DAPHNIS NEEII AND OTHER SPHINGID.E. 13 



at the top of Grayvel, and on the 9th Sesia scoliifonnis (^ was 

 found at Camghouran ; on the 24th LithofimpJiia clnerana 

 emerged and was found sparingly on the few aspens growing 

 near the Camghouran burn ; a week later this species was 

 abundant on the aspens near the Carie burn ; on the 25th a 

 larva of Calocampa retiista was found in a bog ; Steganoptiicha 

 augustana was flying among the small sallows at Camghouran ; 

 Bomhycia viminaUs emerged on the 29th. Peronea maccana com- 

 menced to emerge August 18th, and occurred more or less freely 

 in the Black Wood up to the middle of September. I tried 

 various ways of working for this insect until, favoured by an 

 accident, I got it in plenty. Brushing the Vaccinium vitis-idaa 

 with a net and the use of a switch seemed to-be of little use, but 

 a visit to some rising ground carpeted with Vaccinium and having 

 a very limited growth of bracken — at a spot where the pines 

 were not too many to obstruct light and air — jDroduced the insect 

 in plenty. September 17th was dull, particularly in the after- 

 noon. I did not consider it favourable for Maccana, but resting, 

 fully exposed, on my few square yards of bracken, I had no 

 difficulty in securing thirty- two specimens, a good proportion of 

 them being of the fine ashy-grey and silvery-grey forms. Other 

 spots in and near the Black Wood which appeared to be almost 

 as favourable failed to appeal to Maccana as did this one particular 

 spot. Depressaria ciliella came to sugar September 11th ; Peronea 

 rufana emerged as late as November 2nd. 



7, Marine Avenue, 



kiouthend-on-Sea. 



DAPHNIS XERII AND OTHER SPHINGID.E IN THE 

 ALPES-MAKITIMES, 1919. 



By Charles E. Morris. 



I WAS not surprised to read in the ' Entomologist ' for October 

 (vol. lii, p. 237) of the capture of DapJinis ncrii in the south of 

 England, for there has been the most extraordinary visitation of 

 this magnificent Sphingid here this summer. We got back from 

 St. Etienne-de-Tinne to Le Cannet about September 10th. As 

 soon as we entered our garden we noticed frass from the " laurier- 

 rose " feeders on the ground, but could not see any larvfe just 

 then. After lunch my friend, Mr. Tucker, went over to the 

 Public Square Garden in front of our villa, and almost imme- 

 diately came back witii- a fine full-fed larva. Then we began to 

 hunt diligently in our garden and three were found. Next day 

 in the Square and other gardens, seven, and so on until we had 

 obtained thirty-three. Eggs also were discovered, and one of 

 these I brought right through, although I consider it a delicate 

 larva — very in the young state. But what is more remarkable 

 and more satisfactory, when I got downstairs after an indis- 



