NOTRS ON THE SEASON 1911. 185 



reason all, except four, died when full fed. Two or three afternoons 

 spent in searching for Dii/nionia chaonia, which occurs sparingly here 

 on oak trunks, were fruitless. Mainestra {Hadena) thalasnina, H. mntiffiia 

 and H. (Jentina were taken, fairly commonly, at rest on tree trunks and 

 stone walls. A number of larvae of Arronycta rKmcu, collected on 

 sallows last year, produced some fine imagines this month, which is 

 rather early for this species, including two or three of the form salicis. 

 Beating bushes in the Llanock Woods at Crumlin for "hooktips" 

 produced Drepana falcataria in fair numbers, but I did not find the 

 allied />. lacertinaria this year. The open spaces in most of the woods 

 gave I'liicUilia (jbijihica and K. mi. Prothijmnia {Phytoiiietra) vindaria 

 and Heliara tenehrata, especially the last species, were abundant on 

 railway banks and other grassy places. 



A visit was paid to Kewstoke Woods, near Weston-super-Mare in 

 the middle of May. I found the first brood of Paranfe aeijeria were 

 common but mostly rather passe, Brentim euphrasync was in the same 

 condition. On some spindle bushes near the beach at Kewstoke Bay I 

 found a batch of young Mol'icoso>iia neustria larvae, which eventually 

 produced a few imagines of a small reddish-brown type; these same 

 bushes were covered with the webs of Yponnnieiita coynatcllus larvae, 

 two or three of these webs were brought home and an abundance of 

 the perfect insects were bred in due course. Nenmphora sira)iimer- 

 daiiimella was very common in the woods. A few larvfe of Cos)nntricl>e 

 pntatoria were found in ditches, and a variety of larvte were beaten out 

 of bushes in the woods. The day was dull and cloudy with occasional 

 showers, so insects were scarce in consequence. 



In June the first brood of the Pierids were going over, and by the 

 middle of the month Brenthh selene had taken the place of 

 B. eaphroHyne. Brenthis selene is a very common insect in these valleys, 

 and, I should say, outnumbers B. euphroayne by at least six to one. I 

 have examined some hundreds of specimens but have not yet found 

 anything in the way of aberrations. In a small marshy field near 

 Pont-llan-fraith Melitaea aioiitia still occurs, but in sadly diminished 

 numbers. I am afraid it will not be long before this local species is 

 no longer found here. It occurred in abundance up till 1907, when I 

 took a good series, but has rapidly diminished in numbers since. I 

 cannot account for this. It certainly is not due to over collecting for, 

 as far as I am aware, no one knows of the existence of this colony 

 except myself, and I have purposely left the species severely alone since 

 1907. I bred a large wasp-like parasite from a pupa of this species in 

 1906. I was pleased to find half-a-dozen more examples of this insect 

 on a piece of swampy ground, near Abertillery, at the end of this 

 month. I have not previously seen M. aurinia anywhere except at 

 Pont-llan-fraith, and I am hoping that this beautiful insect will succeed 

 in establishing itself in this new spot. 



A few worn Enchloe cardamines were still about at the beginning of 

 the month. The Satyrinteweve represented by the two commonest species 

 Epinephele jnrtina (jaiiira) and Coenonympha paniphili(s. Very passe 

 Callophrya rubi were keeping company with fine fresh Ruinicia phlaeas 

 and Polyoiiimatus icariix, some of the ? s of the latter were very large 

 and heavily marked with orange spots on the upper surface ; one or 

 two ab. caeridea were taken. Hapialus huinuli was abundant on all 

 grassy places. I have not as yet seen the common H. luvulina in this 



