LEPIDOPTERA IN 1896. 71 



number of visitants to the central electric arc lamps, which have been com- 

 paratively deserted, the decrease being especially noticeable in the case of 

 the Sphingidge, the Notodontidfe, and the Bombycina generally. 



The earlier months of the year were marked by extraordinary mildness 

 — a great contrast to the Icelandic severity of the winter of 1894-5 — and 

 as a consequence the Hybernidse and other harbingers of spring were out 

 fully a month earlier, but by no means so plentiful ; and this suggests the 

 question whether a sharp winter is conducive to an abundance of Lep'- 

 doptera, or otherwise, to which I am induced to reply in the affirmative. 

 Nothing of note was taken in January and February, but towards the end 

 of March, Bentley Wood — the local collectors' " happy hunting-ground " — 

 was frequented by Diurneafcujella and Tori ricodes hijsmana, amongst the 

 former being many melanic forms, which I fancy increase yearly. Several 

 Brephos parthenias were on the wing, and Nijssia hispidaria and Cymato- 

 phora Jiaiicornis occurred, but my visits to the wood were made at a 

 wrong time to reward my search. Hybernated specimens of Dictyopteryx 

 contaminana, Dqyressaria applana, and D. umbellaiia were met with, the 

 latter, which was newly added to the " Suffolk List of Lepidoptera " last 

 year, being fairly common, and in good condition, on Rushmere Heath. 

 Here I expected to find larvte oi Bombyx ruhl, but only one was discovered, 

 and that unfortunately bad fallen a victim to the tread of the golfer, who 

 bids fair to exterminate many of our heath-frequenting insects. The list 

 for the month was concluded by two beautiful specimens of Alucita poly- 

 dactyla and Tauiocampa munda, at electric light. The Tseniocampidfe, I 

 might say, were left to their nightly refection at the sallows unmolested, 

 but the genus was very poorly represented elsewhere, for I only savv a few 

 T. instabilis, and not one T. (jolhica. T. gracilis visited light in April, 

 with a good-conditioned Gonoptera lihatrix. 



May was an ideal month for the lepidopterist, and Micro collecting was 

 pursued with advantage, especially towards the close of the afternoons, 

 when the hedgerows abounded wiih the ubiquitous Sywathis fabriciana and 

 Sa-ammeidamuiia pyiella, others not so common being Dicrorampha [Eiido- 

 pisa) saturnana (one with one fore wing darker than the other), Harpella 

 (jeof'rella. Tinea cloaceUa, Elachista rufocinerea, Lithocolletis scopariella, 

 [j. sylveUa, and doubtful specimens of Oniix amjlicella and Buccidatrix 

 boyerella. A fine newly-emerged Sinerinthus tilicB was taken at rest on a 

 wall. The genus Depressaria was represented by solitary examples of 

 arenella and alstnemeriana, and it is noteworthy that whereas in 1893 

 these could be freely netted at dusk along the hedgerows, they have since 

 been scarce. Visiting the wood on May 30th, I found the localised 

 Tephrosia punctulata (which exhibited considerable variation) swarming 

 on tree-trunks, which also yielded three specimens of Lobophora hex- 

 apterata, together with several Cidaria corylaia, the skittish Ephyra 

 pendiUaria, and Scoparia ainbiyualis (which swarmed). Macariu notuta 

 and Drepana falcula were on the wing, evidently just emerged, other 

 Macros being Fidonia piniaria (common), Strenia clathrata, Asthena can- 

 didata. Herminia baibalis, Acidulia reinutata, and Panayra petraria, a 

 pest to the wood in 1895, were appreciably fewer in number. In addition 

 to Lobeda reliquana, Aryyresthia conjwjella, and Buccidatrix ulviella {&\l 

 new to Suffolk), 1 boxed the following Tortrices : — Tortrix minislrana, 

 Scricoris lacunana, S. urticana, Roxana arcuaiia (all more or less common), 

 iiiid these Tiuese : — Tinea ruaticella, Micropteryx sparmanneUa, Adela viii- 

 della, Oiacilaria sivcderella, Coleophora anatipenncUa, Tischeria coinplandla, 



