NOTES, CAPTUKES, ETC. 137 



taken some time ago at Whittlebury Forest, where also was taken 

 Leucania littoralis. Ivy-bloom, although having been searched 

 diligently for several seasons, has proved as yet a thorough 

 failure, hardly an insect being obtained last season, the other 

 years being little better. I obtained on February 11th of this 

 season an interesting aberration of Phigalia pilosaria , resting on 

 the trunk of a willow. — Herbert F. Tomalin ; 24, York Parade, 

 Northampton, April 26, 1882. 



Notes on the Season. — One would h^ve thought that, after 

 the past very exceptionally mild weather, Lepidoptera would 

 have generally been abnormally early, if not abundant. My 

 experience of the last few weeks does not favour either exception. 

 In a recent visit, amongst other localities, to Barnwell Wold and 

 Monks Wood, Huntingdonshire, I have found Lepidoptera 

 decidedly scarce, both in species and numbers. The larva of 

 Thecla pruni was taken with really hard beating in the former 

 locality, but we could not find it at Monks Wood. Hesperia 

 paniscus appears to have quite died out of both those localities, 

 where it used to occur commonly. We could not hear of its 

 capture in that neighbourhood for several years past. Larvae, 

 especially the common spring species, appeared plentiful enough, 

 so we must hope for better things as the season advances. — John 

 T. Carrington ; Eoyal Aquarium, Westminster, May, 1882. 



Lepidoptera of the Salt-marshes. — During a recent expe- 

 dition to the salt-marshes, at the mouth of the river Thames, I 

 found the larvae of the local plume-moth, Agdistes Bennetii, at 

 rest in the daytime upon the leaf- stalks of sea lavender {Statice 

 limonium). Finding these larvae in the daylight is about as trying 

 a matter for one's patience as I know, for they get close down 

 towards the roots of the plant, and are just the colour of the leaf- 

 stalk. At night they would probably be much easier to obtain. I 

 have had the pleasure of sending three specimens to Mr. South, 

 who had, I understand, obtained drawings of the larvae previously, 

 and has now got those of the pupae, for his plates of the plumes, 

 and so completed tlie life-history of that species. I also found at 

 the same time a couple of broods of larvae of Bombyx castrensis, 

 but far away from &ny Artemesia maritima, which is said to be the 

 food of this species. — E. G. Meek; 56, Brompton Road, London, 

 S.W., May, 1882. 



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