NOTES FROM THE NORTH-WEST COUNTIES. 293 



numerous than in previous years. Here, as well as elsewhere 

 in the district, Plusia gamma was in such numbers as to be a 

 frequent nuisance to the collector, although its usual colleague, 

 Vanessa cardui, had been comparatively scarce. 



On August 17th I beat from alder a larva of Drepana falca- 

 taria and a dozen or more caterpillars of Hadena adusta, as well 

 as an imago of Peronea aspersana from bog myrtle (sweetgale). 

 Larvae of Hadena pisi were also plentiful on this shrub. 



My last visit to the Forest was on the 5th of October, when I 

 found an Agriopis aprilina drying its wings on an oak ; a few 

 more H. adusta larvae ; and I beat a score of N. russula cater- 

 pillars off the sweetgale. I tried, by warmth and fresh food, — 

 plantain for H. adusta and lettuce for N. russula, — to overcome 

 the disposition of these creatures to hybernate, but the instinct 

 was too strong : H. adusta persistently turned in to winter 

 quarters, — each forming a hybernaculum in the soil, — and N. 

 russida betook themselves to the gauze covering of their flower- 

 pot, where, for the last fortnight, they have remained motion- 

 less in an inverted position. Three captures, on October 5th, of 

 the richly coloured Peronea mixtana, and one of the ochreous 

 Lemnatophila pliryganella, complete this representative list. 



A few notes for Chester may now follow those of Delamere. 

 In the early spring the sallows in the immediate neighbourhood 

 showed a marked falling off among the common members of the 

 Tceniocampa family. T. gothica and T. stahilis were most fre- 

 quently seen ; the others were barely represented. In Caughall 

 Lane, an unfrequented bridle-road about four miles from the 

 city, — with a wide stretch of sloe, hazel, sallow, and brier 

 wilderness on each side, — I came across a number of night- 

 feeding larvse on the evening of May 4th. From these I bred 

 fine specimens of Boarmia repandata, Noctua augur, Triphcena 

 interjecta, and T. orhona. This night- searching for larvae of 

 Lepidoptera is very interesting work, and remunerative also. 

 One seldom gets T. interjecta fine when caught as a moth. During 

 the night I netted, flying over the grass, a moth I have been 

 thoroughly puzzled with. It has, up to the present, remained 

 unidentified. 



The neighbourhood of Chester has, deservedly I think, a bad 

 reputation for " sugaring." I tried the process frequently in 

 June, but, as usual, without success. On the 18th of May, at 

 Huntingdon Wood, — another of our " localities," and situated 

 about a couple of miles away,— I took, flying over a sedgy ditch, 

 a number of Apamea unanimis. The moth confines itself to this 

 spot, the probable reason being the presence of its food-plant. 

 Acidalia remutata and Emmelesia decolor ata were also among my 

 captures on this occasion. On the evening of July 2nd, in the 

 Nurseries of Messrs. Dickson and Co., I netted a number of 



