216 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



cocoons were to be found in every direction spun up under the 

 shelter of the leaves, sometimes with a solitary pupa, but more 

 often in a cluster of many together. The moths could be seen from 

 a considerable distance shining white in the sun, the females, when 

 examined, busily engaged laying their batches of ova and covering 

 them with the hair from their tails. As far as I could make out 

 the females have the power of pushing out this hair as required, 

 commencing with an end from the inside of tlieir tails, just as one 

 might d)'aw tlie end from the inside of a ball of string, except, as 

 I have said, it is propelled and not drawn. When a female has 

 finished laying there is little left of the " mop " of hair at the end 

 of her tail with which she emerged — in fact except for her antennae 

 she has much the appearance of the male. Very few moths were 

 to be found anywhere except on the clumps of buckthorn, and then 

 it was only a solitary one clinging to a blade of grass, and none of 

 these were more than 200 yards from the buckthorn. What really 

 interested me most was the migration of the larvae from the 

 devastated clump to the others ; it originated probably in the desire 

 of the larva; to obtain shelter for their cocoons, although there was 

 more in it than this, because the journey was made in one direction 

 only and other shelters were refused on the passage. The effect 

 of this migration, however, was to give the devastated clump a 

 rest and chance of recovery, and further, to provide the females 

 immediately on emergence with suitable positions for commencing 

 their productive activities, whilst the young larvae would have 

 abundance of vigorous leaves for their support. If this alternate 

 cropping really takes place it accounts for this comparatively small 

 extent of buckthorn being able to maintain such a horde of ravenous 

 insects, as I imagine no plant could stand such attacks as that 

 made on the devastated clump year after year. — Frederick Gillett 

 (Major) ; Cheriton House, Sevenoaks, August 12th, 1919. 



EuGONiA POLYCHLOROS IN Devon. — As I See from the reference- 

 books that this butterfly is regarded as uncommon in the county, it 

 may interest your readers to learn that a specimen (male) was 

 captured in the drawing-room of this house by my little daughter, 

 aged three, yesterday afternoon. It was in fairly good condition, but 

 from its listless attitude I should say that it had probably entered 

 the house to hiljernate. — E. Whitley ; Park Field, Paignton, S. 

 Devon, August 11th, 1919. 



LYCiENA ARiON IN NoRTH CORNWALL. — While staying near Bos- 

 castle, on August 11th, I took a fine specimen of L. arion on the 

 heather on the top of the cliffs ; a friend also took three specimens a 

 few days previously.— Anthony W. M. Disney; 8, West Hill Eoad, 

 London, S.W. 18. 



DiAPHORA MENDICA IN NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE. As this SpCCieS 



appears to be very rare in North Staffordshire it may be of interest 

 to say that I took two females on the moors near Oakamoor at 

 the end of May, 1919. They were both freshly emerged and at rest 

 on bilberry. — Thomas Smith ; Whiston Eaves, Froghall, Stafford- 

 shire. 



