NOTKS AND OBSERVATIONS. 225 



Scarcity op Pyrameis atalanta in 1910. — I can fully confirm 

 Mr. L. W. Newman's remark {antea, p. 100) on the scarcity of 

 P. atalanta last season. I can only recall to mind seeing one speci- 

 men on the wing (early in October), and 1910 is the first year out of 

 twenty that I have missed finding atalanta larvae, altliough I 

 frequently searched for them. — F. W. Frohawk. 



LoPHOPTERYX carmelita IN NoRTH LANCASHIRE. — I reared a fine 

 female of N. carmelita on May 2nd, 1911, from larvae taken in July, 

 1910, off birch on mosses not very far from Lake Windermere. — 

 Thomas Baynes ; 70, Sunderland Terrace, Ulverston, Lancashire. 



Surrey Orthoptera.^ — -Mr. E. J. Burgess-Sopp sends me a short 

 addition to my list {antea, p. 51) : — Labia viinor, Farnham district ; 

 not uncommon. Chorthipphus elegans., Tilford and Hale. Govipho- 

 cenis maculatiis, Frensham and Farnham Commons; common. Lepto- 

 ■phyes pimctatissima, Farnham district, Tilford, Frensham. Pholi- 

 doptera griseo-aptera {=cinereus), Hale. Tetrix bipimctatus, Farn- 

 ham district generally. Metrioptera brachyptera, Frensham Heath 

 (one). — W. J. Lucas. 



Mamestra PERSICARI.E IN SCOTLAND. — In ' Moths of the British 

 Isles' (vol. i. p. 240), I see it stated that M. persicarice. is only doubt- 

 fully recorded from Scotland. It may, therefore, be of interest to 

 state that I took a specimen in fine condition off ragwort on the 

 Morayshire coast, some twenty miles from here, the end of last 

 August, and also saw another, which, having emerged eai'lier, was in 

 too poor condition to take. — (Capt.) H. Holmes-Tarn ; The Lodge, 

 Craigellachie, N.B., May 12th, 1911. 



Note on LARViE of Merodon equestris. — It may be of some 

 interest to your readers to record the occurrence in England of the 

 larvae of the "narcissus fly," Merodon equestris, in bulbs of Habroan- 

 thus pratensis and Vallota purp^irea, during the past winter. The fly 

 has been hatched out from the former in this Laboratory, and is now 

 in the British Museum. Hitherto the grub has been looked upon 

 only as a pest of Narcissus, but this makes it evident that it can 

 attack and destroy other bulbs as well. The Rev. W. Wilks, of 

 Shirley, Croydon, tells me he has found the grubs in lily-bulbs. — 

 Fred. J. Chittenden, Director ; The Laboratory, Royal Hort. Soc. 

 Gardens, Wisley, Ripley, Surrey. 



Lepidoptera at Light in Isle op Wight. — On May 18th I 

 obtained at street-lamps here Lophopteryx camelina, Notodonta tre- 

 p)ida, Drymonia chaonia, D. trimacula {dodonea), and Pheosia tremula 

 {dictcea).—G. Nobbs ; E. Cowes, Isle of Wight, May 24th, 1911. 



Plusia moneta at Reading. — My first capture of the above at 

 Reading was July 13th, 1901 (' Entomologist,' vol. xxxiv. p. 255). 

 Also see 'Entomologist,' vol. xxxvii. p. 214 and vol. xxxviii. p. 281. 

 Since those dates I have taken the species as follows : — 1906, June 

 14th, larvae full-grown; June 28th, imagines. 1908, May 28th, 

 mature larvae; June 28th, imagines. 1909, May 31st, full-grown 



ENTOM. — JUNE, 1911. R 



