CAPTURES AND FIELD REPORTS. 259 



cucubali, Hadena pisi (again in great numbers), H. trifolii (chenopodii), 

 Habrostola triplasia, Euplexia lucipara, Triphana comes (orbona), and 

 Catocala nupta. In addition, on the Surrey shore, Notodonta ziczac and 

 Gonoptera libatrix have occurred. 



Although working Chiswick for many years, I have not observed 

 Chcerocampa porcellus, Macroglossa stellatarum, or Pterostoma palpina, and 

 it is quite ten years since I had the pleasure of taking the larva of Sphinx 

 ligustrim this neighbourhood ; in fact, I considered it extinct in the parish. — 

 x\lfbed T. Mitchell ; 5, Clayton Terrace, Gunnersbury, Sept. 18th, 1899. 



Lbpidoptera attracted by Electric Light at Shepherd's Bush. — 

 Among the species either taken or observed during a few visits, at end of 

 June and beginning of July, to the lamps, were the following : — Smerinthus 

 ocellatus, S. populi, Sphinx ligustri, Zeuzera pyrina (asculi), Cossus ligni- 

 perda, Spilosoma lubricipeda, S. menthastri, Liparis auriflua, L. salicis, 

 Uropteryx sambucaria, Rumia luteoluta (cratagata), Amphidasys betularia, 

 Abraxas idmata, Cidaria associata (dotata), Halia wavaria, Dicranura 

 vinula, Acronycta aceris, A. megacephala, A. psi, Agrotis exclamationis (in 

 enormous numbers), Axylia putris, Xylophasia lithoxylea, Hadena pisi, and 

 H. trifolii (chenopodii) (commonly). As evidence of the extraordinary 

 power of attraction, I can say without exaggeration that around some of the 

 arc-lamps a hundred specimens could be seen at once ; and on one night, 

 just before a thuuderstorm, the sight was a most bewildering and beautiful 

 one. The immense number of insects circling wildly in the zone of light 

 had a most weird effect, and reminded me strongly of a pyrotechnic display. 

 The hind wings of Agrotis exclamationis shone like silver, while other 

 species appeared to be bright gold. In five nights this effect was only 

 observed once, and it attracted the attention of numbers of people not 

 interested at all in entomology. Regarding the capture of Abraxas 

 ulmata, which is a rather large and very light female, I should like to 

 mention that it was taken, in company with a number of A. grossulariata, 

 flying round Euonymus. There is a good deal of wych elm about two miles 

 distant, but I do not remember to have seen this species included in the 

 Middlesex list, so that I was quite astonished on proving its identity. — 

 Alfred T. Mitchell ; 5, Clayton Terrace, Gunnersbury, W. 



A Day at Oxshott, Surrey. — I managed to get a whole day's 

 collecting at Oxshott, with Mr. J. Wilson, of Lee, and my father, on July 

 20th last, and was very pleased with the results. Both the country and 

 the insects reminded me strongly of the New Forest. There were two 

 large school-treats on, but these did not trouble us much, except when a 

 small crowd followed us in the fond hope that we were " catching rabbits." 

 Up to about one o'clock, when we had lunch, we did not experience parti- 

 cularly good luck; but afterwards we did much better; and if we had not 

 wasted a good lot of time in the evening over treacle, which produced 

 nothing, we should undoubtedly have taken a good many more things, as 

 insects were abundant flying over the heath. 



By beating we obtained five examples of Calligenia miniata, three 

 Lithosia complana, one L. helveola, one L. mesomella, eight Platypteryx 

 falcula, four P. lacertula, a few Liparis auriflua, several Metrocampa 

 margaritaria, four Ellopia fasciaria (prosapiaria), one female specimen of 

 Geometra papilionaria (worn ; I obtained a few eggs), Hemithea thymiaria, 

 Macaria liturata (getting worn), Fidonia piniaria (several, females ouly), 

 Acidalia emarginata (very abundant), Cabera pusaria, Lomaspilis marginata.. 



