OCNERIA DISPAR IN ENGLAND. 259 
Devon, and that very many more captures would have been made 
had we, during the past ten years, had more genial weather. 
Stonehouse, Plymouth, Sept. 14, 1892. 
OCNERIA DISPAR IN ENGLAND. 
By Ricuarp Sovura. 
Tue earliest figure of Ocneria dispar in any English work on 
Entomology is, I believe, that by Wilkes in his ‘ Twelve New 
Designs of English Butterflies,’ published in 1742. The insect 
was again figured by Wilkes, who, by the way, called it the 
*“Gypsey Moth,” in 1773, and subsequently by Harris in the 
‘Aurelian’s Pocket Companion, 1775, and by Donovan some- 
where about the year 1800. Stephens, in 1829 (‘Illustrations of 
British Entomology, Haustellata,’ ii. p. 56), describes the species 
under the name of Hypogymna dispar, and says of it, “not 
common in the neighbourhood of London; it has occasionally 
been taken at Coombe Wood, but in the fens of Huntingdonshire 
it appears to abound, and may be taken in all stages at one time, 
as the imago frequently appears long before all the larve have 
changed into pups. It is said to have been introduced into 
Britain by eggs imported by Mr. Collinson; but the abundance 
with which it occurs near Whittlesea, and the dissimilarity of the 
indigenous specimens (which are invariably paler, with stronger 
markings) to the foreign, sufficiently refutes the opinion.” 
Curtis, referring to this species (‘ British Entomology,’ 1862), 
observes :—‘‘ At the time Donovan wrote these moths were so 
rare that he could not obtain British specimens to figure in his 
work ; it is not easy therefore to conceive the delight I experienced, 
when a boy, on finding the locality of the Gypsy Moth. After a 
long walk I arrived at the extensive marshes at Horning, in 
Norfolk, having no other guide to the spot’ than the Myrica gale ; 
and on finding the beds of that shrub, which grows freely there, 
the gaily-coloured caterpillars first caught my sight; they were 
in every stage of growth, some of them being as large as a swan’s 
quill. I also soon discovered the moths, which are so totally 
different in colour as to make a tyro doubt their being legitimate 
partners. The large loose cocoons were likewise very visible, 
and on a diligent search I found bundles of the eggs, covered 
with fine down from the abdomen of the females.” 
Stainton (‘Manual Brit. Butt. and Moths,’ 1857) remarks, 
“This species is apparently less common here than formerly,” 
and gives Halton in Bucks and Stowmarket as localities, but 
indicates that the occurrence of O. dispar in the latter place was 
not regular, 
