LEPIDOPTERA IN 1896. 115 



my captive, which was of cabinet worth, to ova depositing, and thus 

 ruined a noble specimen in the interests of breeding; and very inter- 

 esting the breeding proved ! All the ova were infertile ! An attempt 

 to rear a batch of Boarmia consortaria larvae also proved most un- 

 successful. They were sleeved on oak, and at first thrived well ; yet, 

 in spite of careful attention, dwindled away, and died ofl' in a most 

 discouraging manner. A friend, I am inclined to believe, must have 

 cast an "evil eye'' upon them, for no sooner had I told him of my 

 small stock than out came the remark, "They'll all die in a month or 

 so." Among other common things which have fallen to my lot whilst 

 collecting in this neighbourhood have been Lcucophasia sinapis (Reading 

 finds itself in a proud position indeed, being able to quote an insect of 

 which even the incomparable New Forest is, I believe, now void), 

 Gonepteryjc rhamni, Argynnis selene, A. adippe, Thecla riibi, Sphinx 

 ligustri, Maeroglossa fucij'ormis, M. bombglifonnis, Lithosia mesomella, 

 Nemeophila russula, Hepialus hectics, Zeuzera pyrina, Pcecilocampa populi 

 (larvffi), Bombyx ncbi, B. quercus (larvae), Drepana cultraria, Stauropus 

 fagi, Lophopteryx camelina, Acronycta aceris, Hecatera serena, Acontia 

 luctuosa, Gatocala nupta, Eiigonia alniaria, Hemerophila abruptaria, 

 Boarmia conwrtaria, Tephrosia crepiiscularia, Pseudoterpna jjruinata, 

 Zonosoma orbicularia, Panagra petraria, Eubolia palumbaria, &c. An 

 insect I have rarely met with of late is Orgyia antiqua; indeed, 

 I do not remember to have seen a single specimen for six or eight 

 years. 



A glance back at captures by trap procedure brings the utterance 

 that last year did not equal by a long way its forerunner. To note the 

 falling away both in quality and quantity is at once both easy and 

 disappointing, and the cause is apparently obscure. The nights, taken 

 as a whole, have not been altogether unfavourable, and the trap's 

 position, being precisely that of the bygone year, would not seem to 

 account for the sad falling off. Whether others have this same mis- 

 fortune to lament, I have not yet lighted upon the means of ascer- 

 taining. By the capture and report of one single rarity the trap's 

 reputation is saved, and, by being unprecedented here, adds another 

 important item to last year's list. Agrotis cinerea is, I believe, con- 

 sidered a Cotswold insect, yet until now not a single sign of it has 

 been noticed, although both my father and I have worked the district 

 for many years. This and two others, Trichiura cratmji and Eurymene 

 dolobraria, seem alone to be eligible for the honourable position of 

 "new captures." Astewscopus sphinx always makes a reportable cap- 

 ture, but its appearance is erratic, and only rather above a dozen were 

 taken or seen in November. The following make a somewhat un- 

 interesting list, for which the trap is responsible : — 



January has nothing to report of importance. 



February. — Pkigalia pedaria and Hybernia progemmaria, with a 

 nice variation. 



March. — Tmniocampa incerta, T, stabilis, Hybernia de/oliaria, Ani- 

 sopteryx oescularia, and Antidea badiata. 



April. — Nights not very favourable, and very few insects made any 

 appearance. 



May. — Spilosoma lubricipeda, S, menthastri, Cilix glaucata^ Apamea 

 basilinca, Agrotis cinerea, Tmiiocampa gracilis, Hadena ihalassina, Fitimia 



