136 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



three weeks earlier than Mr. Mathew, — which is strange, as 

 one would expect Devonshire to be an earlier locality than 

 Gloucestershire. On the other hand, Mr. Mathew has not 

 found them in very good condition. Though 1 have observed 

 L. Ario7i several years, 1 have never seen it nearly so common 

 as in 1870 : then, it was to be found everywhere in the open 

 spaces among the beech woods; since, I have only seen it in 

 a few favourite corners. What I have heard from other 

 collectors bears out the conclusion that the species is rapidly 

 becoming more scarce. The locality being within easy reach 

 of both Cheltenham and Gloucester, the insect has been well 

 "worked" by the collectors of both places. I differ from 

 Mr. Mathew in thinking it an easy insect to take, and 

 consider Dr. Bree right in describing the usual flight as not 

 unlike that of Chortobius pampltilus ; but I have also seen 

 it careering wildly about the hollies and low bushes like 

 Lyc<Bna Argiolus. It is easy to recognise the flight of the 

 female when laying eggs, as she travels in a business-like 

 way from plant to plant, hardly ever rising more than a foot 

 or two above the ground and settling every few yards, till she 

 finds a sprig of thyme to her taste : then the wings are closed 

 over the back, the insect turns round and round, like a dog 

 preparing to lie down, and finally bends down her body and 

 deposits an egg between the leaflets near the end of the 

 sprig, and is off in search of another likely plant. While this 

 process is going on the collector can come within a ieyf feet 

 without disturbing her, can gather the chosen sprig as she 

 leaves it, and follow the same insect from plant to plant. 

 I have taken eggs in this way three years ; but the friends to 

 whom i have sent them have failed to keep the young larvae 

 alive for more than a few days. Still I hope that this plan 

 will be tried again with better success ; and that we may 

 have an English description of the larva before it finally 

 disappears from the land and is no more seen. — W. C. 

 Marshall; 122, Mount Street, W., March 2, 1877. 



BoLETOBiA FULIGINARIA. — 1 took here, sometime last 

 summer, a specimen of Boletobia fuliginaria. As 1 did not 

 know what it was at the time, I did not make any note of the 

 capture, so cannot tell you the exact date. If my memory 

 serves me it was in June, while after Procris statices. At all 

 events 1 captured it in the same lot of meadows where 



