42 f Jul y> 



Carabus clathratus, Sfc, in Ireland. — It is well known that this grand Carabus 

 is no rarity in some parts of Ireland, though it is certainly not a species of common 

 occurrence in England (judging from the few specimens I have seen in collections). 

 At Teelin Bay, Co. Donegal, I took more than 40 examples, in less than an hour's 

 work, on the evening of April 28th. They occurred under loose stones on the tops 

 of turf walls, in a rather boggy place of very limited extent. With them and in 

 the immediate neighbourhood of their locality I found Carabus granulatus (abundant), 

 violaceus (a few), Calathus melarwcephalus var. nubigena (less than 100 feet above 

 the sea level), Staphylinus erythropterus (in numbers), Silpha subrotundata (13), 

 Cryptohypnus ri partus (common), &c. 



C. clathratus has also occurred to me at Dinish Island (Co. Gralway) and near 

 Westport, but very sparingly in both these localities. — James J. Walkee, H.M.S. 

 " Hawk," Galway : May 20th, 1880. 



Lithocharis castanea, Gr., near Wimbledon. — A single specimen of this rare 

 beetle was captured by me at the roots of heather near Caesar's Camp, Wimbledon, 

 at the end of last March. I have since then visited the same place several times in 

 hopes of finding another, but hitherto without success. — W. J. Saundees, Wray 

 House, Wimbledon : June, 1880. 



[The late Mr. Keeley took this species in the road leading from Wimbledon 

 Common to Wandsworth. — E. C. R.]. 



Occurrence of Tachinus rujipennis, Grav.,near Barnstaple. — I found a specimen 

 of the above beetle at Filleigh, near Barnstaple, by shaking roadside rubbish over 

 paper in February last ; the weather was very cold and wet, or I might possibly 

 have found more. Its shining red elytra with black tips distinguish it easily from 

 any of the other species of the genus. I believe it has only been taken twice or 

 three times in England before. — Edwaed Saundees, Holmesdale, Upper Tooting : 

 June, 1880. 



Is the number of moults of Lepidopterous larva constant in the same species'! — 

 I have been impressed lately with the uncertainty that seems to exist as to the 

 number of times Lepidopterous larvae moult in the course of their growth, and have 

 baen considering whence this uncertainty springs. Does it arise from the difficulty 

 of watching each individual, when one is rearing a brood from the egg ? For though 

 all the larvae may be hatched on the same day, some are sure to outstrip the rest in 

 growth, and so one is apt to get confused in the reckoning. Or is it quite certain, 

 as many certainly think, that the number of moults varies in the same species ? 



Boisduval in his Introduction to Tome 1 of Lepidopteres (Suites a Buffon) says 

 " Le nombre des mues varie peu dans une meme espece, et peut-etre meme dans 

 " l'etat sauvage est-il toujours constant. Mais chez quelques chenilles velues, que 

 "Ton eleve en captivite, il peut-etre augmente ou diminue par une nourriture plus 

 " ou moins abondante : " this passage is the plainest assertion I can find of this 

 variation in the number of moults, and the writer gives a reason for it, but I have 

 also noticed that other writers state that they thought (they do not speak positively) 

 there was no constancy in the number of moults undergone by the individuals of the 

 same brood — reared altogether under the same conditions ; but I do not myself like 

 to agree to this view until I can have some good proof of it. 



I know that the number of moults certainly varies in different speciea ; I have 



