202 THR ENTOMOLOGIST. 



is, however, advisable to split the reed, or keep it standing in 

 water, as otherwise it contracts and kills the pupa. 



On February 28th I made my first outing after moths ; for 

 some days the temperature had been fairly mild, and the early 

 Geometers, such as Phigalia pedaria, Hybernia Icucophcearia, and 

 H. marginata, were not uncommon. I was away during nearly 

 the whole of March, and it was not until the 22nd of that month 

 that I again had an opportunity of collecting. Besides the species 

 above mentioned, which were now getting over, Brephos par- 

 thenias, Asphaliaflavicornis, 'Tephrosia crepuscularia, and Astero- 

 scopus nubecidosus were obtained. Of the latter rare species 

 eleven specimens were found sitting on alder- trunks. On the 

 29th the first male Endromis versicolor and one B. notha were 

 the only new species, sallowing in the evening being an absolute 

 failure. On April 12th an outing to Buch was very unremunera- 

 tive, the weather being too cold ; one male Endromis versicolor, 

 four Tephrosia crepuscularia, and two Larentia carpinata being 

 the total bag, except a few larvae of Sesia scolicej'ormis from 

 birch-boles. The next day was even worse, only two Tephrosia 

 punctularia and one Boarmia cinctaria being seen ; sallows still 

 being quite useless. On the 19th, at Spandau, T. punctularia 

 was fairly common, and two E. versicolor and a very fine variety 

 of Strenia clathrata were also obtained ; this appears to me a very 

 early date for the latter species. 



On April 22nd, 28rd, and 24th sallows at Spandau were well 

 visited, T(Cniocamp.i opinia, T. gracilis, T. incerta, T. gothica, 

 T. pulverulenta, T. stabilis, Pachnobia rubricosa, Dasycampa rubi- 

 ginea, Orrhoclia erytlirocepliala and 0. vaccinii, Xylina furcifera, 

 Calocampa vetusta, and C. cxoleta all being plentiful. I saved the 

 two D. rubiginea for ova, but was unsuccessful. The P. rubri- 

 cosa were remarkable, all being of a deep bluish black colour, 

 with just a tinge of red in them. They are also much smaller 

 than our English rubricosa, which is here classified as var. 

 rufa, and I should not be surprised if they proved to be a 

 distinct species. 



On May 3rd, a delightfully warm day, a visit was paid to 

 Finkenkrug, the locality for Aglia tan, in the hope of obtaining 

 this species, and it was soon observed flying wildly about in the 

 beech woods, and several males, all more or less worn, were 

 captured. Other insects were scarce; Pieris napi and Antho- 

 charis cardamines were flying in the meadows, one Araschnia 

 levana was netted over nettle, and Larentia tristata, Minoa muri- 

 nata, and Ematurga atomaria were observed. 



May 10th was very rainy, so that nothing could be done 

 during the morning, but it cleared up during the afternoon, and 

 we paid a visit to the bilberry-scrub growing amongst the pine- 

 woods. Sweeping produced the larvae of Ilalia brunneata in 

 numbers, but the desired Eupithccia coronata was not found. 



