CAPTURES AND I'lELD REPORTS. ^5l 



the railway baiiks here, and took a few Tmiiocampa siabills, T. instabiUs, 

 T. goihica, T. criida, Pachnobia rubrkosa, and Xnlocampa litJioriza. By 

 April 3rd the sallow bloom was over. At lamps in the spring and autumn 

 Phir/alia pilosaria, Asphalla flavicornis, Hybernia rupicapraria, H. pro- 

 gemmaria, Aniosoptergx cBscularia, Eugoida erosaria, Lophopterijx camelina, 

 Cijinatophora Jiiictitosa, Crocallis eluiguaria, Cidaria miata, Orlhosia lota, 

 Selenia illustraria, Xanthia Jiavago [silago), X.falvago [cerago), Gorlyna 

 ochracea (flavago); Ennomos tlUaria was particularly plentiful on lamps 

 this season. I can strongly recommend Messrs. Watkins and Doncaster's 

 improved lamp-net, as it saves all climbing, and an insect is rarely missed. 

 On Ashdown Forest and at Tunbridge AVeils sugar was of little use, but 

 Phlogophora meticulosa and Amphipyra pyramldea were particularly 

 plentiful. I took one more Plusia moneta, making my seventh capture 

 of this beautiful insect. Rhopalocera were scarce this summer, but I took 

 some beautiful specimens of Argynnis aglaia and A. adlppe, in the Broad- 

 stone Warren, Ashdown Forest. Pieris brasdcce was very scarce, as also 

 was Vanesia io. — R. A. Dallas Beechixg; Tunbridge Wells, Nov., 1894. 



Collecting in South Wales. — The following notes of the season 

 which is fast closing may be worthy of note from this part of South Wales. 

 Speaking generally, it lias been, with a few exc<'ptions, unfavourable and 

 disappointing with Lepidoptera. The season early appeared to promise 

 well; Hybernia rupicapraria, H.. marglnarin [progcmmarin), and Aiiticlea 

 Z'arfmia (the last-named particularly) were common ; and species of T«»io- 

 campa were fairly so. 1 noticed Lyca^na argiolus on April 3rd, Argynnis 

 euphrosyne on the 17th, and also Euchlo'e cardamines ; all three species 

 were fairly abundant. But in the month of May the weather changed, 

 the temperature being very cool, and on three nights sharp frosts 

 occurred, which appeared to have caused the disappearance of E. carda- 

 mines before the end of the mouth. Of this butterfly I captured a very 

 diminutive specimen, measuring only 1 inch 3^ lines, taking twelve lines to 

 an inch. All the Pieris were scarce throughout the spring, and were not 

 plentiful in the second brood also ; of P. brassiccB I did not observe more 

 than a dozen specimens. The following were the only Lepidoptera in any 

 way abundant : — Lyccena icariis, Argynnis euphrosyne, A. aglaia, Vanessa 

 urticcB, Pararge megcera, Graminesia trilinea, Agrotis exclamationis, A. 

 tritici, Caradrina cubicularis, Plusia gamma (this moth particularly so in 

 September and early October), Phlogophora meticulosa, Rumia cratcegata, 

 Cidaria J'ulvata, C. suffiimata, C. ribesiaria, Acidalia aversata, A. bisetata 

 (this last particularly so). Of usually common species which were 

 scarce, Spilosoma menthastri, S. lubricipeda, Triphatna pronuba, T. comes 

 [orbona], T. ianthina, Apamea didyma (oculea), and Noctua xantho- 

 grapha were the most noticeable. "Sugar" proved, on the whole, a 

 complete failure, the only species appearing rather commonly bfing Gram' 

 mesia trilinea, Agrotis exclamationis, and P. meticulosa. A few days in 

 July was the only time some of the Noctuae appeared even in existence, 

 and the blossoms of flowers and other bloom proved the only attraction ; all 

 bloom, commencing with the " May," has been most luxuriant this season 

 here, and when this is the case I have not much faith in artificial sweets. 

 Vanessa cardui I noticed rather more frequently than for some seasons, but 

 it was not a " cardui " year. Of Colias edma no examples were seen. The 

 apple-trees when in blossom were much infested with small larvae, and that 

 now much-abused bird, the house-sparrow, was very busy destroying them, 



