74 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



bottom wings of the left hand side alike, the bottom wing of the right hand 

 side being of the usual red with a black border. — W. Hewett, 3, Milton 

 Terrace, Fulford Road, York, January, 1889. 



LiTHOSiA coMPLANA. — As regards the situation in which Lithosia 

 complana is taken, Mr. Tutt's experience (Entora. 14) differs much from my 

 own. The whole of my own series of some dozen specimens and a few 

 others which have been distributed among various entomologists, were taken 

 on heaths near King's Lynn. Further: I find that this species has been 

 recorded in several other localities in Norfolk, and these localities are 

 mostly situated quite inland, one or two of them nearly in Mid-Norfolk. 

 Indeed, L. complana seems to be widely distributed in this county, seeing 

 that it occurs not only on the coast (which by the way is the exception), but 

 also in the fens, on the breck-sands, and heaths. The latter is not only the 

 kind of situation in which this insect occurs most freely in Norfolk, but it 

 is, I believe, in such a situation it is most generally taken in this 

 country. On heaths the larva would most probably feed in part, if not 

 entirely, upon the lichens which here, and I suspect not un frequently else- 

 where, cover the stony and drier ground. 1 may add that we take L. com- 

 plana and the commoner L complanula together, but with us the last- 

 named species is far more abundant in woods and lanes. — E. A. At.more ; 

 3, Haylett Terrace, Exton's Road, King's Lynn, Norfolk, Jan. 15, 1889. 



Dasycampa kubiginea in Wales. — At a meeting of the Penarth 

 Entomological Society, held on December 11th, among other specimens 

 exhibited was a Dasycampa ruhiginea, in good condition, captured at sugar 

 by Mr. T. L. Howe. — G. A. Bjrkenhead ; Hon. Sec. of Penarth Ento- 

 mological Society, Penarth, January 3, 1889. 



The British Plusia ni. — The recent records of Plusia ni in the 

 south of England, and also of an American moth, Hadena albifusa, at the 

 Isle of Portland, suggest an enquiry as to what is exactly meant by our 

 Plusia ni. P. ni, a south European species, is represented in America by 

 a form called P. brassica;, Riley, which is abundant and injurious to 

 cabbages in the United States. Now as it is not unusual in Plusia, we 

 have in brassiccB a species so near to ni as to be very frequently confounded 

 with it, and constant enough in its characters to be regarded as distinct. For 

 this reason, a specimen now believed to be brassica}, found in England 

 years ago, was recorded as ni, and is still supposed to be such by many 

 British entomologists. The question therefore naturally arises, are these 

 recent captures really ni, Hb., or brassica;, Riley ? If they are brassica;, the 

 natural inference is that they are somehow imported from America, in the 

 same way as H. albifusa must certainly have been. I need not go any 

 further into this matter, but hope that a re-examination will be made of the 

 English examples of "ni," to see what they really are. — T.D. A. Cockeeell; 

 January 24, 1889. 



Plusia chrysitis. — Whilst collecting in a favourite lane about two miles 

 from here in 1887, the moth Plusia chrysitis appeared in great abundance 

 among nettles which grew along a hedge side for about fifty yards. I first 

 noticed them on the 7lh of July, when I took five, and on the 8th I took two 

 more, and on the Uth, which was the best night, they were a sight which I 

 shall never forget. They could be taken in numbers up to seven with one 



