THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 455 



mestra anceps, Cucullia umbratica, Plusia V-aureura, Botys 

 fiiscalis, Crambus perlellns, Pempelia palumbella, &c. — Geo. 

 T. Porritt; Hiidders field, Jiili/ S, 1873. 



Insect-hunting in Sussex. — At the end of June I passed a 

 iew days in entomological pursuits at Lewes. The year is a 

 most extraordinary one : the day-flying Lepidoptera usually 

 found in profusion on the South Downs are almost absent. I 

 was two days at Lewes and only took one insect worthy of 

 capture, viz., Agrotis corticea; Lycsena Adonis was very 

 rare ; of Lycaena Alsus I saw but one ; and even of Alexis I 

 do not think I saw twenty specimens. The three species of 

 Procris, usually common on Cliffe Hill, were so extremely 

 rare that I heard of but three Geryon being taken, and 

 I myself took but one Globulariae during my stay of nine 

 days. At Abbot's Wood, Melitaea Athalia, usually very 

 common, was very rare ; I do not think in three days I saw 

 more than twelve specimens. Agrotera nemoralis was not 

 rare ; I was too late for this lovely insect, and the males were 

 wasted; the females were in better condition. Melanippe 

 hastaria was common, even to the last day of June; so was 

 Odezia chaerophyllata ; and the oak-trees swarmed with 

 Lithosia rubricollis. Where last year 1 saw at the same 

 period of the year an abundance of Zygaena Trifolii, this 

 year I saw not one. One thing that struck me most was that 

 Mav-flying Lepidoptera were in some plenty at Abbot's Wood 

 at the end of June. — J. Jenner Weir. 



Food-plant of Epione advenaria. — Is there any other 

 food-plant for Epione advenaria in a slate of Nature than 

 bilberry ? I am aware that rose, sallow and dogwood are 

 given in Dr. Knaggs' ' Lepidopterist's Guide' as substitute 

 food-plants, but some larvae 1 had of the insect positively 

 refused to feed on rose (cultivated). I am induced to pen 

 these remarks, as I and others have lately taken the insects 

 in abundance in several places near here, in none of which, 

 so far as I know, nor indeed elsewhere in the neighbourhood, 

 does any bilberry grow. In the woods, where 1 found it most 

 abundant, it seemed generally to rise out of the bramble, 

 which abounded in them, but I am unaware that it has been 

 found on that plant. Its time of appearance, moreover, 

 differs from that given in ' British Moths.' I caught it in 

 abundance on June 20lh this year, though the insect seemed 



