Notes, captures, etc. 167 



aquilina and obelisca are only tritici, which would account for the 

 doubt expressed as to whether aquilina and obelisca were true 

 species, or only varieties of tritici. — J. Gardner; Darlington. 



On the probable Identity of certain Agrotid^. — I have 

 just read with interest the remarks on this subject in the last 

 issue of the 'Entomologist' (Entom. xviii. 148), and I should not 

 be surprised if the genus Agrotis undergoes considerable revision 

 at no distant date. Of A. obelisca I can say nothing, as I have 

 never taken it ; but last year I worked the flower-heads of 

 marram-grass [Psamma arundinacea) at night for various Noctuse, 

 and thus obtained several species of Agrotidoi ; but by far the 

 most abundant of them all was A. tritici. Here this species, as 

 in most places, is immensely variable. A fair number of 

 A. aquilina and A. nigricans were also taken in the same way; 

 and I noticed all three varieties copulating freely with each other. 

 One A. obscura {ravida), and several A. vestigialis (valligera) and 

 A. cursoria, also fell to my lot; but in no case did I observe any 

 of the last-mentioned species in copula with vl. nigricans, A. tritici, 

 or A. aquilina. — Edward A. Atmore ; King's Lynn, Norfolk, 

 May 6th, 1886. 



EuPHAsiA catena NEAR NOTTINGHAM. — Some years ago I 

 wrote to you with reference to a remarkable Noctua, which I 

 saw in 1878 in the collection of an engine-driver at Nottingham, 

 and which I was then quite unable to identif3^ I had almost 

 forgotten the circumstance, when one day, turning over casually 

 the first volume of ' Humphreys and Westwood,' I came upon the 

 figure of a moth (in plate 54) whicli I at once recognised as tlie 

 identical insect. Referring to the index attached to each plate, I 

 found that the " distinguished stranger " was described as 

 " Euphasia catena, the Brixton beauty." The collector, in whose 

 boxes I saw it, informed me that he had himself taken it in a lane 

 near Nottingham; and, from the little store he seemed to set by 

 it, I feel pretty confident that this is a true account of the matter. 

 The species seems to be absent from all our recent lists. — (Rev.) 

 Chas. F. Thornewill ; The Soho, Burton-on-Trent, Feb. 7, 1885. 



[Appended is the letterpress describing the figure above 

 alluded to : — ""Euphasia catena, Sowerby. This species measures 

 \^ inch in expansion of the fore wings, which are white, with a 

 brown and grey spot, crossed by three pale lines near the base 



