244 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



10th of that month. Both nights were very favourable, and the insects 

 were without exception in perfect condition, amongst them being a beautiful 

 and evidently freshly emerged specimen of Laphygma exigua. I also took 

 Stilbia anomala in fair numbers, and odd examples of Agrotis suffusa, 

 A. saucia, and Noctua glareosa. A. vestigialis = valligera and Leucania 

 Uttorulis were in abundance, and some beautiful varieties of A. segetum 

 were takeu. — H. W. Shepheard-Walwyn ; West Downs, Winchester. 



Collecting in South Wales. — Six miles west of Pembroke is a little 

 village called Castlemartin. A former vicar, the Rev. Clenuell Wilkinson, 

 loved insects, and told us something of those in his district ; and as the 

 present vicar, the Rev. J. S. Puckridge, is an entomologist too. we may 

 hope to learn more. But as at present the extreme western points of South 

 Wales have hardly been exhaustively worked, a few notes of captures at 

 Castlemartin during my stay therein August may not be unwelcome. The 

 nettles were in danger of disappearing altogether from the ravages of 

 V. atalanta and V. urticce ; the latter were in scores of thousands, but a most 

 careful search failed to produce V. io. V. cardui were also difficult to find, 

 though on a former visit we secured large numbers. Bombyx rubi loved 

 the churchyard, where forty-five were taken in half an hour feeding on the 

 bird's-foot trefoil ; as this plant is not obtainable in London during the 

 winter, and they would eat nothing else, they had to be returned. I met a 

 friend who had been successful in breeding over forty imagines from larvae 

 taken in this district. Odonestis potatoria (very small) were abundant. The 

 seed-pods of the campion were being robbed to an extent which seriously 

 threatens the future of that bright little flower ; almost every other head 

 was tenanted by a Dianthcecia larva. It is not easy to define the species in 

 this stage, but there were certainly more than one. Eupithecia larvae were 

 scarce in the campion-heads. The wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) was 

 unu'uallv plentiful, and we were told that CucuUia absinthii is often found ; 

 but, though I 8etmany young eyes to search, we did not see one. Dicranura 

 vinula and Sphinx ligustri were plentiful. D. furcula was beaten from 

 sallow, with very many interesting geometers, most of which are now pupae. 

 Our great prize was a magnificent Acherontia atropos, just about to become 

 a pupa ; bur, alas ! a merry little kitten lound him out, and, beiug over 

 exuberant in her play, killed him. Of butterflies, there is little to record. 

 Argynnis paphia and A. aglaia were taken, but not in good condition. 

 Ghrysophanus phlceas were large and very dark, and Lyccena astrarche un- 

 usually fine and abundant. I was told L. cegon had been pleutiful, but I 

 did not see it : neither could Colias edusa be found, though ideal cliffs and 

 clover fields abounded. No part of our collecting was more pleasant or 

 successful than "dusking" — to use a quite outrageous word. Geometers 

 abounded ; one small comer yielded a very fiue and varied series of Epione 

 apiciaria. Of the genus Acidalia, imitaria, aversata, scutulata, and bis etata 

 were common. Of the Eupithecia, the best were minutata and coronata ; 

 four of the latter were takeu on the wing aud one at sugar. E. decolorata 

 was very common, and strongly marked ; Emmelesia affinitata was nearly 

 over. Among the Cidaria were prunata = ribesiaria, silaceata, testata, 

 pyraliata, the last not common. Hypsipetes elutata were strikingly varied ; 

 the series taken includes specimens from the lightest green to dark brown, 

 two or three having no markings whatever. Of the thorns, only Selenia 

 bilunaria aud Crocallis elinguaria were taken, and the emeralds were 

 represented by Pseudoterpna pruinata = cytisaria and Hemithea strigata — 



