﻿NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 43 



plantation referred to by Mr. Kershaw, in which Hadena atripUcis 

 used to occur, was on the other side of Wicken from the Fen, and 

 near to what was then known as Mr. Johnson's farm. The species 

 has, however, been taken, I believe, in some numbers, at no great 

 distance from Wicken, nearer Ely, I was told, much more recently; 

 and in my series are seven very nice specimens, bred from 

 that locality by the Eev. C. D. Ash, in 1899.— Geo. T. Porritt ; 

 Huddersfield, January 8th, 1915. 



Phalera bucephala at Rest. — The simulation by this moth of 

 a dead twig is quite well known ; but some detail as to its capture, 

 under somewhat peculiar circumstances, may perhaps be of interest, 

 and for myself, I was enabled to take a number of specimens, merely 

 through their incautious choice, as to suitable surroundings, of their 

 resting place. My natural history rambles almost invariably take me 

 through a short lane near here, where I usually obtain some good 

 captures, and, as usual, I started my day's ramble with the intention 

 of taking my periodical survey of this lane. I had reached a point 

 some little way through here, when, what was my astonishment at 

 seeing on the back of a green leaf of the corked barked elm tree a 

 fine male specimen of P. bucejjhala, the dead twig resemblance being 

 so remarkable that, had I not been looking for these moths, I should 

 have passed it by, but my attention was not drawn to it by the dead 

 twig resemblance, but by the exceptionally showy green background 

 which rendered the insect doubly conspicuous to the collector ; 

 whereas, had the insect been settled with a suitable background, it 

 would have escaped the keenest observer, as numbers of them do. 

 Moreover, I have observed this occur quite frequently. — E. Phillips ; 

 64, Quantock Road, Windmill Hill, Bristol. 



Mellinia ocellaris, &c., in Cambridgeshire. — I thought it 

 might be of interest to record that last autumn I took over two dozen 

 specimens oi Mellinia {Xanthia) ocellaris here (Shelfordi among wych 

 elm. The food-plant of this species is given as black poplar, I 

 believe, but there is only one poplar tree in the immediate neighbour- 

 hood, and that is quite a quarter of a mile away ; moreover, one of 

 my specimens was taken resting on an elm trunk, with wings 

 undeveloped, fresh from the pupae, and all were in such good condition 

 that they could not have flown more than a few yards at the most. 

 Unfortunately, I was unable to obtain eggs from several females 

 retained for the purpose, so cannot try the larva? on either elm or 

 poplar, and should be glad if someone could give me a few particulars 

 concerning the early stages of this local moth, as on the last occasion 

 (1907) of taking it I was unable to obtain ova, the cause being the 

 same, unfertility. A female sent this autumn to Mr. L. W. Newman, 

 of Bexley, proved to be in the same condition ; no doubt all those 

 taken (at treacle) had only just emerged. Another likely food- plant 

 of the larvae here are the various kinds of willows, and more than 

 once I have taken specimens among these trees. Although my series 

 of the perfect insect is not extensive, I have several nice forms ; one 

 fine female being suffused all over the fore wings with " salmon " 

 pink, and looked very unusual and beautiful on the sugar. Another 



