CAPTURES AND FIELD REPORTS. 187 



H. tages which had just settled down for the night upon dead flower- 

 heads of knapweed on part of a bank for a distance of about 150 yards ; 

 nine were found within exactly ninety yards, and on one dead plant 

 there were three individuals ; but the particular point of interest is that 

 all fourteen specimens were settled in exactly the same position, i.e. with 

 their backs to the sun, which was shining brightly, heads uppermost, 

 and wings folded down, wrapping over the dead, chequered, brown, 

 weather-worn flower-heads, wnich form a very remarkable similarity 

 to the butterflies ; a fact which I do not think it is too much to say 

 the insects appear to be fully aware of, as we frequently touched and 

 attempted to dislodge them, which merely had the effect of making 

 them settle down all the closer.^ We were unable to find any at rest 

 on any other plant, although we carefully searched the mixed vegetation 

 growing on the bank. — F. W. Frohawk ; June, 1899. 



CAPTURES AND FIELD REPORTS. 



Collecting at Bettws-y-Coed, North Wales. — During a few days' 

 stay here at the beginning of this month (June), I found Lepidoptera 

 very plentiful. Among Noctua3, at sugar, the commonest were Grammesia 

 trigrammica, Acronycta rumicis, Thyatira batis, Gonoptera libatrix, Phlogo- 

 phora meticulosa, and Triphcena pronuba. I also took Euplexia Incipara, 

 Xylophada rurea, Noctua plecta, Agrotis exclamationis, Aplecta prasina, 

 Hadena thalassina, Cucullia umbratica, Odontopera bidentata, Abraxas 

 ulmata, Melanthia albicillata, Larentia viridaria, Melanippe montanata. 

 A lady gave me a perfect specimen of Amphidasys hetularia var. double- 

 dayaria, which she found lying dead on a mouutain path. I also saw 

 Macruglossa stellatarum at rhododendron blossom. Pierls brassicce was 

 out in numbers.— F. D. Bland; June 19th, 1899. 



Extraordinary Abundance of Macroglossa stellatarum. — From 

 June 4th, up to the time of writing, Macroglossa stellatarum has been 

 observed here in the utmost profusion, attracted principally to the blossoms 

 of lilac and wallflower ; as many as six have been noticed hovering over a 

 lilac tree at one time, and, judging from the reports which reach me from 

 all parts of the town, there must be many hundreds of the insect on the 

 wing. M. stellatarum is an insect which is seen occasionally, most seasons, 

 in this locality: but why it should have been almost entrely absent in 

 1898, and one of our commonest moths in 1899, is a problem which it 

 would be very instructive to have explained. — James C. Haggart; 

 58, St. Audrew Street, Galashiels, June 11th, 1899. 



Variety of Euchelia jacob^e^:. — On the 19th inst. my son, Arthur 

 Basset Hearle, captured in an old garden at Brockhurst Cottage, near 

 Gosport, a female specimen of E.jacobace in which the crimson colour was 

 replaced by bright yellow. This I believe to be most unusual. The 

 insect is a little smaller than the ordinary type. — Parkins Hearle, 

 Lieut.-Colonel ; 12, Foster Road, Alverstoke, Juue 21st. 



Deilephila livornuca in the Isle of Man. — A specimen of D. 

 livomica was taken by me on Douglas Head on May 23rd last, as it was 

 hovering over the flowers of Selene maritima. It is in splendid condition 



