxton. — Sugar and light have both been equally 

 useless here since I returned at the end of August. The only insects I 

 have turned up of any interest being San-othripa midiilamiK, which has 

 been rather more plentiful than usual, and beaten, as is usual here, 

 out of beech trees in September and October, and a few^ Peronea 

 spoHsana, I', cristana and CoHsciinii siilphiirelliiui. From larvae 

 collected on apple in the same orchard as last year, on June 2nd, I bred 



