140 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



right possessing but one ocellus. I have also several specimens 

 with six ocelli on the under side of each lower wing, four of the 

 six on each side being white- centred. — J. Jenner Weir, 

 Chirbury, Beckenham. 



Nyssia zonaria two years in the Pupa. — My experience 

 in breeding this insect shows that it frequently stays two years in 

 the chrysalis. From larvse I had in the summer of 1886 I 

 obtained imagines in 1887, the first emergence being on March 

 29th. On examining the remaining pupae in the autumn, I 

 found them perfectly healthy. These are producing imagines 

 now (1888), the first emergence being on March 22nd. The 

 larva3 of 1886 were my last, as I had followed out the insect's 

 history, and, besides, it was absent then in very few collections. 

 The moth occurs at intervals only along the west coast, from 

 Southport in Lancashire to the Conway Marshes on the borders 

 of Carnarvonshire. Like its colleague, A'^. hispidaria, it is one 

 of our earliest insects, occurring in March and April, and not in 

 September as stated in Newman's well-known work. The 

 caterpillar pupates in sandy soil, and feeds on trefoil, willow, and 

 — I am indebted to Mr. R. Ivy, of Southport, for the following 

 (see Entom. for June, 1886) — on knapweed {Centaurea nigra), 

 certainly not on yarrow. — J. Arkle ; 2, George Street, Chester. 



[Probably the larva of N. zonaria may not eat yarrow from 

 choice ; but in 1885 I had a small batch of ova of this species ; 

 the larvse resulting therefrom were, in my ignorance of a more 

 suitable pabulum, supplied with yarrow. Several attained the 

 pupal stage, and there their history ceased. — R. S.] 



Successful Sugaring after Rain. — I have found through- 

 out the past season that invariably after a wet or showery 

 day moths have been abundant at sugar ; although during the 

 long drought, night after night, I took nothing. I suppose 

 when the flowers are too full of moisture for moths to extract 

 the honey they turn to artificial sweets. I should be glad to 

 hear if other collectors' experience coincides witii mine. — 

 Minnie Kimber ; Cope Hall, near Newbury. 



PiMPLA scANiCA HYPERPARAsiTic. — Piiiipla scaiiica as a hyper- 

 parasite is, I think, worth recording. I must candidly say 

 that if I were not positively assured of the correctness of my 

 observations I should be one of the last to make the assertion. 

 The history of the affair is as follows: — In June, 1887, I was 



