136 



[November, 



where I accidentally captured a specimen last year, I found it quite abundant in the 

 larval state. It appears to prefer the low isolated bushes of Myrica gale, on which 

 it feeds, rather than those bushes which are growing in dense patches and are more 

 luxuriant. Only one or two larvse could be found on a bush, so that I imagine the 

 eggs are laid singly ; but over a large expanse of small, scrubby, separately-growing f 

 bushes of bog myrtle, scarcely a bush appeared to be uninhabited by the species. I f 

 visited the locality again when my specimens were emerging, and found the insects T 

 flying in plenty. By standing quite still they might be seen flitting about among f 

 the low bushes, even several at a time; but, on moving towards them, they fly f' 

 quickly into the nearest bush. There is considerable variety among the insects I f 

 have taken, assimilating to several allied species : the predominating colour is a 

 light yellowish-brown, somewhat like corylana ; others are a greyish-brown, like 

 sorbiana, or the deep reddish-brown of heparana ; and there are intermediate tints, 

 but in all cases there is a far more silky appearance than the species named, and all 

 are more uniformly reticulated. The males only show any markings which are 

 darker towards the costa. Many have two costal blotches, and in some specimens ' ""' 

 the blotch near the base of the wing is produced as a fascia obliquely across the ' ^^ 

 wing, somewhat like the blotch in heparana, but instead of there being an elbow 



projecting on the inner edge, the edge is nearly straight, excepting a slight hollow 

 near the inner margin. The external edge of the fascia is twice bluntly angulated, 

 and sometimes faintly united with the sub-apical blotch. — Id. 



aotlii 



Ii 



Notes on the Geometrina of Cambridge. — The larvae of Epione apiciaria and 

 Pericallis syringaria were scarce last spring. The larvae of lodis vernaria may 

 generally be found on the Clematis vitalha growing on the Cherryhinton chalk-hills|^ 

 but it is not very abundant this autumn, and it was still less so last year. The 

 perfect insect was scarce this summer. The larvae of Metrocampa margaritata wereP**) 

 plentiful on hornbeam last April and May, and those of Crocallis elinguaria were p^g! 





common on hawthorn at the same time ; naturally the perfect insects have not been 

 scarce. Rumia cratcpgata, Halia wavaria. Abraxas grossulaynata, and Campto 

 gramma bilineata have been even more than ordinarily abundant ; indeed, the threej ?^tap 

 latter have absolutely swarmed in our garden, and Boarmia rhomhoidaria has alsQ ^'«(1« 

 been very common. I bred Eupithecia assimilata last July from a green caterpillar i 

 found in elune in united leaves on the top shoots of a black currant bush. — AlbeeIi 

 H. Waters, Mill Eoad, Cambridge : September 10th, 1884. - |»«pale 



Pet of 



A7i enigma.— In October, 1860, I beat for the first time a number of the larvaj "• 

 of Eupithecia succenturiata from Artemisia vidgaris. This plant is rather abundanlj 

 on one side of Exeter, but, as happens so often with species that feed on some tre«i 





or plant of common occurrence, the locality for the pugs is very limited in extent, 

 and except on two sides of one field it is in vain to hunt for them, however temptinjl 

 the mugwort may appear in other hedges. This spot I have visited in most years j larj 

 but with varying success ; latterly, the greater care of the farmer in keeping hi 

 hedges pared has a good deal injured one's sport, and sometimes it has been difficult ..„, 

 to get even a couple of larvae, where twenty years ago fifty or sixty could be goi'"S;»f 

 easily. Together with succenturiata there have always been a few absinthiata, anj-iain,. 



