THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 367 



moths sent by Captain Chawner and Mr. Benn, these gentle- 

 men mention the capture of one specimen of Slerrha sacraria 

 near Greatham, in 1867, but no more particular date is given. 



Sterrha sacraria in the North of Perthshire. — At about 

 two o'clock in the afternoon of the 14th of August, after 

 walking over an unproductive tract of country in the North of 

 Perthshire, during my stay at Rannoch, I was reflecting rather 

 ruefully on the few Tortrices in my pocket, sole result of 

 four hours' labour, when a small moth, flitting gently from a 

 patch of grass, settled almost at my feet. 1 knelt down to 

 examine the crevice into which the new comer had retreated, 

 and there — most lovely and welcome sight — was Sterrha 

 sacraria ! Nothing but the biggest pill-box I had about me 

 could be worthy of so illustrious a visitor, and, having 

 sumptuously installed him therein, I postponed my lunch 

 sine die, and set to work to find another. Whether the sight 

 of an Entomologist on his knees had proved propitiatory 

 I cannot say, but a few steps further on a second specimen 

 stole gently from his retirement, and went to keep the first 

 company. In about an hour I found a third, and with these 

 (all males) I trudged home well pleased. Many profitless 

 hours I spent afterwards at the same spot, in hopes of obtain- 

 ing the other sex. — ./. B. Blackburn ; Grassmeade, Wands- 

 worth, September, 1867.— En I. Mo. Mag. 



Centra vinula cannibalistic. — I have been breeding Cerura 

 vinula this year, and was rather annoyed to observe the can- 

 nibalistic proclivities manifested by some of the stronger 

 members of the brood, in their determined attempts on the 

 " tails" of their weaker brethren. Several died, but others 

 survived the amputation, probably the surgical aptness of the 

 operators being of various grades. Can you inform me 

 whether larvae mutilated in the manner referred to produce 

 perliect imagos ? — H. McDowell ; Kettering, October 6, 1867. 



Dianthoecia Barreltii. — In No. 46 of the 'Entomologist' 

 (Entora. iii. 349) Mr. Newman expresses an opinion that 

 this insect is only a melanic form of D. conspersa. On com- 

 paring our series of the two species I am unable to perceive 

 more than a vague resemblance of markings between the two 

 insects. The shape and position of the pale markings do not 

 correspond, nor are all these represented in both species. 

 D. Barreltii has really more resemblance to D. capsophila. 



