CAPTURES AND FIELD REPORTS. 25 



perla, Pltisia pulchrina, P. iota, P. chrysitis, and H. triplasia. A fine 

 Acherontin ntropos was taken from a lamp, October 24th. 



Abnormal appearances were represented by a fresh Xylophasia 

 monoijliipha [pohjodon), taken at an electric lamp, September 24;th. 

 A specimen of Carndrina quad ri punctata [cubicularis) was bred on 

 November 10th. 



Among insects reared from the chrysalis, the following, with dates, 

 may be of interest : — Eupithecia centaureata (eggs from a female taken 

 September 4th, 1892, at an electric lamp), May 18th, May 24th, and 

 May 31st ; Macaria liturata, aW va,v. ntffrnfulvata (Collins), May 24th 

 to May 30th ; these were from Delamere Forest larvae, and I netted 

 a worn example of the variety in the Forest, June 27th ; Cerura furcula 

 emerged June 10th to June 25th, the larvse were collected in the 

 district. Ova obtained from these moths were all infertile. Notodonta 

 dictmi appeared June 24th ; Noctua hrumiea (from Delamere larvae), 

 June 27th and June 28th ; Aplecta nehulosa (Delamere larvffi), with the 

 almost black form robsoni (Collins), June 8th to June 29th ; Ayrotis 

 aahivorthii, July 1st to July 6th ; Gonoptera libatrix (pup^e spun up in 

 the tops of low sallows in August), September 4th ; Cheimatobia boreata 

 and C. brumata (Delamere larvfe), November 9th to end of the month. 

 A few eggs of Epione apiciaria, from a female taken at an electric lamp, 

 August 28th, 1902, hatched June 11th to June 21st. I could only 

 count seven larvae ; but they all turned up as perfect insects between 

 August 10th and August 16th. 



What prompted Mr. J. Thompson and myself to join our forces of 

 Smerinthus ocellatus and S. popuH with the view of obtaining a cross, it 

 is, after this lapse of time, difficult to say. It was certainly no desire 

 to assist Nature in the evolution of species, so it had best be put down 

 to a morbid interest or idle curiosity. Anyhow, we brought about, in 

 captivity, four pairings, with eight moths, of the two species ; and the 

 resultant eggs were all infertile, although the weather conditions were 

 most favourable. A fifth pairing between a male ocellatus and a female 

 populi (fresh moths, of course) resulted in fifty more infertile eggs ; 

 but a second pairiny of tJiese two moths hronyht twenty-seven fertile eyys. 

 These began to hatch, July 8th. My share was thirteen eggs, Mr. 

 Thompson's, fourteen ; and mine were the last laid — in fact, they were 

 +.aken in a cluster from off the outside of the terminal segment. Ail 

 Mr. Thompson's larvae died in the course of the various stages ; but 

 luck favoured me, and I have now eight pup^e. The larvae partook of 

 the characters of both species. I did, relatively, better than with 

 ninety-six eggs of S. tilut I had sent mc. The larvae from the latter 

 died off' fast in their early stages, and I have only fifteen pupae. These 

 pupje, I believe, I owe to removing the remaining larve to a warm 

 kitchen-shelf. 



Out in the open country, larvae seemed to be, comparatively, scarce 

 throughout the season, and I frequently came upon dead caterpillars, 

 jn Delamere Forest, also, dead larvae were sometimes met with, but, 

 .;0 those wlio know the runs, even good things were to be had in that 

 heltered locality in satisfactory numbers. The rich, coffee-coloured 

 caterpillar of H. defoliaria, with its interrupted side stripe of yellow 

 hashes, was well in evidence, July 28th, and before that date. So were 



BNTOM. — JANUARY, 1904. D 



