44 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



imrella, I cannot say. However, I hope some day to clear up the 

 question. — J. B. Hodgkinson ; 15, Spring Bank, Preston, De- 

 cember 6, 1880. 



Lepidoptera reared in 1880. — I forward you a list of some 

 of the Lepidoptera which I have reared out of doors during the 

 past season, with the dates of appearance. These dates, I think, 

 will compare favourably with last year, most of the species being 

 considerably earlier : — April 7th and 20th, bred Heusimene 

 jimhriana ; middle to end of month a number of Tephrosia 

 eonsonaria, T. crepuscularia, and two Amphydasis prodromaria ; 

 May 1st, Notodonta trepida and N. dromedar'ms ; May 1st to 12tli, 

 a splendid series of Elachista poella ; 12th, Cucullia verbasci, 

 Nola cristidaUs, and Notodonta chaouia (having taken no larvae 

 of the latter for three years, I was surprised to see a very fine 

 male in my cage, which must have remained in pupa during that 

 period); May 14th and 15th, bred Nola cristulalis, Notodonta 

 dodoncea, N. trepida, two Stauropus fagi, Ahrostola triplasia, and 

 EpMppiphora nigricostana ; 16th to 20tli, Notodonta dromedar'ms, 

 Nola cristulalis, Selenia lunaria, Platypteryx falcula, P. lacertula, 

 and several EpliippipJiora nigricostana; 21st to 25th, several 

 Cymatopliora fluctuosa, Macaria notata, Notodonta dodoncea, and 

 Stauropus fagi ; June 2nd, two Cucullia lychnitis. From early in 

 June to the middle of July I reared a magnificent lot of Axylia 

 putris, from larvae found last autumn feeding on nettle and hop 

 on Hackney Marshes. Apamea unanimis was scarce this season ; 

 I succeeded in finding only nine pupae. The moths emerged 

 end of May and beginning of June, fully a month earlier than last 

 year. — William Machin ; 22, Argyle Eoad, Carlton Square, E., 

 December, 1880. 



The Blue Beetle (Ph^don betul^, Linn.) — During the 

 last two or three years some parts of this district, i. e., the Isle 

 of Ely, have again suffered from the ravages of a coleopteron 

 {Phcedon hetulce, Linn.), provincially designated the " blue beetle," 

 which is apparently destructive during both larval and imago 

 states of its existence, and which has attacked, and in some 

 instances destroyed, entire fields of mustard, cress, cabbages, &c. 

 I first noticed the reappearance of this beetle three years ago on 

 a field of white mustard, which it attacked about the time of the 

 formation of the seed-pod, and from the stalks of which it 



