THE ENTOMOLOGIST. ] 03 



certain minor warts, rufous-brown and very glabrous ; a pale 

 transverse dorsal mark on the 5th segment ; ventral surface 

 whitish, inclining to glaucous, with a rufous patch between 

 each pair of ventral claspers. Full-fed on the 8th of June, 

 when it spins a thin web among the oak-leaves, without 

 descending to the ground : the perfect insect appears in 

 July. I am indebted to AJr. Wright for this larva. — Edward 

 Newman. 



Entomological Notes and Captures. 



Larva of Sesia philanthiformis discovered in the Isle of 

 Man. — From information given to me by my friend Mr. 

 Doubleday, when at his house last July, that the larvae of 

 Sesia philanthiformis (of Staudinger) fed upon the thrift, and 

 having purchased a pair of this insect, for 15s., which were 

 captured in the Isle of Man, I determined to make a journey 

 there in May this year to search for larvae or pupae, and on 

 carrying out my plan I discovered its larvae feeding in the 

 stems of the sea-pink which grows in profusion all round the 

 island. I have since succeeded in breeding a long series in 

 magnificent condition, and have sent a specimen of the larva 

 to be figured by Mr. Buckler. Another time 1 may trouble 

 you with further particulars. — C. S. Gregson ; Rose Bank, 

 Fletcher Grove, Stanley, Liverpool, June 2"2, 1866. 



Capture of a Noctua new to the British Isles. — Three 

 hours after I landed on the Isle of Man for the first time 

 (though I had often seen it before), I captured a Dianthoecia 

 quite new to me, and before I left I secured what, through 

 the kind assistance of friends, especially of Mr. Doubleday, 

 who kindly sent me specimens from his continental col- 

 lection for comparison, we now make out to be a singularly 

 permanent variety of Dianthoecia [Noctua] caesia of the 

 Vienna Catalogue, N. dichroma of Esper. As I purpose 

 sending a full account of it when I have a little time, 1 will 

 only say now that it is a very fine bluish lead-coloured insect, 

 almost devoid of distinct markings, except a few yellowish 

 spots or patches : it is suffused and rough-looking as a frieze 

 coat, and as it is such a decided and permanent variety 

 I propose to call it var. D. Mananii, after Manan, first King 



