NOTKS, CAPTURES, ETC. 323 



My friend Mr. Watson tells me that this localitj^ wliich is ahout 

 ten miles from Paisley, is the only remaining hit of " virgin 

 soil " in the Clyde Valley. Certainly the aptitude to melanism 

 among Lepidoptera is remarkahle ; and a series of such 

 T. vai'iata as we took is well worth all the journey and trouhle 

 to see. — J. B. Hodgkinson ; Fishergate, Preston, Sept., 1885. 



Retarded appearance of Lepidoptera. — With reference to 

 Rev. J. S. St. John's note on Asthena hlomeri (Entom. xviii. 263), 

 during the past season certain species have been very erratic in 

 the time of their appearance. Thus Thera variata, which I 

 observed early in June in Derbyshire, has been common at West 

 Wickham up to September 26th, when it was abundant and in 

 fair condition. Argynnis aglaia was just coming out near Dover 

 on August 1st (quite a month late). Autumnal larv£e in this part 

 of Surrey are very backward ; I have Eupithecia pimpinellata still 

 quite small ; these I usually take full-fed about September lOtli. — 

 W. G. Sheldon ; The Oval, Addiscombe, Croydon, Oct. 14, 1885. 



Retarded appearances of Lepidoptera. — On June 23rd, 

 1879, I found, at Burghclere, a nest of larvae of Eriogaster 

 lanestris, which made their first appearance from pupse in 

 successive years, as follows: — 1880, none; March 6th, 1881; 

 January 1st, 1882; March 3rd, 1883; April 2nd, 1884. On April 

 18th, 1882, I obtained some ova of Endromis versicolor at 

 Andover, the imagines of which (many larvae having died about 

 full-fed) made their first appearance on April 1st, 1883 ; March 

 22nd, 1884. In July, 1882, I found a larva of Dicraniira vinula, 

 which remained in pupa till May 20th, 1884. — (Rev.) C. A. 

 Sladen ; Burghclere, Newbury, October, 1885. 



Eccentric appearances of Lepidoptera. — On August 3rd, 

 1883, I caught Pterostoma palpina at light; August 11th, 1885, I 

 caught Hepialus lupulinus at light; September 8th, 1885, I bred 

 Dianthoecia ccqjsincola from larv£e of the year, the only one of 

 several dozen that thus emerged. — (Rev.) C. A. Sladen. 



Erratic appearance of Lepidoptera. — I have now, October 

 17th, a larva of Plusia iota just turning to pupa ; larvse of Vanessa 

 atalauta, varying in length from three -fourths of an inch to full- 

 fed, and four just turned to pupse ; Eugonia quercinaria {angularia) 

 now emerging, though some were bred two months ago. A female 

 Amphydasis betidaria deposited a brood of ova only three weeks 



