240 [November, 



engaged in the same work, who joined our party. The beating for larvee was not a 

 great success, as we only took a few good things : — five larvae of N. dodoncEa, two of 

 N. dromedarius, two of A. leporina. Amongst the others were plenty of E- punc- 

 taria, A. hetularia, C. prasinana, &o. The pupsB of A. aprilina seemed very scarce, 

 as we only got half-a-dozen between us. The sugaring at night was a great success, 

 although the variety of captures was not large. The following is a list of the cap- 

 tures : — C. diluta, X. polyodon, C. Cytheria, L ccespitis (flying over the heath), 

 T. janthina, fimbria, orhona and pronuha, N. glareosa, Dahlii, bella, neglecta (I got a 

 fine specimen of the grey variety), xantliographa (in hundreds), 0. sui^pecta, E. ful- 

 vago (of this pretty moth, we took about 500 specimens between us), C. trapezina, 

 A. occulta (one specimen of this fell to my lot), G. libatriw ; and each of us was so 

 fortunate as to procm-e specimens of the scarce S. anomala. We took several speci- 

 mens of the beautiful Crambus pinetellus, one worn T. querc&s, and one A. Adippe. 

 At ragwort, we found many C. graminis throughout the day. The numbers of E. 

 fulvago taken this year must have been very large, as there were other collectors 

 there who were equally successfid. 



Such is a short account and list of caj^tures d\iring about four pleasant days ; 

 and we all returned to our several destinations well pleased with our success. — 

 G. C. B. Madden, Ahnondbmy, Huddersfield : August 26th, 1872. 



Captures of Lepidoptera in Sherwood Forest. — I captured a splendid albino 

 variety of Polyommatus phlceas in this locality on the 18th of August last. The 

 usual copper colour is replaced on all the wings by a beautiful creamy-white. The 

 specimen is a female, and in good condition. 



Noctu(B came to sugar in extraordinary numbers ; oak-feeding species being the 

 most abiindant. Etiperia fulvago was unusually common, as many as 157 having 

 been taken in one night. This moth occurred in almost every conceivable situation, 

 — at sugar, flying in the sunshine, on tree trunks, on ilowers, and by beating from 

 oaks. Noctua glareosa, neglecta and Dahlii, Stilbia anomala, and Crambus inquini- 

 telltis and pinetelhis were well represented ; and other entomologists during the 

 same week captured Luperina cespitis, Neuria saponarice, and Aplecta occulta. 

 A specimen of Vanessa Antio2oa was seen but not captured, and others were heard 

 of from residents at Edwinstowc. 



As the conditions under which sugar proves attractive to Noctua are still some- 

 what uncertain, I think it may be of interest to mention that on the 17th August 

 (the day I started for Sherwood), the wind changed from W. to E., and remained 

 E. and N.E, during the week of my visit. There was also a sudden rise in temper- 

 ature coincident with the change of wind. On August 16th, the highest marked by 

 the thermometer was 63. On August 17th it rose to 85, and remained high during 

 the week, the highest daily reading never sinking below 75. No rain fell to the 

 22nd, and on that day the numbers of NoctucB diminished ; the 23rd was a ' real 

 bad ' night. I may also mention that during tlie whole time we wore favoiu'cd with 

 a clear sky, and the full light of a harvest moon. 



Larva; were scai-ce, though a considerable number of Notodonta dodonea were 

 taken. 



A fuU-fed larva of Cossus ligniperda was brought to me at the Inn by a laboiu-er. 

 He had found it walking across a path, and had put it carefully into a tobacco box. 

 He informed me that he had " got a fearful brute," and proceeded to open the box 



