RARE BRITISH SPECIES CAPTURED IN i860. 99 



June, and falling in with a few specimens of Efa>it7-'m Venial- 

 tula, I thought it no sin to box them. One of them, a male 

 specimen, is a perfect gem, being clouded about the base of 

 the wing with the most delicate pink imaginable. Like other 

 Noctuidcu, it flies for a short time before dark, and has a 

 habit , of dropping when alarmed. One of my specimens 

 served me thus, and, getting amongst the short herbage, deiied 

 all my attempts to discover it. However, I carefully noted 

 the spot where it disappeared, and, lighting my pipe, ^ blew 

 a cloud' into the grass, &c., and in a minute had the satis- 

 faction of observing it issue from its retreat in the very place 

 where i had been searching." C. Miller (Int. viii, p. 99). 

 ^' HaviufT; visited Lou2;hton in search of this insect I was so 

 fortunate as to capture a few." Thomas Eedle (Int. viii. 

 p. 99). ^' On the 14th June I had the pleasure of capturing 

 a female of this species ; it has fortunately laid me some eggs, 

 Vv'hich have since hatched. Since then I have taken several 

 more." J. Bryant (Int. viii. p. 107). "Then, at half- 

 past eight, Vemisfula made its appearance, flying in pairs, 

 one offei' the other" (Int. viii. p. 143). "This beautiful 

 little Tortj'ix-like Noctua has again appeared in Epping 

 Forest. At flrst, either damaged or retarded by excessive 

 wet, it occurred only sparingly, but the numbers gradually 

 increased until the 24th of June, when they appear to have 

 reached their zenith, one collector alone having taken about 

 a hundred."— Edward Nev^man (Zoologist, 7108). 



Ophiodes Lunaris ; a fine specimen of this insect was 

 taken at sugar at West Wickhara Wood, May 27th, by 

 Mr. Smith of Walworth (Int. viii. p. 91 ; Zoologist, 7108). 

 This is only the second specimen that has occurred in Britain ; 

 the insect is not rare in oak woods in Belgium, and will pro- 

 bably soon be turned up in greater numbers in some parts of 



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