NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. '-^77 



Habits of Calocampa solidaginis. — Having lately met with 

 some success in taking this insect, I beg to forward a few notes 

 on it for the information of your readers, as the account in 

 Newman's ' British Moths ' is very meagre and unsatisfactory. I 

 have taken a few specimens each year for some years past, in one 

 of the numerous valleys on Cannock Chase, where it was found 

 about seven or eight years ago by my friend Mr. E. W. K. Blagg, 

 of Cheadle. During last month, however, when I was staying for 

 a fortnight in the neighbourhood, I worked vigorously for the 

 species, and obtained altogether about sixty specimens, most of 

 which were in first-rate condition. We found them at first sitting 

 on the trunks of some old birch-trees, in a very peculiar attitude, 

 which reminded me strongly of the fable of the ostrich, 

 thinking to escape its pursuers by hiding its head in the sand. 

 The head and thorax of the insect are thrust deeply into the 

 crevices of the bark, while the body, with the wings wrapped 

 closely round it, something after the fashion of Phoxopliora 

 meticiilosa, sticks out at right angles, and is thus very conspicuous, 

 though the colour of the wings closely resembles that of the 

 birch bark. I visited the same spot, however, on a wet day, and 

 found that the trees were now entirely deserted, while the moths 

 were perched on dead stems of bracken, burnt sticks of heather, 

 &c., at the height of a foot or so from the ground ; but on a third 

 day, visiting the spot in fine weather, in the company of Mr. Freer, 

 of Rugele}^ I came to the conclusion that only a small proportion 

 were to be found on tree-trunks, while by far the larger number 

 preferred the dead sticks, bracken, &c., which lay in plenty ail 

 round. The insects were not to be found in such conspicuous 

 positions as they had been on the wet day, but they were far 

 more abundant. I took eighteen on this day, Mr. Freer forty, and 

 two of my children, who were with me, a dozen more. The moths 

 were not always perfectly quiet when boxed, and I found that the 

 common chip-boxes suited them much better than the glass-topped 

 ones, which I generally use. I did not try to take them at sugar, 

 as the locality is somewhat awkward to work in at night ; and the 

 little experience that I had of " sugaring " this year on the Chase 

 proved very disappointing. But I got sufficient for my require- 

 ments by the means I have mentioned ; and I dare say that 

 others, who have access to any of the localities where the insect 

 occurs, will meet with like success. I should add that Calocampa 



