256 THE entomologist's record. 



and I expect another week would have given me plenty. On the whole, 

 compared with last year, things were very late. For example, of 

 Larcntia caesiata, Avhich was out and getting worn upon my arrival on 

 July 7th, last year, I only saw one the first day, and it was quite scarce 

 for at least ten days. Gnophos viyrtillata [ohfuscata) did not appear 

 until July 11th, when it rapidly became common, and Plusia intevro- 

 t/ationis not until the 14th. 



Other first dates were Acidalia funiata on the 3rd, Coennnympha 

 typhon on the 4th, Cidaria trimrata [rt(fitiata) on the Gth, L'oroina mioii- 

 tata and Scapula alpinalin on the 7th, Noctua prinudae (fcstira), Artpjnnis 

 aylaia, and Emmeleda vnnnrata var. ericetata on the 9th, Boannia 

 repandata on the 11th, Cidaria popiilata on the 13th, and Metrocampa 

 maryaritaria, Ellopia fasciaria, and Halia bninneata on the 14th. All 

 these species were well out last year when I arrived, with the exception 

 of C. populata, and mostly required picking over, so of course their 

 lateness this year gave me the opportiinity of getting them in the best 

 possible condition. 



Of Noctua primulae {icstivo) I had hoped great things, but treacle 

 was a disappointment and consequently I only took very few. Why 

 treacle did not pay I am at a loss to understand. The more one tries 

 to analyse the causes of its success and failure the more difficult it 

 seems to explain. I always have been inclined to expect success when 

 Aphides and honeydew are absent, but the wet before my arrival had 

 very fairly cleaned off both of those hindrances, and several nights 

 seemed perfect in the atmospherical conditions. Yet the best night 

 only produced 40 or 50 moths all told. Of these quite half the total 

 number were Jlyppa rectilinea and so persistent work resulted in a fine 

 series of this species. Treacle still further declined after the first few 

 nights until by the 12th it was so hopeless that I gave it up for the 

 rest of the time. The few species attracted besides //. rectilinea 

 included a nice lot of rather dark lladcna adiista, two Cyiuatop/tora or, 

 some worn C. duplaris^, two black Xylophasia jiolyodon, X. rurca and 

 var. coiiibusta, very ordinary Uadoia dentina, and one or two nice 

 forms of N. prinmlae {festira). 



The willow-herb blossom, which in 1911 I only discovered on the 

 last night, was not fully out until the last few days and, to my 

 surprise, also proved quite unattractive. Thus night work was 

 reduced to dusking and searching for larvre. Of these latter I got a 

 fine lot of Noctua neylecta, some Cidaria tcstata, C. truncata (russata) 

 and Dasycliira fascelina from heather, a lot of ('. populata from 

 bilberry and quantities of Thera juniperata from juniper. Anarta 

 niyrtilli and Aricia niedon var. arta.verxes were frequently found by the 

 lamp at rest on heather and all the Geometers showed a much greater 

 inclination to sit about than to lly. One notable species in this 

 respect was Larcntia riridaria (pectinitaria). It was very plentiful and 

 so exquisitely coloured that I could not resist taking a fresh series. 



Besides finding them at night Anarta niyrtilli were very plentiful 

 by day, flying in company with Phytonictra viridaria (aenea), which 

 species 1 found right up to the tops of the mountains. The only other 

 Noctuid of interest was a single Acronycta incnyant/iidis, which was 

 found at rest on a pine trunk. I might also mention an instance of 

 lladcna dentina Hying wildly in the sunshine and looking just like 

 I'lusia interruyatiunis. 



