A CATALOGUE OF THE LEPIDOPTERA OF IRELAND. 61 



Some consolation was got by the reappearance of Sphinx con- 

 volvuli, which had occurred there not uncommonly in 1895. 

 Some four or five specimens were seen over the Nicotiana on 

 various nights during the month, and two of them were taken, 

 one of these being an exceedingly large female. 



Larva-beating was fairly good on the whole, and the best 

 species thus taken were Geometra papilionaria, Amphidasys betu- 

 laria, Hypsipetes impluviaia, Platypteryx hamula, Ptilodontis pal- 

 pina, Notodonta dromedarius, Halias prasinana, and an imago of 

 Xanthia gilvago, which was in vain kept for ova. Two Cymato- 

 phora ocularis, a number of Axylia putris, and a few Agriopis 

 aprilina were the best pupae dug, both the ocularis coming from 

 oak. The several pupas of this species that my cousin has 

 obtained at Waldringfield in previous years have all come from 

 under oak, none from poplar. 



Autumn treacling I have had no opportunity of trying, but 

 as on all hands I hear it to have been most unsuccessful, I may 

 have only avoided adding another failure to a year's collecting 

 which, with a few exceptions, has been rather a disappointing one. 



I might add that the brood of Aplecta advena obtained from 

 the Benfleet specimen is just now emerging, the specimens being 

 small and poorly coloured, probably owing to the difficulty of 

 feeding the larvae up so late in the autumn, although at the time 

 they seemed to feed well enough. 



3, Mount View Road, Crouch End, N., Feb. 19th, 1898. 



A CATALOGUE OF THE LEPIDOPTEEA OF IRELAND. 



By W. F. de Vismes Kane, M.A., M.E.I.A., F.E.S. 



(Continued from p. 12.) 



Melanippe montanata, Bork. — Common everywhere. The 

 Irish insect is of large size usually, and a considerable propor- 

 tion of them belong to or approach the var. shetlandica, Weir, 

 being strongly marked in pattern, with the outer margins of all 

 wings deeply shaded with fuscous bands. Two Scandinavian 

 examples which I possess are similarly characterised, so that it 

 seems probable that this is a northern peculiarity. Some Irish 

 localities, such as the shores of Lake Oughter near Farnham, 

 produce a very handsome form, in which the transverse central 

 band of the fore wings is beautifully waved with ferruginous, 

 with a central shading of bluish grey, often showing round the 

 discoidal spot, which is upon a white costal patch. The bluish 

 tinge fades in the cabinet. The markings, however, in this 

 species are extremely variable. The transverse band is some- 

 times blackish, sometimes an almost unicolorous ferruginous, 



