NOTES, CAPTtfRES, ETC. 21$ 



least — its native wildness, it will be the home of some good iusects. I am 

 sorry that I cannot give the exact dates, but my note-books have been 

 destroyed ; the time would be between 1867 and 1872. Argynnis 

 euphrosyne and selene : the former of these was observable on the Common 

 most years, breeding, no doubt, in the wood close by ; of the latter species 

 I got batttered specimens in 1868, — probably it had a habitat also in the 

 Wood, but it may have since died out, and the other also. Vanessa cardui 

 occurred in lanes near the Common, sparingly, in 1868 and 1869 ; only 

 the autumn brood was seen. Hesperia malvce, tolerably abundant some 

 seasons in marshy places, but appeared on the wing for a very brief period. 

 Macroglossa stellatarum, occasionally seen on the Putney side of Wimbledon 

 Common ; larvae were formerly not uncommon along the margin of the 

 Thames, feeding on Galium. Sesia formiccBformis was formerly taken 

 amongst willows. Dicrayiura furcula, a few larvae on the black poplar in 

 August and September. Trichiura cratagi, once taken ; it has also been 

 captured by other collectors occasionally. Gastropacha quercij'olia, some 

 specimens taken on the rough ground south of the Butts, several years, 

 and shown me subsequently, but I never captured it. Liparis ehrysorrhcea : 

 imago and larvae in hedges, 1867. Euplexia lucipara : larvae beaten from 

 various plants. Cerigo cytherea, occasionally found on trunks of trees. 

 Tmnocampa mimda used to be found in the Park, also on the Common 

 amongst low plants, but somewhat unaccountably it became scarce. 

 Cucullia chamomillcB, some specimens on the palings to the east of the 

 Common ; I searched in vain for the larvae, at the suitable time, on its 

 usual food-plant. Xanthia cerago, beaten in small numbers during the 

 autumn, out of mixed hedges. Euclidia mi, occasionally flying by day. 

 Ennomos angularia : larvae on various shrubs. Hemerophila ahrupturia, 

 at rest on fences. Boarmia consortaria, taken once by a friend in a riding 

 of Coombe Wood. Tephrosia punctulata, not unfrequent some seasons on 

 the Common, and in the adjacent wood. Pseudoterpna cytisaria, few in 

 marshy places near the Butts. lodis lactearia ; imago and larvae most 

 years. Ephyra pendutaria, by beating along the edge of the wood ; less 

 common than others of the family that occur here. Asthena Luteata, 

 a few specimens in 1870. Acidalia bisetata, not unfrequent on palings. 

 Strenia clathrata, usually abundant. Anisopteryx (Escularia: larvae not 

 uncommon on sloe. Phibalapteryx lignata, near Coombe Wood, occa- 

 sional. Cidaria fulvata, very plentiful on the Common some seasons, but 

 confined to a small extent of ground. Eubolia mensuraria, frequent on 

 the east side of the Common. Anaitis plagiata, a few specimens taken in 

 April or May ; not observed in the autumn. — J. R. S. Clifford ; 4, Laurel 

 Villas, Old Road, Gravesend, June 15, 1889. 



First appearance of Sexes of Lepidoptera. — In many books I 

 have noticed that male insects are always credited with appearing before 

 the females, and even in the last work I perused on " Darwinism " it was 

 again asserted that the males were the first to appear. Now as far as 

 Lepidoptera are concerned, of which I only can speak with certainty, the 

 females in almost every case precede the males by a day or two in my 

 breeding-cages ; and as I breed some thousands of imagines every year, and 

 always notice the females emerge the first, and yet always read in books 

 that the males emerge before the females, I should be very glad to have 

 another entomologist's e.xperience in that matter. Of course insects in 



