72 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



what he had taken. Two Doryphora palustrella were also taken ; 

 a Noctua that I cannot yet determine ; a Eupithecia, which still 

 puzzles me, closely resembling E. vulgata in ground colour, but 

 with longer wings (probably larvae-fed on mugwort, as I obtained 

 the two specimens from that plant) ; and a worn specimen of 

 Anerastia farrella also occurred. Lithosia pygmceola was abundant 

 on the sand-hills ; on one evening I collected above sixty in a 

 short time. I did not work for them any other evening, although 

 I picked them up all over the sand-hills when after other species. 

 They were still out the third week of August. 



My experience in other parts of Kent has been very similar, 

 the great exception being Nola albulalis. This species this 

 season was undoubtedly rare in all stages in its old locality. I 

 could get scarcely a larva, where two years ago I could have 

 taken dozens in a short time had I been so disposed ; and 

 although I was several times on the ground when the imago 

 should have been out I netted only three. A friend who was on 

 the ground regularly says that scarcely any could be obtained. 

 The restricted locality of the species, the ease with which the 

 larva can be found, and the systematic way in which the species 

 has been worked since its discovery, has undoubtedly had much 

 to do with this ; and unless the species be more leniently 

 treated for the next few years it looks very much like being 

 exterminated in its old haunts. 



The marshes on the banks of the Thames gave a fine lot of 

 Leucania phragmit'ulis, with a few of the beautiful red var. 

 rufescens. Leucania straminea was in fine condition during Jul}'. 

 I bred this species from larvae feeding on the reeds the second 

 week in July, during the time that the imago was on the wing, 

 the pupal state only lasting from nine to twelve days. Other 

 species also occurred freely ; and, on the whole, 1 believe this 

 has been, in North Kent, the best season since I recommenced 

 collecting in 1880, although insects have been fairl}^ abundant 

 the previous years, and no entomological collapse has occurred, 

 as there seems to have been in other parts of the country. 



In conclusion I may add that Acherontia atropos has occurred 

 freely in the potato-fields of North Kent during the autumn, 

 although but a small percentage of imagines have been bred. 

 Beaconsfield Terrace, East Greenwich, January 3, 1885. 



