94 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



" Some thirty years ago, when searching in early spring for larva? of 

 Bombyx rubi on our sandhills amongst Rosa spinosissima, I noticed 

 several P. rufana flying about the plants in bright sunshine." 

 Mr. Gardiner adds that neither Myrica gale nor Salix sps. were near, 

 and suggests that the larva? fed upon B. spinosissima. I do not 

 know whether it has ever been found upon this plant, but as so many 

 of the genus are pretty general feeders it would not be surprising. 

 — W. G. Sheldon ; March 1st, 1920. 



The Mullein Shark. — Weismann (' Evolution Theory,' vol. i, 

 p. 124), writing of the mullein, says that owing to the thick hairy 

 felt on its leaves these are "spared by grazing animals, but they have 

 smaller enemies, like the caterpillars of the genus CucuUia, which, 

 however, never completely destroy them, but only eat large holes in 

 their leaves." The statement is evidently not altogether true. 

 During the summer the year before last I kept some fifty of the 

 larvaB of C. verbasci in confinement, and invariably they one and all 

 ate the mullein leaves clean from apex to base and margin to midrib. 

 And that they eat after identically the same fashion in a state of 

 nature the plants on the railway bank, whence I obtained my 

 captures, fully testified : their leaves were just as wholly and cleanly 

 devoured. — J. W. Williams, M.R.C.S., etc.; Bewdley, Worcestershire. 



Pyrameis atalanta in February. — On Sunday last at about 

 mid-day a Pyrameis atalanta was seen by m_e sunning itself in the 

 garden. This is worth recording, as a few years ago a suggestion 

 was raised that it did not hibernate in this country. — (Miss) K. M. 

 Hinchliff; Worlington House, Instow, N. Devon, February 24th, 

 1920. 



Early Appearance of Pheosia (Notodonta) dictj.oides. — 

 I was surprised to find that a specimen of the above had emerged in 

 one of my breeding-cages which had been kept during the winter in 

 my dressing-room, which had no fire, on February 25th. A second 

 specimen emerged on March 5th. — (Rev.) J. E. Tarbat ; Fareham, 

 JBants. 



Abnormal (?) Appearance of Caradrina quadripunctata. — On 

 the evening of February 29th this year a freshly emerged specimen of 

 Caradrina quadripunctata flew into the sitting-room window of my 

 friend, Mr. J. Smith, attracted by the light. South notes the species 

 as occurring sometimes in May, but usually associated with the 

 months of July and August. With the weather so abnormally mild 

 as has been the case this winter, anything, apparently, may happen ! 

 Continuing my previous note on the early spring moths in tliis 

 district, it may be of interest to mention Xylocavipa areola at electric 

 light (Windermere) on February 18th, together with Malenydris 

 multistrujaria and TcBniocamp)a stabilis. On the 22nd two melanic 

 Phigalia pif^daria in a wood quite close to Kendal, the first a good 

 black, the true ab. 7nunacharia, the other of similar pattern, but with 

 the smoky parts and wing-rays brown rather than black. — Frank 

 Littlewood ; 22, Highgate, Kendal. 



Gryllus domesticus, Linn. — Examining recently a box of 

 Orthoptera from the Cambridge University Museum I found iMr. H. 



