296 THE entomologist's record. 



till about 9.45 p.m., and in the early days one could take from 12 to 15 

 a night. After that they began to decrease, but were still flying, even 

 till the last night, when two or three were taken. Without a single 

 exception all were netted flying to, or at rest on, knapweed blossoms, 

 which abounded in the main drove. On the other hand all the 

 P. cliri/sitis taken (not very many) were at thistle blossoms, which 

 are scarce in the fen. Against the increase of these two species Atjrutis 

 raiida was almost an absentee. A fine specimen occurred on treacle 

 the first evening, but after that not a single one was seen. This, in 

 fact, was the only specimen of the year, so far as I could hear. 



Bailey's introduction of BanJda aynentula to Wicken has proved 

 quite successful, and the species now abounds. One came to light on 

 the 12th, a rather unusual occurrence I should imagine ; but I cannot 

 speak from experience as I have never worked light at Chippenham 

 (where it swarms) and when last at Wicken B. aiy/enttda did not 

 exist. Toxocampa pasthiMin, which I took on the 20th, was also to me 

 a new Wickenite, although abundant at Chippenham. Papilio 

 macliaon still holds its own well. Larvffi were abundant, but of those 

 collected none produced a second-brood, and the pupse are lying over. 

 A few pupae that Bailey had, however, emerged, but the larvfe of these 

 were of course more forward than mine. Adopaea lineola was abun- 

 dant in Burwell Fen by the 25th, and swarmed all over the Tuddenham 

 district, where I noticed a curious feature in its flight. Mr. Galpin, 

 of Oxford, who wanted the species badly, was with me on the 26th, 

 and we arrived on bicycles about 11 o'clock to find A. lineola skipping 

 all over the place in the sun. Having to be bacLby 1.30 p.m., we turned 

 our attention for an hour to Dianthoecia irre<iidaris larvte, meaning to 

 wind up with half-an-hour at A. lineola. W^hen we would have done 

 so, however, it had absolutely vanished, nor did we find a single 

 specimen before we left at 12.45, either flying or at rest. The conditions 

 were quite unchanged, and other butterflies were flying freely. 



k\■ax^'•^e oi Mandnca atropoii occurred in its " semi-final " stage in 

 the village. It was then of the normal green colouring with typical 

 stripes, but at its last change developed into an extreme specimen of 

 the dark brown form, with almost invisible stripes, and the thoracic 

 segments crowned with creamy-white, a most striking and awe- 

 inspiring object. Larva? of Einnorpha elpenor occurred in the ditches, 

 belated Earias chlorana and crowds of Litlwsia (jriseola at light. A 

 few L. var. stramineola occurred, and one intermediate, exactly the 

 curious buff shade of L. deplana. L. lurideola, generally scarce in 

 the fen itself, was this year almost as common as L. tpiseola, and 

 Nuderia i^enex swarmed both at light and dusk whenever the air was 

 reasonabl}' still. A single A", mnndana occurred and Pliraymatoecia 

 arundinis came every night until the very end. Xotodonta ziczac 

 was the only " prominent," and it occurred most nights, while Cilix 

 spinnla, Leiicoma salici>>, Portheaia auriflua and Phalera bitcephala were 

 other representatives of the Notodonti(3s and Lj-mantriids. Noctuids, 

 however, are the chief feature at W'icken, especially " wainscots," yet 

 it is curious how poorly represented the " Nonagrias " are. Calamia 

 liitosa occurs later, and larvffi of Nonayria typliae were in the bull- 

 rushes, but no others occur in the immediate neighbourhood. Seiita 

 nlvae has occurred sparingly of late years — quite a recent addition, I 

 believe, although common at Ely — but was over. The species actually 



