110 [October, 



Singular variety of Pieris napi. — Among the insects brought back from the 

 Norfolk fens is one -which deserves a separate and special notice — a $ Pieris napi, 

 entirely of a bright canary or sulphur colour. It is one of the most exquisitely 

 lovely insects that I have ever seen, its colour agreeing almost exactly with that of 

 Gonopteryx rliamni, $ , only with the addition of the soft shading of black atoms 

 always present in P. napi. I have some very striking specimens of the dark varieties 

 of this species (bryonies and sabellicce), but have nowhere seen anything approach- 

 ing the present specimen in yellow colour. 



It was caught in company with a £ of the ordinary colour in the fen, when the 

 party were looking for Papilio Machaon, and Mr. Wheeler most generously sent it 

 here for my collection. — Id. 



Captures of Lepidoptera in the Norfolk fens. — My eldest boy having begun to 

 make himself really useful as a young collector, has been encouraged in his exertions 

 by an invitation from my friend Mr. F. D. Wheeler, to join in a boat-excursion on 

 the rivers, broads, and fens of Norfolk, and some of his captures and observations 

 are worth recording. "Very little collecting was done in the day time, but it is 

 gratifying to find that Papilio Machaon shows no sign of dying out, its larva? being 

 to be found in plenty. At night a fair number of moths came to the attracting 

 lamps, but not the abundance that has been seen in former years. Lithosia muscerda 

 was scarce, not more than a dozen being taken, and Nudaria senex not much com- 

 moner, though both species formerly occurred in abundance on the same ground. 

 As with Nonagria despecia I think this only a temporary falling off, there being no 

 permanent change in the conditions of their existence, and that they will probably 

 in future years be as plentiful as ever. Lithosia griseola and its handsome variety 

 stramineola seem to have been as common as usual. 



Nonagria brevilinea, which for the last two years had scarcely been seen, 

 occurred sparingly, and some very good specimens were secured. Other Nonagria^, 

 as well as Leucanice, were very scarce, only one neurica and two or three straminea 

 and pudorina being obtained, but phragmitidis was not uncommon. Spilosoma 

 urticai and Simyra venosa were taken but rarely, as also was the case with Notodonta 

 dictceoides, Ptilodontis palpina, Tethea retusa, and Celcena Ilaworthi. Apamea 

 fibrosa and Epunda viminalis were commoner. Geometra were not plentiful, but a 

 series of G. papilionaria came in most satisfactorily to take the place of the faded 

 specimens in the cabinet. Ennomos erosaria, Collix sparsata, and Lobophora 

 sexalata occurred but sparingly. Among the swarms of Abraxas grossulariata one 

 was taken with its fore-wings smeared along the costal region with black, and among 

 the almost equally common Epione apiciaria was one in which the angulated first 

 line of the fore-wings was placed nearly in the middle of the wing instead of near 

 the base, and the broadly purple second line almost met it. The lovely white variety 

 of Ilydrocampa stagnalis olso occurred. 



Schcenobius gigantellus and mucronellus were found, though not in great plenty, 

 and a few Crambus paludellus, one specimen being of a beautifully pure white. 



Peronea Lorquiniana seems to have fairly established itself in the Norfolk fens, 

 and several were taken. Its first discovery there was not more than three years 

 ago. A few Orthotamia ericetana and Eupcecilia Geyeriana also occurred. 



As a falling off in its former abundance is reported of Liparis salicis in some of 



