286 THE entomologist's record. 



Mr. J. Taylor sent me some specimens alive which he had taken 

 under stones in a field near Sandown, and which he thought must be 

 ciiprcus. I went down to investigate, but we found the beetle very 

 sparingly. Mr. C. J. C. Pool suggested (as no more could be found 

 under stones) digging for the species, as he had found that a ver}' good 

 plan to get vars. of aenetis, and by this means citpreiis was found in 

 numbers. Over bO specimens were taken by Beare, Mitford, Pool, 

 Taylor, and myself. The history of the beetle as British appears to 

 be as follows : Stephens recorded it from a single specimen said to 

 have been taken near London on the banks of the Thames (this is 

 probably incorrect, as the species has never been found in Britain 

 since, except in the Isle of Wight, and like several other south 

 European species, is peculiar to the Island, such as Cri/jitocephalus 

 biptinctattis, type form, JJaris analis, Cat/ioriiiiocertis socins, etc.). Daw- 

 son recorded that it was very rare in Britain, and that he only found 

 it at Ryde, Cowes, and Sandown, in the Isle of Wight. Fowler gives 

 these same three localities and mentions that Mr. Horner took it not 

 long ago at Sandown. In July, 1888, Champion recorded it as plenti- 

 ful beneath stones on the margin of a cornfield at Sandown. In 1897 

 Lloyd found it very scarce and sparingly in the same spot. In 1898, 

 Champion could not find it again. In May, 1899, Ellis took one 

 specimen under a stone at Bembridge. In August, 1900, Taylor 

 took a very tine 5 with all red legs and antennas at Alverstone. 

 This most unfortunately was named aeneus for him by the authority 

 he sent it to, and has been seen since by another so-called authority ; 

 it very naturally much discouraged him, as he had made it out to be 

 cupreus himself. However, he has the consolation of turning the 

 beetle up again now, and Pool is to be congratulated on the great 

 success of his plan. Ganglbauer gives the whole of south Europe 

 for its distribution, and the last European Catalogue — Mediterranean ; 

 France, west ; Britain ; and Caucasus. 



Nonagria edelsteni, Tutt. — A Noctuid New to the British List. 



By J. W. TUTT, F.E.S. 

 It is most interesting to have a new British Noctuid to chronicle, 

 especially a species about which so much doubt and uncertainty have 

 been rife. Only so recently as July last {Ent. Bee, xx., pp. 161 et 

 seq.). I drew attention to this insect and its ally, N. nenrica, Hb., and 

 pointed out that Mr. Edelsten agreed with Schmidt and Staudinger 

 that there were two allied species on the Continent of Europe 

 characterised as — 



Collar white. t Collar same colour as body. 



Central streak blackish, containing [ Central streak blackish, no white 



three white dots, the outer one forming | dots, central spot black, encircled, or 



the central spot. j partly so, with white. 



Underside quite plain, with no [ TUnderside showing the central spots 



markings. ! and marginal lunules. 



— and which he called respectively newrica,Hb.,and arundineta, Schmidt. 

 I further pointed out that Hiibner's fig. 381 (the typical figure of 

 neurica) failed in all these characters, (1) the collar is not white, (2) 

 the central streak does not contain three white dots, (3) the underside 

 is not shown, and, therefore, the insect with these characters does not 



