CAPTURES AND FIELD REPORTS. 255 



tectecl from rain), were sleeved on a growing birch early in May, and 

 pupated in the folds of the muslin on June 11th. Wherever possible, 

 I sleeve all larvae. Open-air treatment is the best preventive 

 of disease. Baked in sunshine one day and nearly drowned with 

 thunder-rain the next, my sleeved jKqnlionaria stood the ordeal well, 

 and fed up, pupated, and emerged early in July, in a most exemplary 

 fashion. 



Good sugaring was experienced on June 4th, captures including 

 Acronycta ligustri and .4. ruviicis, both with acceptable dark forms, 

 A. psi, Hadena adusta (dark), H. thalassina, and Xylopkasia rurea. 

 On the 10th Melanippe tristata and Nemeophila plantacjinis, together 

 with a dozen beautiful var. liospita, were taken close to the town. 

 Var. hospita is certainly not confined to the mountain-tops. It 

 occurs in several places near to Kendal, and at no great elevation. 



On June 12th fresh Polyomviatus icariis appeared, several males 

 and one female being netted. Our local icarus are large and bright, 

 and the females are well splashed with blue. Sugar on the 15th 

 produced, in addition to species mentioned before, Thyatira batis, 

 Hahrosyne derasa, Busina tenebrosa (some nearly black), Triphcena 

 2)roimba, Hadena gemina, Agrotis exclamationis, A. corticea, Aplecta 

 herbida, Miana strigilis (in endless variety), Noctua plecta, N. augur, 

 and Euplexia lucipara. Venusia camhrica was taken resting on the 

 stem of a mountain-ash. Honeydew has been entirely absent this 

 season, a condition that contributes no doubt largely to our success 

 at sugar. No such numl^ers of moths have been seen on the patches 

 since 1899. 



On June 18th Ccenonympha typhoyi was plentiful on the mosses, 

 but even on this date wanted " picking." Aspilates strigillaria 

 occurred at the same time in nice order. Sugar on the 23rd was 

 again successful, the feature of the night being the abundance and 

 variety of Aplecta herbida. Some of them were really handsome 

 insects, the vivid green of the fore wings contrasting with the nearly 

 black hind wings in a pleasing manner. New species observed were 

 Aplecta nebulosa, Xylophasia polyodon in great variety (brown forms 

 common and an occasional one almost black), X. Uthoxylea, X. sub- 

 lustris, Miana fasciuncula, Leucania comma, and L. impura, Noctua 

 festiva (very variable), N. c-nigrum, Boarmia repandata, Abraxas 

 sylvata (both sipping the sweets), and last, but not least, one Cossus 

 ligniperda (we had no pill-box big enough !). 



In the pupge-cage Drepana falcataria, D. lacertinaria, Notodontct 

 dromedarius, and N. camelina continue to emerge in a desultory 

 fashion. N. dictceoides (beaten from birch last September) appeared 

 on July 2nd, another on the 16th, and I have more to come. I 

 should say that only the earliest emergences of these species produce 

 a second brood. June 6th saw the first of my D. falcataria out, and 

 they are still emerging, July 17th. My pupae are kept out of doors 

 all the time, exposed to natural conditions of temperature, but are 

 protected from rain. With some few exceptions they are never 

 damped, beyond the placing of a wet cloth over the gauze-covered lid 

 of the pupae-cage during the period of emergence. This last may 

 easily be a superfluous precaution, but at any rate it can do no harm. 

 — Frank Littlewood ; 10, Aynam Road, Kendal, Westmorland. 



