954 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES, CAPTURES, &c. 



Lepidoptera observed in Surrey. — Observing in this 

 month's 'Entomologist' that reference is made to the scarcity or 

 total failure of images of Lepidoptera during the present season, 

 even in the case of some of the commonest and most widely 

 distributed species, I send the following list of species, which 

 I noticed to-day whilst walking between Witley and Farnham, by 

 way of Thursley and Elstead. The following species were very 

 abundant, viz., Satyrus Janira, S. Tithonus, S. Megcsra, Hesperia 

 linea, Pieris hrassica, and P. o'apce. I saw numerous examples of 

 Vanessa urticce, V. lo, Satyrus Hyperanthus, S. jEgeria, Chortohius 

 Pamphilus, Pieris napi, and Polyommatus Phlceas ; and single 

 specimens of Argynnis Paphia, Gonepteryx rhamni (male), and 

 LyccBna Alexis, the scarcity of the last-named being remarkable. 

 At one point Satyrus Semcle was abundant flying along, and 

 alighting upon, a rough bank at the edge of a wood, which was 

 covered with Calluna vulgaris and Erica cinerea, with occasional 

 patches of Erica tetralix ; but I did not see a single specimen of 

 this species on any of the commons which lie between Witley and 

 Farnham : though a few years since, and I suppose in most 

 seasons, it was to be seen flying over the commons between 

 Milford and Hindhead, and in fact for miles round Guildford, 

 wherever occurs the rough and broken ground, covered with the 

 above three species of heather, in which this species seems to 

 delight. — George W. Oldfield ; 48, Beaumont Street, Devon- 

 shire Place, W., August 7, 1882. 



Lepidoptera near Portsmouth. — On the 28th of July there 

 hatched in my breeding- cage a male var. of Lasiocampa quercus. 

 The colour is deep chocolate, with the usual white spot in the 

 centre of the fore wings ; the stripe across both pairs of which is 

 narrow and of a deep green colour, and the fringe of the under 

 wings is the same colour as the stripe. The larva was black, with 

 the usual white markings ; the cocoon was also black. In Stakes 

 Wood, on the 7th of this month, I took a specimen of the larva of 

 Staurop'us fagi feeding on birch; it died on the 11th. This 

 summer Mr. Larcom and I reared a specimen each of Smerinthus 

 populi with a mauve-pink tinge to the wings. Several specimens 

 of Acherontia Atropos have been taken here and at Gosport. 

 Four years ago Mr. Larcom took a specimen of Sphinx convolvuli 



