188 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



in the spring of 1893. The series comprises sixteen males and five 

 females ; all of the latter and six of the males are black ; three of the 

 other males are similar in colour to the southern form, but the 

 majority of the remainder appear to me to be more strongly marked 

 than is usual, even in northern specimens. Mr. Kose informs me that 

 the first black example of this species he ever saw was taken about ten 

 years ago, by Mr. Henry Willetts, at Wharncliffe. Ova from black 

 females, paired with black males, have been obtained by Mr. Eose this 

 year, and it will be very interesting to hear of the result obtained 

 next spring. — Eichaed South ; 12, Abbey Gardens, St. John's Wood, 

 N.W. 



Imported Larv^. — A larva of Pyrrharctia Isabella was found in a 

 box of Canadian apples on Dec. 15th, 1892, in a Chester provision 

 shop. It resembled Arctia caia ; 1^ in. long ; thickly clothed with 

 uniformly short bristly hairs (as if they had been cut with scissors) ; 

 head small and shiny black ; legs and claspers black. The short, 

 bristly clothing coloured in three unequal divisions — black, three 

 segments; russet-red, like A. caia, six segments; and, lastly, the two 

 anal segments black. There is a slight collar of russet-red bristles 

 behind the head, and a few black bristles (dorsally) on the segment 

 preceding the last two. At the time tassel-fringes were worn on 

 ladies' mantles, &c., and the caterpillar was picked up as a fallen 

 tassel. I kept it till the end of February, 1893, when it died. I am 

 indebted to Mr. J. Fletcher, Ottawa, Entomologist to the Canadian 

 Government, for its identity. He tells me it is one of the commonest 

 Canadian insects, and non-injurious, as it feeds on low weeds, such as 

 dandelion, plantain, grass, &c. Two larvae only of Heliothis armigera 

 were obtained, from Valencia tomatoes in June. They were nearly 

 full-grown and pupated in due course ; imagines emerged July 9th and 

 and 19th. These caterpillars have been scarce, home-grown and 

 Jersey tomatoes commanding the markets. I get them only from the 

 Valencia boxes. — J. Aekle ; Chester, Jan., 1894. 



Second Broods in 1893. — Agrotis scgetum (Sept. 12th to Oct. 10th), 

 buth sexes very variable. A. exclamationis (Sept. 26th), one speci- 

 men ; a fine form with the dark orbicular and reniform spots absent ; 

 the lower wings are smoke-coloured with white fringes. Leucania 

 iwpura (Sept.), paler than the June and July brood. L. pallens 

 (Sept. 9th), colours warmer than in the summer brood. Tnplmna 

 orbona (Aug. 13th to Sept. 13th), much paler. Caradrina cubicu- 

 laris (Aug. 13th to Sept. 13th), many of the specimens had their 

 wings infested by a scarlet mite. At the particular spot where I 

 sugared, some species appeared in unusual numbers, as Noctua plecta, 

 N. xanthographa, A. segetum, and Phlogophora meticidasa. Others, as 

 Miana strigilis var. (Ethiops (swarming last year) and Xylop)hasia poly- 

 odon, were, in comparison with former seasons, poorly represented. 

 A fine Gonoptera libatrix fell a victim to the sweets on July 25th. — 

 J. Aekle ; Chester. 



