10 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



pupa has been published by Mr. Hellins (Ent. Mo, Mag. ii. 

 134), and a coloured drawing by Mr. Buckler of several va- 

 rieties of the larva was exhibited. Of the six moths thus bred 

 not one was like its mother, or bore any great resemblance to 

 what has hitherto been considered to be the normal Sterrha 

 Sacraria ; they differed also considerably from one another. 

 Both the males had the upper wings suffused with an ex- 

 quisite rosy tint, and the under wings, instead of being pure 

 white, were clouded with fuscous ; one female had the upper 

 wings variegated with yellow and rose-colour, and the under 

 wings yellowish ; the remaining three females had the upper 

 wings of a delicate buff, the oblique transverse stripe being 

 blackish, and the cilia in one instance buff, in the others 

 rosy, whilst the under wings were yellowish white. Any of 

 these specimens, if caught at large, might very pardonably 

 have been described as a new species ; and the amount of 

 variation to which it now appeared that Sterrha Sacraria was 

 liable seemed to throw doubt upon the specific distinctness 

 of the several continental forms which had been described as 

 species allied to S. Sacraria. In reply to enquiries Mr. 

 M'Lachlan stated that Polygonum aviculare was not pre- 

 viously known to be the natural food-plant, but had been 

 given to the larvae experimentally, and was eaten with 

 avidity. M. Carl Plotz had figured the larva on a species of 

 chamomile, but as the moth occurred in all parts it must 

 either feed on some plant of very wide distribution, or more 

 probably was polyphagous. — Proc. Ent. Soc, Nov. 6. 



Abraxas grossulariata Jiyhernaiing as a Pupa. — I have at 

 the present time (November 20th) a pupa of Abraxas grossu- 

 lariata ; the larva 1 observed feeding on apricot in Septem- 

 ber, being then more than half-grown. Surprised at such 

 an abnormal example, I took it : it continued to feed mode- 

 rately, and grew slowl}- until the second M^eek in November, 

 when it assumed its present state. Have any of your readers 

 observed any similar instances of deviation in this insect ? — 

 George Gascoyne ; Newark. 



Note on Ptilophora plumigera. — I have for several years 

 bred Ptilophora plumigera, and each year have observed 

 that the perfect insect emerged in batches, and at consider- 

 able intervals. I omitted until the present autumn to take 

 reliable notes. This year I had a sufficient number in the 



