268 THE entomologist's record. 



■July 22nd, 1904, near Lausanne, I found a pupa-case of Aciptilia 

 pmtadactj/la spun on a leaf of blackthorn, with the newly-emerged 5 

 imago just below it. Beneath, climbing among the blackthorn, was 

 (^'onrohudus arvensis. The point of interest lies in the fact that some 

 of the older continental authors give plum as the foodplant of this 

 species. They were doubtless led into error by finding larvae or pupae 

 in a similar position to that above described. In England I have 

 found pupae of this species among the herbage on the hedge-bank ; but 

 on the continent the hedges sometimes rise direct from the roadside, 

 like a box-edging from a garden path, so that there is no hedge-bank. 

 In this case I presume the larvae crawl to the upper part of the hedge 

 which is thicker and affords better shelter. At the time when penta- 

 dactyla is pupating the convolvulus has hardly reached the top of the 

 hedge ; but later, when Pterophurm monodactijla is feeding, the plant 

 is straggling all over the top of the hedge, affording plenty of shelter. 

 An error, therefore, as to the foodplant of this species, would be less 

 likely to arise. — Alfred Sich, F.E.S. 



Bird eating butterfly.- — On July 21st we saw, at Evian-les-Bains 

 (France), a Spotted Flycatcher descend from a coping-stone and catch 

 a brown butterfly (almost certainly Epinephele jurtina, L.), which it 

 took up to its perch and devoured. — Ibid. 



Information wanted. — I am much interested in the preservation of 

 larvae, and should be greatly obliged if any of your readers could give 

 me information on the preservation of the colour of green larvae. I 

 cannot at present prevent those I do from turning yellow. — W. Bell, 

 Rutland House, New Brighton, Cheshire. September 26^A, 1904. 

 [Will some of our readers answer, please ? Some notes on this subject 

 have already appeared — vol. i., p. 262 ; iii., 89-40, 248, etc. — Ed.] 



CoLiAs edusa and Pyrameis cardui in Sussex. — I think the fol- 

 lowing notes on Colias edusa and Fynvneis cardui may be of interest. 

 On August 7th, I made a trip to Beachy Head to see if there were any 

 signs of C. edusa or (J. liyale, and came across an entomologist there 

 who had taken six C. edusa, all 3 s, and in good condition, but being 

 rather late saw none flying myself. I, however, paid another visit on 

 August 13th, and took two S a ol ('. eilusa, one badly worn and one 

 chipped (both of which I released), and missed a very fine freshly- 

 emerged ? , and saw a number of others flying, but they were almost 

 impossible of capture, owing to a high wind, rough ground, and wild 

 flight, and if one did settle for a second it was immediately set upon 

 by all the specimens of Pnlyommatus corydon, P. icarus and Epine- 

 phele ianira in the vicinity, and driven off. P. cardui was exceedingly 

 plentiful, some very much worn, and others in very fine condition, 

 the latter predominating. They were flying among straggling patches 

 of lucerne, and were fairlye asy of capture. On August 20th, C. edusa 

 was again fairly plentiful, but as wild as ever, and the only specimen 

 I managed to capture gave me a chase of about a quarter of a mile 

 through fairly long grass, and beat me easily, till I slowed down and 

 it did likewise, and settled on a piece of lucerne, when I successfully 

 stalked it. It proved to be a J in good condition, with the exception 

 of a chip in one wing. I sent it, alive, to Mr. Newman of Bexley, to 

 get ova, but have not heard the result up to the present. On August 

 21st, at Eastbourne, C. edusa was not uncommon on the Church Parade 

 on the lawns, flying in and out amongst the visitors in quite a tanta- 



