NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 279 



Forest on June 34th. It is a male, and in fine condition. — 

 Edward Buckell ; Komsey. 



Macaria liturata, Variety. — I have taken, at Delamere 

 Forest, what I believe to be a good variety of Macaria liturata. 

 The following is a rough description of the insect : — All the wings 

 are dark smoky brown, almost black, with a broad distinct band 

 of dull ochre ; hind margin of all the wings decidedly darker 

 than the rest of the wing ; there are no costal markings, or the 

 slightest trace of them. — Robt. Newstead ; Curator, Grosvenor 

 Museum, Chester, July 10, 1887. 



Peridea trepida. — In answer to R. S. Williment's question 

 concerning the fecundity of this insect (Entom. 159), I may say 

 I took a male and female on the bole of an oak in a wood near 

 Colchester on May 21st, 1880. The female laid fully 300 ova. 

 In the following year, on the 25th of May, in the same wood, I 

 took at rest on another oak-trunk a much worn male, which 

 I placed in a cage with a newly-emerged female from tlie progeny 

 of the pair taken in 1880, This female also laid fully 800 ova. 

 But this year, from a bred pairing, I was only enabled to obtain 

 225 ova, which diminution in number may be accounted for by 

 declining vigour in the race consequent on the parents having 

 been inbred of the second generation. Probably in a state 

 of nature 300 would about represent the maximum number of 

 ova laid by the female of this species. — Geo. J. Grapes ; 

 2, Buckleigh Road, Streatham Common, S.W. 



Retinia pinicolana in the Engadine. — On Saturday, 6th 

 August, I entered Pontresina by the Bernina Road, and was at 

 once struck by the singular appearance of the pine trees. For 

 many miles, as far as the eye could reach, the firs, instead of 

 presenting their usual cool green aspect, were completely brown 

 and withered from root to top. Thinking that this was unusual, 

 and putting it down to the severity of the late winter, I made 

 enquiries as to the cause of the catastrophe, for it was nothing 

 less. I was given to understand that the dead-looking appearance 

 of the trees was due to the ravages of the larva of a minute moth, 

 which, upon investigation, turned out to be Retinia 'pinicolana. 

 This was corroborated by an interesting account of insect pests, 

 which I found in a little book, by Dr. Ludwig, about Pontresina 

 and the environs. He states that the valley has been subject in 

 like manner to visitations from the same insect, and that in 1868 



