326 



169. New British Elater. I believe the following Elater to be, 

 most probably, a species new to this country ; and should you think 

 the accompanying description worthy of a corner in ' The Entomolo- 

 gist,' you are at liberty to insert it. Elater riifitarsis.^ Deepest 

 shining black : antennae serrated, second joint very small : thorax con- 

 vex, thickly punctate : elytra ruggedly punctate-striate, with a dense, 

 short, hoary pubescence : tarsi dark rusty red, the first joint darkest, 

 which extends to the apex of tibiae ; claws paler : the elytra are flat- 

 tish beyond the middle : length 4 — 4|- lines. I found three specimens 

 of this insect in old decayed wood, Windsor Forest, March 7th, 1841. 

 — Thomas Desvignes ; 2, Golden Square, April 25, 1842. 



170. Chrysalides oj Papilio Machaon. I shall be most happy to 

 forward, per post or otherwise, to any of your subscribers who may 

 desire it, half a dozen or more of the chrysalides of Papilio Machaon. 

 I am fearful it is too late to insert the above in the May No. of ' The 

 Entomologist.' The perfect insect is appearing very fast. — Marshall 

 Fisher; Ely St. Mary's, Camhs., April 25, 1842. 



171. Vanessa Antiopa. Several years ago I had a beautiful speci- 

 men given me alive ; it was caught in a lady's garden near this place 

 by the gardener. I was only a boy at the time, and the persuasions 

 of my friends and the feeling of humanity made me allow it to escape. 

 — John Heppenstall ; Upperthorpe, near Sheffield, May 4, 1842. 



172. Saturnia Pavonia-minor. A male of this fine moth reared by 

 me appeared on the 1st of May. The larvae are rather plentiful on 

 the moors about Sheffield, but are more abundant on Hatfield Chase 

 and Thorne Moors : they, in these situations, feed on Calluna vulga- 

 ris and other heaths, and can be kept with far better success than 

 their constant companion Lasiocampa Roboris. — Id. 



173. Sphinx Convolvuli. Last September I had one given me that 

 was caught in Derbyshire ; it flew against the donor's brother whilst 

 surveying, and stuck to his coat. My friend Mr. Reid, of Doncaster, 

 had a pair that were found in the sleeve of a lady's dress that was left 

 out all night to dry. — Id. 



174. The Jlowers of the Sallows in this neighbourhood were fre- 

 quented by several species of Noctuidae ; and from experience I can 

 corroborate Mr. Douglas's statement, that " they were more easily 

 caught half an hour after their first appearance for the evening ; " af- 

 ter 9 o'clock very few were to be found. Do they stay out all night, or 

 only during twilight ? I have often thought the latter is the case. — Id. 



* This is the true subdivision of the Elateridae to which this insect belongs ; it was 

 examined through a lens of i inch focus. — T. D. 



