142 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Entomological Notes, Captures, %c. 



Notes from Southsea : Swarms of Coleoptera. — During 

 the past summer the abundance of the commoner species of 

 Coleoptera and Lepidoptera along the shores of this island 

 has been surprising, but as yet no rarities have fallen to my 

 lot. The extreme heat we have experienced has no doubt 

 much to do uith this, and has apparently acted with a 

 forcing, dwarfing influence on some of them. I have cap- 

 tured one specimen of Chelonia caja, the wings of which on 

 one side were so much shorter than the others that the 

 insect could not fly. All the specimens of the second brood 

 of Ephyra omicronaria which I have taken are at least three 

 lines less in expanse of wing than those I have previously 

 met with. Specimens of the second brood of Chelonia vil- 

 lica were taken last week, and I have also young larvae of the 

 third brood of Smerinthus Populi feeding, all the pupee I was 

 reserving for next year having come to life. Along our beach 

 a few days since I captured one specimen of Lyca^na Corydon 

 and one of Arge Galathea, which must have crossed over 

 from the Isle of Wight. I also captured two specimens of 

 Polyommatus Agestis var. Salmacis. Acidalia promutaria 

 was very abundant on sand-banks, old posts, &c., resting 

 with the wings fully expanded, and so sluggish that they 

 permitted me to secure them without attempting to fly. Se- 

 lidosoma plumaria (all males) appeared in abundance in a 

 spot over which I had collected for years without meeting 

 with it, and the lovely little Homeosoma sinuella was equally 

 numerous. Colias Edusa is now to be seen along our downs, 

 this being the third consecutive year in which 1 have taken 

 it in this district. How is this to be reconciled with the 

 "seven years" theory ? On Portsdown Hill I also captured 

 the first specimen of Colias Hyale I have ever taken. Co- 

 leoptera have been equally abundant. The evening of the 

 3rd of August was very lovely, but the heat was intense (90° 

 Fahr.), although the sun had well nigh set. There was not a 

 breath of wind sufficient to ruflBe the surface of the sea 

 (which appeared like molten lead), or to bend a blade of 

 grass. 1 was sauntering along the sea-bank, enjoying the 

 moist salty exhalation which was beginning to arise from the 

 water, when my attention was attracted by the curious 



