CAPTURES AND FIELD REPORTS. 237 
fifty ova captured it, and found it to be the common Yellow Under- 
wing. Wondering what would become of the young larve when 
they found themselves on so peculiar a “ food-plant,’’ I examined 
another batch of ova which had been laid some time previously, and 
found that after slowly eating so much of the egg-shell as was not 
attached to the tarred string, the larva spun a fine thread of silk and 
floated gently to the ground, presumably there to continue its life 
among the grass. It would be interesting to learn whether any 
other observers have noticed the moth doing the same thing in other 
districts Harry EttrrincHam ; South Shields. 
[On July 23rd last I noticed a number of the ova of Mamestra per- 
sicarié on some black thread hanging on the branches of a plum-tree 
in the garden. ‘(The thread, it may be mentioned, had been put over 
the tree to protect the blossom from bird attack in the spring.) In 
one case the eggs were arranged in beautifully neat order, side by 
side, all down a loose end for about four inches of its length: in 
appearance this was not unlike a string of tiny beads. A shorter 
row of eggs was laid on a length of thread that was still stretched 
from one twig to another. This was cut off for examination, and was 
found to have some sixty eggs upon it; of these I kept about half. 
The larvee hatched a few days later, and at first ate the foliage of the 
plum, but when supplied also with knotgrass and other weeds they 
seemed to lose their taste for plum. Larve also hatched out from 
the ova left on the thread in the open, and those that have so far 
escaped their enemies are no doubt feeding upon various plants in the 
garden. At all events I have failed to detect any on the plum-tree, 
although those from the eggs I kept are now (Aug. 27th) nearly full- 
grown.—R. 8.] 
ACRONYCTA ACERIS LARVA FEEDING ON Lapurnum. — Acronycta 
aceris, Li. is not uncommon in this district and, though it occurs on 
sycamore, its favourite food-plant here appears to be horse-chestnut. 
Last autumn (1908) I took a very young Acronyctid larva off 
laburnum, which, as Mr. South suggested when I mentioned it to 
him, turned out to be that of A. aceris, Laburnum seems to be a 
strange food-plant for this species which, however, may be more of a 
general feeder than is usually supposed. When a species is excep- 
tionally abundant it sometimes takes to unusual food-plants, but 
A. aceris was not more frequent than usual last season. I may also 
mention that from the early stage of the larva when I took it, and 
from the way in which it ate the laburnum leaves supplied to it, I 
have no doubt that the egg was laid by the parent on the laburnum- 
tree. I failed however to find any further larve of this species on 
the tree—Aurrep Sic ; Corney House, Chiswick, Aug. 18th, 1909. 
LepipopTeRA IN Hast Sussex.—For the past four years it has 
been my good fortune to spend a portion of the month of August at 
the “ancient town” of Rye. It is a place known chiefly to artists 
and golfers, and has apparently received little attention from ento- 
mologists. Yet it is perhaps better situated as a locality for the 
insect-hunter than any other spot on the south-east coast. The 
town itself rises sharply above the river Rother, and is separated 
from the sea by a mile or more of salterns, the coast being bordered 
