LEPIDOPTEROLOGICAL NOTES FROM THE HAILSHAM DISTRICT. 227 



daphne, B. inn, etc., are nearer the true Argynnids than any of those 

 ah-eady mentioned, and we would like to know exactly what their 

 hybernating habits are, and whether they follow (or not) the hyber- 

 nating habit of most of the Brenthids, of passing the winter in the 

 fourth larval instar. We have already dealt with the matter in The 

 Nat. Hht. of British Butterflies, ii., pp. 2-3, 7-9, 28-31, but more 

 information on the subject is very desirable. 



Lepidopterological Notes from the Hailsham district — The Aurora 

 Borealis and treacle. 



By EUSSELL E. JAMES. 



On Wednesday, July 1st, the night of the " Aurora Borealis," or 

 whatever it might be, I was treacling in the woods at Hailsham. 

 Both on this and the preceding nights moths swarmed on the trees, as 

 they used to do in the early "nineties." 



The light at Hailsham on June 30th was quite normal, but, on 

 July 1st, at nine o'clock, it was still full daylight, and, at 10 p.m. was 

 little more than early dusk. It was most interesting to find that the 

 light made no difference whatever to the moths in their times of flight. 

 Early Geometrids commenced flying along the hedgerows at the same 

 time as usual, and were joined by roving Noctuids about 8.45 p.m., as 

 on the previous evening. A fine Bisulcia ligiistri and other Noctuids 

 were picked off privet blossoms at nine o'clock in broad daylight, and 

 by 9.10 p.m. moths were thick on the treacled trees. At one point of 

 my round the treacle patches were fully exposed to the glare, and yet 

 the moths fed greedily and quite unabashed by the abnormal conditions. 

 Their behaviour was perfectly normal, and they were neither more 

 nor less skittish than usual. A lamp was superfluous, and I continued 

 to box without its aid up till 10 p.m., even in the darkest parts of the 

 wood. 



The species on treacle were mostly common ones, but a few better 

 things were to be picked out among them — notably a fine Triphaena 

 mbseqiia. B. liijustri was not uncommon, but Aplecta herbida was 

 over, only a few worn specimens occurring. Xylophada hepatica also 

 was going over, thougla still common, and, on the second evening, 

 Hijpenodes albi>itri<ialis was coming on well. Three Cleoceris viminalis 

 occurred on the last round of the second night, keeping up its reputa- 

 tion for being a late comer, and on the same round I took a hyber- 

 nated Scolinpteri/x libatrix — the latest date I have ever seen it. The 

 great bulk of specimens were of the genus 2\'octna — triawjiduw, hrunnea, 

 and festiva, the immense numbers and fine condition of the two latter 

 species tempting me to pick out a number for renewal purposes. 

 Cijmatopliura diiplaris was also exceedingly common, and many were 

 still in fine condition, but there was no sign either of C. or or C. 

 Jiuctuosa. T/ii/atira batis and Gonophora derasa both occurred, of 

 course, and several of the ubiquitous PhlogopJiora meticidom. I have 

 taken this species every month of the year excepting December and 

 January. Erastria fiiscida was still common, and an unusual sugar 

 visitor was Hi/pena proboscidalis. Zancloiinatha tarsipemiaiis and Z. 

 (jrisealis swarmed, and in all 44 species of Noctuids occurred on the 

 two nights, besides a quite remarkable number of Geometrids and 

 Tortricids. 



