NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 71 
yellow, as decided as a male Russula or as Huperia fulvago. Iam not sure 
that these yellow varieties are not peculiar to North Staffordshire, and 
perhaps also to the past season ; at any rate, with a long experience of this 
species, I do not remember to have observed this variety before; nor does 
Newman mention it. Another species that came to sugar in profusion was 
N. dahlii, varying in hue from dark brown with ochreous stigmata to the 
darker shades of N. festiva. T. fimbria was also in fair numbers, in all 
its well-known varieties. And, lastly, C. solidaginis was a drug in the 
market: this is a moth which appears to have become much more abundant 
of late years; in the daytime it may readily be found hiding in the crevices 
of the trunks of pine trees and on the stems of the heather; at night it 
comes freely to sugar. I may also say that in June 4. tincta swarmed at 
sugar.—(Rev.) T. W. Datrry; Madeley Vicarage, Staffordshire. 
MIcRoPTERYX SANGI AND M. cALEDONIELLA.—Last Good Friday I had 
an hour or so on new ground near Carlisle, and found Muicropteryx in 
swarms. 1sent them on to my friend Mr. C. G. Barrett to overhaul, and he 
returns them as semipurpurella (25), sangit (7), purpurella (18), caledoniella 
(1), sparmarella (1),—not a bad catch.—J. B. Hopextnson; Ashton-on- 
Ribble. 
Buack PHIGALIA PEDARIA (= PILOSARIA). —I have been fortunate 
again in taking a black specimen of the above, on Feb. 12th. During the 
week ending 13th inst. we had a few fine days with plenty of sunshine, when 
I took a short stroll (by way of a beginning) to a small plantation near here, 
where I noted about a dozen specimens of pilosaria at rest on the tree- 
trunks, apparently fresh out ; and low down, nearly at the foot of one oak 
here, I saw this black specimen. ‘This is the second specimen (the first I 
took Feb. 27th, 1886) | have taken in this neighbourhood.—J. Harrison; 
7, Gawber Road, Barnsley. 
Breepinc Noroponta pict&orpEs.—I was very much interested in 
Mr. A. T. Mitchells report of his experience with the larve of above (ante, 
p- 20). I have attempted to breed it for years, in many different ways, 
without success. I am generally able to obtain two or three wild females. 
The area on which they are found is very small, being only a row of 
birches bordering a fir wood. I have found them more or less for about 
eighteen years, and, by very diligent searching, have never found more than 
about two dozen larve (more oiten only five or six) in the season (October). 
I think this is a proot that they must be difficult to rear, as it 1s a most 
prolific depositor of ova, having had repeatedly above three hundred eggs 
trom one female. Last year 1 had over a thousand young larve ; only 
three lived to pupate, and they have since dried up. I have never betore 
been able to keep any after about halt-grown. In * The Entomologist,’ of 
I think 1890 (Lf cannot find it just now), a correspondent says the 
Notodontide are apt to develop cannibalistic propensities* in confinement. 
They certainly leave their food from the first and congregate together, and 
lose a great deal of time and energy in spinning and fighting; but I have 
never been able to discover any bites under the microscope, and the nearly 
full-grown larva always lives, no matter how closely contined. I have never 
seen one ichneumoned. ‘They must be subject to some disease in a wild 
** The Rev. Bernard Smith makes some remarks to this effect (Entom. 
xxil. p. 102).—Eb., 
