66 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



CAPTUEES AND FIELD EEPORTS. 



Notes on Lepidoptera at Witherslack. — I was very much inter- 

 ested in reading the Rev. W. G. Wittingham's account of " Sugar at 

 Witherslack," in the Februarj' number of the ' Entomologist,' as I 

 spent a weelv there from the 14th to the 21st July last, at, I believe, 

 the same farmhouse which he made his headquarters. I sugared in 

 some of the same spots, and I think I know the ash-tree which yielded 

 such excellent results. I found sugar fairly good for a day or two 

 after my arrival, but its attraction fell off towards the end of my visit. 

 Being rather late, many of the good things were over ; but I took, 

 amongst other moths, a few specimens of Gerigo matura and Caradiina 

 taraxaci', also one Acidalia marginepunctata, which was at rest on a 

 rock. These three species are an addition to Mr. C. H. Forsythe's 

 list for Lancaster and district. Micro collecting was never seriously 

 attempted, but the following is a meagre list of those taken : — Scoparia 

 cratcBgalis, 8. resinea, Pyrausta purpuralis, P. ostrinalis, Crambus pascu- 

 elliis, C. perlelliis, Tortrix vihuinana, Amphisa gerningana, Sericoris urti- 

 cana, S. lacunana, Mixodia schulziana, Bactra lanceolana, EiijMccilia 

 angustana, Xanthosetia zocgana, Aphelia osseana, Hyponomeuta padellus. 

 (j. W. Mason ; Barton-ou-Humber. 



PniftALiA PEDARiA (pilosaria). — A Specimen was taken at rest on a 

 tree-trunk, near the foot, in Claygate village, Surrey, on January 15th 

 last. — J. W. Lucas. 



Notes from Chester. — In the Chester district — never particularly 

 noted for butterflies — it is a matter of regret that species like Vanessa 

 urticcB, V. io, V. atalanta, and Kpinephele tithoiius should have shown 

 in the season of 1905 continued evidence of waning numbers. Hedge- 

 cleaning, nettle and thistle-cutting, in previous Julys must have caused 

 the destruction of hundreds, if not thousands, of eggs as well as larvre. 

 Ccenonympha typhon var. pkiloxenns = rothliehii still keeps up appear- 

 ances in Delamere Forest, and in two of the woods it was a pleasure 

 to see numbers of Euchlo'e cardaviines on the wing, June 12th, although 

 all the specimens were evidently very near the close of their brief 

 existence. I paid several special visits to Delamere Forest in June in 

 quest of clearwings. Sesia culiciformis was the only species secured, 

 and indeed seen — one on the 3rd and a second on the 10th. Both 

 were netted while resting on the leaves of birch in the full sunlight, 

 and pretty pictures they made on their fresh green surroundings. To 

 get rid of "grease" and preserve the beautiful red belt, I plunged 

 them, when set and dried, into benzoline, and left them there for over 

 a week before adding them to my collection. In looking for Sesias I 

 came across about a dozen larvae of Geometra papilionaria, all of which 

 produced fine images in the first half of July. Acidalia remutata, as 

 usual, was a common moth in the forest in June. On the 10th I 

 captured a fine fresh form having the pale median band on all wings, 

 edged posteriorly with the usual zigzag line, which was very smoke- 

 coloured. Panulis piiiiperda was a common moth during the spring 

 months. Females engaged in depositing eggs along the wire like 

 leaves of the Scotch firs were occasionally beaten out by day up to the 



