NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 223 
August a quantity of the larvie, which were then nearly full-fed. 
In the course of three or four days they spun their cocoons and 
turned into pup, the perfect insects emerging on the 14th, so 
that the pupa state lasted but the short time of six or seven days. 
The thrushes (7wrdus musicus), which are this year unusually 
numerous, congregated in the fields in large flocks; doubtless fed 
sumptuously every day on the larve, which they must have 
considerably diminished. As an instance of the ignorance of 
many agriculturists on questions connected with Natural History, 
and their stupid inability to discriminate betwixt their friends 
and foes, I may mention that, because they found the thrushes at 
the peas, some attributed the mischief to ‘‘them rascally birds,” 
and were for “shooting them all off.’ The imagines of Plusia 
gamma are now swarming in every direction, and fly from the 
flowers and hedges more like bees than moths. They are 
equally abundant by day as by night; anything like this profusion 
Inever remember. I insert this note in order to ascertain if other 
districts have been similarly affected—JosErH ANDERSON, JUN. ; 
Chichester. 
Prorusion oF Puusta @AMMA.—The sandhills and neigh- 
bourhood of the sea on the Essex coast are this August infested 
by a multitude of the moths of Plusia gamma. So large are the 
numbers that they almost pass description. It is no uncommon 
thing to see ten to twenty specimens fighting with one another to 
get at a single thistle-flower, to the exclusion of all other insects. 
—Joun T. Carrineron; Royal Aquarium, August 16, 1879. 
Fuieut or Piusta GAMMA.—Under date August 13th, a son 
of mine writes me from St. Leonards that the sea there is 
scattered over with moths which are being washed up in lines on 
the shore. The boatmen state that nothing similar has been 
witnessed previously ; but no one seems to have noticed whether 
the moths have come over from France or have been drowned in 
attempting to leave England. The specimens sent me are Plusia 
gamma, and I do not learn that any diversity of species has been 
detected among the multitudes. Moths, I believe, are more 
rarely known to collect in swarms and to set out on pilgrimage 
than are butterflies—J. W. Starter; Ivy Cottage, Bicester Road, 
Aylesbury. 
PyRAMEIS CARDUI AND PuusiA GAmMA.—If Pyrameis cardui 
