246 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



which were very common on the Galium mollugo and verum ; and Vanessa io 

 swarmed on the nettles. — H. 0. Wells ; Hurstfield, The Avenue, Gipsv 

 Hill, Loudon, S.E., Sept. 19th, 1898. 



Notes of the Season in Essex. — The season here, on the western 

 border of the county, has beeu specially marked by two features, the failure 

 of sugar and the attractiveness of light ; while to myself it was noteworthy 

 for the number of species taken which I had not seen here before. Between 

 April and September I obtained as many as fifty species which I did not 

 previously know to occur. It is also probable that in the brief notes of 

 captures which follow some peculiar dates may be observed. Roughly 

 speaking, from the beginning of the year up to June 17th arctic weather 

 and north-east gales prevailed, a state of things which made any attempt 

 at collecting a mere farce. Not a moth of any kind, except a single 

 Herminia tarsipennalis, came to sugar until Aug. 8th, when there was one 

 moth ; on the 10th there were five, on the 16th about a dozen, and after 

 that date they were abundant. I may note here, as of a piece with the 

 other eccentricities of the season, that the two best nights at sugar iu point 

 of numbers were marked by a cold east wind and bright moon. In March 

 Anticlea badlata, and in May A. derivata were fairly plentiful, but there 

 being uo sallows here to speak of, I saw nothing else. On May 26th there 

 was a specimen of Eupithecia coronata sitting on a tree, and later on some 

 of the second brood appeared. Nothing else worth noting happened till the 

 second and third weeks of June, when there appeared all together Cidaria 

 corylata and C. russata, Emmelesia affinitata and E. decolorata, Ephyra 

 omicronaria, Eupisteria heparata, and Asthena candidata, with a single 

 specimen of Neuria saponaria. Really warm weather setiu on June 27th, 

 when two or three Anticlea rubidata were taken; Bradycpetes (Timandra) 

 amataria was excessively abundant in ditches, accompanied by Melaiiippe 

 rivata and M. unangulata, both rather scarce, while higher up the hedge 

 Asthena luteata was skipping madly along, and Ligdia adustata was 

 plentiful. On July 7th Scotosia vetulata began to be iu great profusion 

 about one spot in a hedge where I could see no buckthorn anywhere near. 

 It was an ordinary whitethorn hedge with sallow bushes and oak trees over- 

 hanging. The vetulata seemed to devote themselves entirely to the white- 

 thorn. Nearly a month later a single 8. rhamnata flew out of a holly 

 hedge in my garden, where I know there is no buckthorn within half a mile. 

 It was in fine condition too. The lovely little Pyralis costalis appeared on 

 July 8th, and, together with P. glaucinalis, must have had a succession of 

 broods, since fine specimens of both continued to turn up at sugar and light 

 until September. On July 18th Acidalia imitaria began to appear, and 

 was very common, and so was Ebulea crocealis round the fleabane. Pyrausta 

 purpuralis came freely to light, but I could never see it in the daytime. 

 Endotricha flammealis came to light on July 27th, and Eupithecia centau- 

 reata began to come very freely to light on Aug. 13th. A fine specimen of 

 Pterostoma palpina turned up in the trap on Aug. 16th, I having previously 

 secured one at Wicken on June 22ud. With the attractions of sugar 

 beginuing to be felt, I now was able to do something with Noctuae. Noctua 

 xanthographa, of the form cohasa, which is almost the only form of it we 

 get here, was first visible on Aug. 17th, Catocala nupta on the 18th, a 

 second brood (I suppose) of Ligdia adustata the same evening, Cosmia 

 ditfinis, Luperina cespitis, Paraponyx stratiotata, Ennomos fuscantaria on 

 the 22nd, Triphana interjecta on the 23rd, Agrotis puta on the 24th, and 



