250 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



did extremely well at sugar, our take being both numerous and variable, 

 although principally common things, the best of which were Agrotis strigxda 

 (porphyrea), Acrouycta meiiyanthidis, Macaria liturata, &c. I and a friend 

 walked to the same place on July 1 7th, a much more promising night for 

 sugar than June 26th, but we only obtained two moths, one Triphana 

 pronuha and one Xylophasia poJyodon. However, we have one consola- 

 tion — things may improve, but they cannot get worse. — J. E. Thwattes ; 

 8, Clement Place, Boundary Road, Carlisle, July 23rd, 1897. 



Notes on the Season : Chester District. — January was a severe 

 though changeable month with us — a mixture of frost, thaw, and snow, and 

 I saw no insects. But by February 14th the gardens were gay with 

 crocuses, and Hyhernia rupicapraria was to be seen, commonly enough, at 

 rest on the gas lamps. It was the 20th of March before I paid my first 

 visit of the season to Delamere Forest, and then it was too late for such 

 things as H. leucoph(Earia and Anisopteryx ascularia, excluding, of course, 

 occasional late specimens. Matters to me of greater interest were: (1) Hy- 

 bernated larvae of Bomhyx rubi, of Spilosoyna fuliginosa and Nemeophila 

 rusiula ; (2) imagines of TepJwosia crqniscularia ^:^biundidaria^=::bistortata, 

 all of which were conspicuous bv their absence. It was a fine spring day, 

 but moths were few, except Tortr'icodes hyemana, which was unusually 

 abundant. Asphalia flavicornis, Phigalia pedaria [pilosaria], H. leucophoB- 

 aria, and Dlurnea fagella were represented by one each ; and I took two 

 examples of A. ascidaria. An entomologist I met in the Forest showed 

 me his box with three male Nyssia hispidaria, four or five fine Amphidasys 

 slrataria [prodromaria), and a similar number of P. pedaria ipilosaria), the 

 last being undersized males and not well marked. I saw several Brephos 

 parthenias on the wing. Larvae of Arctia caia have not been nearly so 

 plentiful as in last spring. I took a lot on April 2nd, as well as on subsequent 

 dates in the month. They were in their first and second stages after hyber- 

 nation. I kept them in an average temperature of ^(f Fahr., and they all 

 repaid my trouble, by the end of June, by turning out the most typical 

 moths imaginable. I took my first T. hiundxdaria (?) on April 3rd, in 

 Delamere Forest, very dark, as usual, but well banded. My other captures 

 were two Lobophora carpinata (lobidata), one P. pedaria, and a Tmiio- 

 campa cruda, all at rest either on trees or palings. x\lthough I saw my first 

 swallow on April 17th, we had a cold, wet and miserable Easter week. It 

 was indeed a pitiful time for hunters of Agrotis ashworthii ; and disap- 

 pointment and discomfort must have been general, especially among those 

 who had travelled long distances by excursion trains. Some were blocked 

 at Chester on Good Friday — no trains ! I got a few larvae, but not by the 

 labour of my own hands (and feet), and half of these died. On April 24th 

 I again visited Delamere Forest for T. biimdulaiia. I took six — three 

 males and three females — one carpinata, and a nice Eupithecia not yet 

 determined ; and these were the sum total of five hours' hard work ! 

 Larvae of B. quercus — they are observers of neither times nor seasons — in 

 the second stage, were occasionally met with in May, in damp hedge roots 

 about Chester, feeding on meadow sweet. They were very fond of sallow in 

 confinement. As I write (July 22nd) some of these larvae have already 

 spun up ; others are feeding, and evidently intend to continue doing so, 

 whilst a fine female emerged at the end of June, but I think from last year's 

 pupae — I am, however, uncertain about this. My first white butterfly 

 I saw on May Ist, in Eastgate Street — Pieris rapce ; in fact the " whites," 



