20 [June, 



coming out. Some aspen trunks were alive with Gelechia popuMla and marmorea, 

 and Batrachedra prcsangusta ; and Thecla quercus had been tempted from his high 

 estate by the abundant blossoms of Knautia ari^ensis. Towards sunset, specimens of 

 the second broods of Acidalia rubricata and Oxyptilus Icvtiis appeared, with plenty 

 of Catoptria citrana (frequenting Achillea millefolium), and a very fine and beautiful 

 Oncocera aheneUa. At dusk, I wandered on to a heath where the whistling of the 

 stone curlews sounded wild and shrill. Here, among the young fir trees, Lithosia 

 complana made its appearance, and quite a little swarm of them hovered round one 

 low bush in which a $ was concealed. Near by, on some broken ground, thistles 

 were blooming in abundance, and on them, with Lithosia complana, were Somoeosoma 

 eluviella and nebulella. But the greatest attraction was the abundance of blooming 

 scabious {Knautia arvensis). On it, after dark, was complana again, with various 

 JVoctuce, and several specimens of the scarce Pempelia ahieteUa. 



One day, a week later, was the gi-andest of the season. The heat was simply 

 intense, and insects felt it. There was no difficulty in stirring them up, but to keep 

 them in sight was not so easy. Noctuce — Agrutis valligera and tritici, Hadena 

 chenopodii, &c., excited by the hot sun, and unable to remain in their hiding places, 

 were tearing about from flower to flower, while the pretty httle Acontia luctuosa, 

 quite in its element, was taking matters more easily. Aspilates citraria (second 

 brood) and worn Catoptria citrana tumbled out in every direction, Oxgptihts Icetus 

 and Spilodes sticticalis were almost common, and Acidalia rubricata nearly wild 

 with the heat. They were gone like a flash. One specimen had to be turned out of 

 its favourite patch of weeds three different times before it would submit to be 

 caught. It became necessary to hide my bag in the cool shade of thick bushes, and 

 not to keep my captures long in my pocket, lest they should get roasted. By keep- 

 ing them cool, however, I saved many a specimen that would otherwise have got 

 beaten to fragments. 



As evening advanced, insects became more composed, and more easily captured. 

 Sericoris cespitana appeared pretty commonly, and with it Coleophora saturateUa 

 and injlatce. As soon as it was dark, the scabious flowers became again the attraction. 

 Lithosia complana common, but worn, Eudorea truncicolella also common, Macaria 

 liturata, and a few more Pempelia abietella, — all upon them till the moon came out 

 brightly from behind the firs and drove them away. Several specimens of Gelechia 

 distinctella were also taken, flying over these flowers, and even a dissipated Acontia 

 luctuosa, sipping the sweets at 10 p.m. Returning home, a lovely specimen of 

 LJupoecilia Legreyana waited for me on a gas lamp. 



A fortnight later, I made my last visit for the season. Most of the species last 

 named were still out, but worn ; even Qelechia desertella and marmorea were not 

 over, and I met with Crambus latistrius and Trifurcula immundella ; and at the 

 lamps, at night, found Paraponyx stratiotalis, Tinea imella (second brood), Elachista 

 cerussella, and Opostega salaciella ; but the noticeable circumstance of the day was 

 that Agrotis valligera was actually swarming, both by day and night, on the scabious 

 flowers, accompanied by abundance of A. tritici (not the dull brown tritici of other 

 inland districts, but the dark, variable, and richly coloured tritici of the coast sand- 

 hills), but of their constant eoa*^ companion, -.4^ro^«* cztrsoria, not one single speci- 

 men could be found, nor can I ascertain that it has ever been seen in that district. 



