NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 193 



arrival tempted to emerge by the spell of hot weather. I think 

 my locality is more remarkable than that of Mr. Harding, for 

 Melitcea aurina (Entom. xviii. 147), as, although there was a 

 marsh within a mile, it was in the valley beneath, and it is a 

 matter of wonder that so weak-winged a butterfly should have 

 scaled such a steep hill. — Harry C. Sandiord ; Bellevue Park, 

 Military Eoad, Cork. 



Captures in South Staffordshire. — Perhaps the follow- 

 ing notes from this part of the country, during 1884, will 

 prove interesting to your readers. On May 12th, and other days 

 following, I found the larva of Abraxas grossulariata very 

 abundant on currant and gooseberry bushes. In June I found 

 several broods of larvse of Vanessa urticcz on the stinging-nettle ; 

 also about a dozen larvae of Hal'ia ve7iiaria {wavaria), feeding 

 on a currant bush. On June 4th I visited Bewdley Forest, and 

 found Argynnis euplirosyne very abundant. I captured seventeen 

 specimens in about an hour ; also one specimen of Melitcea 

 aurinia {artemis), six Ccenonympha jMmphihis, and two of Venilia 

 maculata. I saw several Euchloe cardamines, one Vanessa 

 cardui, and one Gonepteryx rhamni. I also found several 

 cocoons of Zygana filipendidce. Rain coming suddenly on, I 

 had to close my net and wend my way back to the town through 

 a drenching shower. In the country around Wolverhampton 

 during the past season, I have noticed that Vanessa atalanta 

 and V. cardui were in great abundance, in the perfect state 

 more so, V. atalanta in the larva state, during the month of 

 August. A friend and I collected upwards of two hundred larvce 

 of atalanta, seeing besides several V, cardui flying, which species 

 I saw as late as the middle of October. On August 7th I saw a 

 remarkably fine specimen of Macroglossa stellatarum flying in my 

 garden, the first specimen I ever saw in this part of the country. 

 On August 14th I saw four Vanessa io in a clover field not 

 far from Wolverhampton. I was much pleased with the sight, 

 having never before seen one alive in these parts. During the 

 season my friend captured twelve specimens of Plusia iota 

 and three of P. festucce at Ashmore Park. I noticed through the 

 past season the following species in some plenty, Melanippe 

 moritanata, Noctua triangidum, Plusia gamma, Acidalia aversata 

 (the banded variety being about one in three), Pladena pisi, H. 

 oleracea, Triplicena pivnuba, Pldogopliora meticidosa, Xylophasia 



entom. — JULY, 1885. fie 



