CAPTURES AND FIELD REPORTS. 273 



Aberration of Agrotis ookticea. — The Rev. W. Claxton, of Hartley 

 Wintney, Winchfield, has very kiudly seat for inspection a curious variety 

 of A. corticea, which he captured this year. The fore wings are dark smoky 

 brown, with a pale brown spot before the orbicular, and another between 

 the orbicular and reuiform stigmata ; the submarginal line is black, and the 

 marginal area beyond this line is pale brown, giving the insect a remarkable 

 appearance. The hind wings are fuhginous, with a bluish grey suffusion in 

 certain lights ; fringes greyish. 



CiRRHCEDiA XERAMPELiNA IN AYRSHIRE. — On Aug. 4th there emerged, 

 in one of my breeding-cages, a specimen of this moth. Three larvaa were 

 taken when beating blackthorn on April 20th, but as the branches of an 

 ash-tree swept through the thorn-bushes, they in all probability came from 

 those. Not knowing what the larvae were, and supposing them to come 

 from the thorn, they were, together with a number of larvse of Rumia 

 luteolata, fed on blackthorn, sallow, and wild apple, a sprig of each being 

 always in the cage. They commenced to spin on May 5th, two between 

 the moss and earth, the other among the leaves of the food-plant. In the 

 case of the last one, the other larvse devoured the leaves utilised before the 

 cocoon was complete ; the caterpillar thereafter falling to the bottom of the 

 cage, made no attempt to again spin, but half-turned and died. One has 

 attained the perfect state, as above stated ; the other, I am afraid, has dried 

 up. This species is, I believe, considered rare in the West of Scotland. 

 Since the above was written, while sugaring some thistles in the evening of 

 August 9th, a moth alighted on one adjoining ; it was promptly bottled, and 

 proved a rather worn specimen of Plusia bractea. Nisoniades tages, Strenia 

 clathmta, and EuclicUa glypliica were very plentiful here in May, but 

 confined to one locality. — William C. S. Fergusson ; Glencoy, Ayr, 

 Aug. 10th, 1894. 



Acentrofus niveus ABUNDANT IN IRELAND. — -In suuny calm weather 

 A. niveus skimmed rapidly over the surface of the water, though appearing 

 not to be the least affected when held under the water. All those which I 

 took were obtained between July 10th and 20th. I found them mostly 

 at rest, generally in pairs, on the blossoms of Potamogeton. They occur 

 exclusively round the shores of the lake where this plant grows, and may be 

 captured in large numbers. — Endymion Porter ; Belleisle, Lisbellaw, Co. 

 Fermanagh, August 15th, 1894. [The above is an extract from a letter 

 received from Mr. Porter, to whom we are indebted for specimens of the 

 insect referred to. — Ed.] 



Pachetra leucoph^a IN Kent. — I beg to record the capture of P. 

 leucophcea on June 1 6th at Wye. One female laid a fine lot of eggs in a 

 diamond-shaped patch on the box ; these hatched, but I turned out the 

 larvae, as I did not value them after reading certain remarks concerning the 

 species. Two years ago I took a female at rest on the bank-side, three 

 miles from Mr. Parry's famous locality, the Kneading Trough. — D. ChiT" 

 tenden ; Wellesborough Lees, Ashford, Kent, August 11th, 1894. 



A Proposed List of Derbyshire Macro-Lepidoptrra. — I am, with 

 the assistance of my entomological acquaintances, compiling a list of the 

 Macro-Lepidoptera occurring in Derbyshire, and, to make the list as com- 

 plete as possible, shall be greatly obUged if readers of the ' Entomologist ' 

 in the county would forward me lists of the species they have met with. 



