N'OTES ON THE SEASON lilU. 165 



lluiiiicia p/daeus and Adupaca flaoa (thannias) were all couimou. A 

 fine $ Boarniia roboraria was t'ound resting at the foot of an oak. I 

 spent a considerable time in further search for this fine Geometer, but 

 only succeeded in finding two more, both at rest low down on the 

 trunks of oak, one was a worn J and the other a fine $ . I kept this 

 2 for ova in a large chip box for three days, during which time about 

 sixty ova were laid in batches of 15 or 20. The larvu- hatched out in 

 about 10 days, but unfortunately in spite of all the care I could bestow 

 on them they all died. Beating bushes produced most of the common 

 Geometers in numbers and single examples of (retmietru rernaria and 

 I li'init/ica striifata. Several Tortrices were beaten out of bushes and 

 rough herbage. Xondo;/nat/ia t/risealis was fairly common. A fe^\' 

 I'l/raiista purpuicdis in fine condition were netted as they fiew swiftly 

 about in the hot sunshine. On the whole, this, my first visit to this 

 promising locality was a disappointment, insects were very numerous 

 in individuals, but scarce in the variety of species, but this has always 

 lieen my experience, a first visit to any locality is seldom productive. 



The second visit was paid to Speech House on the 18th. 1 hoped 

 to get Apatitra irin, which is said to occur in this district, and HWnjs 

 ilKeiriis. I devoted practically the whole day to searching for these 

 two butterflies, but did not so much as get a glimpse of either. 

 .ip/iaut(ipiis luiperantuH and ArijynniH adippr were as abundant as on 

 my former visit, but the majority were now decidedly passe. Nothing 

 fresh was noticed except a single Nola cuvidlatcliu at rest on the trunk 

 of an old apple tree. I hope to have a few days collecting in tht; 

 I'orest of Dean during the coming season, with better results. 



Ouriiig the first fortnight in August I was very busy arranging my 

 work, preparatory to going on my summer holidays, so 1 was unable 

 to do much collecting. A little collecting at dusk was done, but that 

 was all. On August 8th, I had the pleasure of taking an insect I have 

 specially searchtd for every season up till now, but failed to obtain, 

 viz., Srilbio anoiiuda. I have always felt that this species ought to 

 occur in these valleys. On the 8th 1 went to a small valley about 

 three miles from Abeitillery, arriving there at 7 p.m. The very first 

 insect 1 took w^as a fine S of the much sought for N. anoniala. In 

 a few minutes half-a-dozen more males were taken, as they flew 

 up and down a steep hillside in their somewhat geometer-like flight. 

 Further visits on the 9th, 10th, and 12th gave several more J s, but 

 not a single ? . On the 18th I took the first ? , about 8 p.m. as it 

 flew past me close to the ground. Three more ? s were netted in the 

 same manner. Searching for the 5 s. with the aid of a lantern, in 

 the heather, was a total failure, not a single specimen was seen. The 

 rtight of the two sexes is totally dift'erent. The flight of the males, 

 which takes place from about 7 to 8 p.m., is practically over before 

 the first ? puts in an appearance. It is almost too dark to distinguish 

 anything by 8 p.m. at this time of the year, so the lack of light, 

 combined with the dark colour and low swift flight of the ? , may 

 account for the comparative scarcity of ? Stilhia anomala. This 

 species appears to be exceedingly local, and my specimens were taken 

 within a radius of 50 yards, not a single example was seen outside 

 this restricted area. Most of the common Xorrnae were abundant 

 during the first fortnight in August, Xortna .rant/mifrap/ia was a 

 ifgular nuisance, three out of four insects netted were of this species. 



