XOHTHKllN LKriDOPTEKA IN 1H87. 107 



tephradactylus, L. osteodactylus, and Mimceseoptilus plagiodactylus 

 were also large. 



The first week in July I thought I would go early enough 

 to look for Emmelesia tceniata, as I wanted specially to get 

 eggs for a correspondent. The intense heat seemed to drive 

 moths, if there were any, into cool places. Tlie result of my 

 hunt was that I took one, E. tcsiiiata, with three wings with some 

 scales, hut the other top wing was as smooth as the bark of an 

 ash sapling. I forget to mention that in June I bred about 

 thirty Eupithecia constrictata from the Isle of Man, and a new 

 series of E. valerianata from Windermere. 



The second week in July, when in the neighbourhood of 

 Witherstock, Gonopteryx rhamni, Argynnis adippe, and A. aglaia 

 were in plenty. I took a splendid charlotta variety of aglaia on a 

 flower. I saw Lyccena tegon in plenty. It was a treat to see so 

 many butterflies again. There were several Selidosema ericetaria 

 {plumaria) in liot sunshine and a strong wind. I had a look on 

 the rocks for Sciaph'da penziana, but not a moth of any sort was 

 to be seen ; everything was burnt up, and walking on any slope 

 dangerous. This danger and the Jubilee fires on some of our 

 high hill-tops kept me from Cramhus furcatellus. 



In the first week in August my wife and I mainly looked 

 after the larvte of Eupithecia constrictata. The wild thyme, like 

 other things, was burnt up ; but by going as high as it grows, 

 after a week's search we got a few score : they were not easy to 

 breed. Wliite butterflies were in great quantity ; in fact all the 

 cabbages, turnips, &c., were without leaves, only the " ribs " of 

 the plants being left by the larvtie. Lyccena icarus was very 

 small, but very active. 



Early in September I went to the banks of the Wyre to look 

 for larvse of Homoeosoina senecionis on ragwort. Not one was to 

 be seen where I used to take them in plenty : the ragwort is 

 gone, hence the reason. Once I took a specimen of Catoptria 

 expallldana there, and as I saw some sow-thistles in a bean-field I 

 gathered a bag of it, but there were no larvte. Being such a good 

 year for wild roses, my wife went in for " hips " of roses for Spi- 

 lonota roscecolana. I was obliged to paste the gauze down over 

 the pot, for there were hundreds of larvie sticking on it. How 

 they will turn out I do not know, but they have plant}'' of air, 

 soil, rotten wood, &c. During Septeiuber I made several 



