COLLECTING IN NORTH DEVON. 203 



one tree-trunk, but among the large number of this species 

 which came under my notice I only detected one variety, and that 

 not a very striking one either. A. herhida was fairly plentiful in 

 one or two woods ; it also turned up in my breeding-cages. 

 Thyatira derasa and T. batis were both of frequent occurrence. 

 The genus Acronycta was represented by A. rumicis and A. ligustri 

 only. Apamea gemina, Noctiia hrunnea, Hadena adusta, and 

 H. thalassina were all common, and now and then the banded 

 variety of Boarmia repandata would enter an appearance, and 

 was duly boxed ; but I got most of my examples of this variety 

 by mothing at dusk. One evening I netted four successively in 

 fewer minutes. Occasionally I found a specimen or two at rest 

 on tree -trunks in the daytime. I noticed this form of B. repan- 

 data is not so skittish when at rest or at the sugar as the normal 

 type. I have even touched this variety when on a tree, and it 

 has simply turned itself round ; changed front, in fact, and 

 quietly settled itself for another snooze. If one only passes 

 within a yard or two of the typical form of this species, it is off 

 and away. This difference of habit is curious, seeing that the 

 variety is so much more conspicuous when at rest than the 

 ordinary type ; and would be of importance in separating the two 

 forms into distinct species, if other circumstances did not point so 

 conclusively to the contrary. I may add that I have also bred 

 the variety from a very few larvae which I took in the spring. 



In my April and May notes I mentioned Eimnelesia ajfinitata; 

 I must now couple with it E. alchemillata, and state that both 

 species were generally common among Lychnis. 



Eupithecia pidcliellata larvae were very plentiful in flowers of 

 foxglove growing on stone-faced embankments of hedgerows ; the 

 first lot were found June 7th. The appearance of the imago of 

 this species was somewhat erratic ; one or two specimens were met 

 with early in May, then not again till about the middle of June, 

 and a few more July 6th and later. Although the food-plant of 

 E. plumheolata was abundant in some woods, I got very few 

 examples of the insect; these were mostly netted at dusk. 

 E. lariciata abundant in larch woods. E. dehiliata was common 

 in those woods where bilberry grew, but the majority of 

 specimens were worn before I found out the habits of the imago ; 

 however, I got a nice series in capital condition. I collected a 

 lot of what I thought at the time were larv86 of this species, and 



