GLEANINGS FKOM MY NOTEBOOKS — IV. 39 



Zephi/riis qnercus, L. Never very common in our counties, and 

 deemed to be extinct of recent years ; nevertheless, I have seen it 

 in the hist year or two in Ravensworth and other woods in the 

 Team Vnlley, N. Durham. My friend Bagnall likewise reports 

 it as still occurring in Gibside, one of its former well-known 

 localities. 



IpJiicUdes 'podalirius, L. Possibly the remarks I have to make 

 with regard to this butterfly have no scientific value, but, on the 

 contrary, they may have when one considers that no fewer than 

 five other migrant butterflies have been detected in Durham aiid 

 Northumberland in May and June this year. As I noted earlier 

 in this series of papers, I have observed Vanessa io myself, as 

 "well as Pyrameis cardui and P. atalanta ; Lord Armstrong reported 

 Eavanessa aiitiopa at Eothbury, Northumberland, whilst a corre- 

 spondent undoubtedly saw a Colias edusa in the same county. 

 Furthermore, when watching the habits of Odonata as they 

 sported over a marsh near Birtley, I noticed what I took to be 

 the same insect commit suicide by diving straight into the water. 

 As I returned home I saw a huge butter Hy fluttering amongst the 

 waggons at the " Tail " near the " New " Pit. I got near enough 

 to ascertain that it was Iphiclides podalirius and to chase it along 

 the waggon-way for some time. Finally it sailed over the wall 

 into the ironworks and I lost sight of it. In normal times I 

 should have assigned its presence to the accidental importation 

 of the pupa with the fodder and timber used at the colliery, but 

 in both cases the collieries are relying on home-grown supplies. 

 As a consequence one is driven to conclude that the Papilio was 

 an immigrant like the other species. 



Lithosia complana, L. Except for one isolated example of 

 the present species I have never captured a Lithosia in my life ; 

 this specimen was taken off the walls of Middlesbrough High 

 School. 



Diacrisia russida, L. Another insect I have only taken once ; 

 this occurred in the form of a fertilised female which I netted in 

 Lonsdale, Cleveland. 



Cleoceris viininalis, F. I have been accustomed to beat odd 

 specimens of the larvae everywhere in our counties from Salix 

 caprea, S. aurita and S. cinerea, but I never before saw it in such 

 countless numbers as were stripping certain examples of S. cinerea 

 in the Derwent Valley this year. It would have been easy to 

 secure thousands from tliree or four adjoining bushes. With us 

 the whole range of variation is displayed. 



Acetebia prcecox, L. A very limited number scraped out of 

 the crests on the sand hills on the Moray Firth between Findhorn 

 and Burghead. 



Plusia festucce, L. Very rare with us ; larvae on sedges, 

 Billingham, S. Durham; imagines, Alston, Cumberland. 



Thera simidata, Hb. Juniper is not a common plant in 



