NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 191 
TaBANIDZ IN THE New Forest.—In the list of Diptera given in 
“A History of the County of Hampshire” (‘ Vict. Hist. Count. of 
Engl.’), thirteen species of Tabanide are enumerated. So far I have 
met with ten of them (except in one case females only) in the 
Brockenhurst area. In June, 1915, Hematopota pluvialis was 
abundant generally, whilst Zabanus bromius and T. maculicornis 
were very common locally, chiefly in one of the grass rides leading to 
the rhododendrons. Last June very few species of either of the three 
species just mentioned: were seen, but Therioplectes tropicus was 
plentiful on Pound Heath, and 1’ solstetvalis occasionally put in an 
appearance. A few Chrysops cecutiens were noted, and a male of this 
species was swept from Myrica gale on boggy ground near by. 
Atylotus fuluus was not encountered last June, but I captured one or 
two in June of last year and also in 1914. This species, and also C. 
cecutiens are really brilliant insects when alive, but as cabinet species 
they are not so attractive—RicHARD SouTH. 
ACRONYCTA ACERIS IN ABERDEENSHIRE.—A correction.—In the 
January issue of the ‘ Entomologist’ (vol. xlix, p. 22), I recorded 
A. aceris as occurring in Aberdeenshire. On the emergence of the 
moth I find I am in error, and, as suggested to Mr. South by an 
interested correspondent anent the record, they turn out to be 
A. leporina. I regret that I did not make a greater effort to have 
the larvze identified, more so as it is difficult, locally, to get anything 
off the beaten track properly classified ; therefore, I take the earliest 
opportunity of rectifying my error.—G. HE. Harriny; 12, Union 
Grove, Aberdeen, N.B. 
BaratHRA (MAMESTRA) BRASSICA AND PHLOGOPHORA METICULOSA 
LARVS ON Detexinium.—About the middle of last July I noticed 
several larvee of two species of lepidoptera feeding on the flowers and 
green seed pods of delphinium. On emergence these proved to be the 
above. I can find no mention of this as a food plant for either.— 
Percy C. Rerp ; Kelvedon. 
ABUNDANCE OF Sprinc Larvas.—In the Epsom and Leatherhead 
districts, the oaks at the end of May were almost entirely defoliated. 
T. viridana was the main culprit, but C. brumata and P. pilosarrva 
were also plentiful. I noticed the same thing round Hatfield to the 
nortan of London, but strangely enough, in Sherwood Forest nothing 
of the sort was noticeable—Prrcy C. Rei; Feering Bury, 
Kelvedon. 
A PuaGurE oF CatTerpiunArs.—In a note on this subject in the 
July number of the ‘ Entomologist’ (antea, p. 164), Mr. Merryweather 
appears to assume that the cessation of the plague was directly due 
to the spraying of the trees; that is, that had the trees not been 
sprayed in the spring, the caterpillars would have been equally 
harmful to them in the second year. This is a point on which 
Iam very sceptical, and for the following reasons. Many years ago, 
in my most active collecting days—I should fix the time as the late 
sixties—the oak trees in a large portion of West Wickham Wood 
were denuded of their leaves, and at the end of May were practically 
as bare as in January. The depredators were chiefly the larvz of 
ety 
