NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 805 



leaving Etretat my brother made the total to over foi-ty ; after 

 that he refrained from catching more, though they came in 

 swarms every evening to the same bed of petunias. I also took 

 Macroglossa stellatarum this year, much more frequently than on 

 any previous visit. — Niel H. Reid ; Beckenham, Kent. 



BoMBYX RUBi. — Will any one who has reared the larvffi of 

 these insects successfully through the winter give me a few hints ? 

 I have tried several times, with very fine larvae, but have never 

 had a single imago. I have kept them in a wooden cage with a 

 perforated zinc top, three or four inches of earth at the bottom, 

 lightly covered with moss. Some winters this has stood in a 

 room without a fire, others in an arbour sheltered from rain but 

 exposed to cold and damp ; the results have always been equally 

 unsatisfactoi-y. I have now about twenty larvse, and should like 

 to try and rear them. Should the moss be thicker, or damped 

 occasionally ? Once a few began to creep about in March, but 

 did not touch the half-dead bramble leaves which were all I 

 could find to give them. They are always shrivelled up to 

 nothing, huddled together as if for warmth. — E. Bayley ; Keymer, 

 Sussex. 



Food of Lobophora viretata. — Mr. Bath has shown me 

 the correspondence which has taken place in the 'Entomologist ' 

 in reference to the food-plant of Lobophora viretata. Several 

 young larvse of this insect were taken by myself, at Sutton Park, 

 in the year 1883; they were feeding upon the young leaves or 

 shoots of the holly (Ilex aquifolium), upon which I continued to 

 feed them in confinement. 1 was successful in rearing about a 

 dozen perfect insects. My brother, who used to collect insects, 

 was with me at the time of taking the larvae, and can vouch for 

 the above. — Arthur Pimm; 107, Broad Street, Birmingham. 



NocTUA DEPUNCTA IN "WILTSHIRE. — On the 23rd of July I 

 took a good specimen of this rare insect at sugar in an open 

 space of a wood near Marlborough. Not being quite sure of the 

 insect's identity, I waited till I could ask the opinion of a more 

 learned entomologist; hence the delay in making the communi- 

 cation. — M. KiMBER ; Cope Hall, near Newbur}'. 



ACRONYCTA ALNI FEEDING ON SaLLOW. — I fouud a fuU-fed 



larva of Acronycta alni on sallow here, which pupated in a 

 bramble-stem. — C A. Sladen ; Burghclere, Newbury, Oct., 1887. 

 ENTOM. — NOV. 1887. 2 o 



