116 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



was distinctly audible. The moths were imbricated on the leaves 

 like the slates of a roof. In order to form some estimate of their 

 numbers I captured with a sweep of the net the moths on two large 

 leaves (at the utmost 5x2 in.) and counted 710 specimens. As the 

 leaves on the shrubs were numerous and the shrubs fairly close 

 together, the total number of insects must have been beyond computa- 

 tion." The eucalyptus is probably the food-plant, but these vast 

 numbers cannot possibly have been reared on the particular group of 

 saplings affected. This impulse of congregation recalls in miniature 

 the prodigious flocks of passenger pigeons in North America, I'oosting 

 over square miles of forest in such numbers that large limbs were 

 broken down from the trees, and the birds were piled a yard deep 

 on the branches ; all this overflowing exuberance of life was reduced 

 in forty years to a single bird in the Zoological Gardens at New 

 York, probably now dead. — B. Meyrick ; Thornhanger, Marlborough, 

 April 4th, 1920. 



Zyg.ena trifolii ab. — On the Downs near Wye last season I 

 took a specimen of Z. trifolii, with all the wings entirely black with 

 the exception of a pale whitish streak in each fore wing. — F. A. 

 Small ; 6, Westgate Grove, Canterbury. 



Early Appearance of Euchloi^ cardamines. — On February 15th 

 I saw and caught a freshly emerged male of this species. Surely this 

 is very early ? The day was warm and spring-like, and had been 

 preceded by a spell of remarkably warm, bright weather. We did 

 not see the species again until March 17th, after which date males 

 were quite common. Pieris nai)i appeared at the same time, also 

 Celastnna argiolus. All the hibernating butterflies have shown up 

 in good numbers, notably Eugouia ■polychloros.—G. G. B. Meade- 

 Waldo ; Hever, Kent. 



Irregular Emergence op Drepana cultraria. — A small batch 

 of ova of this species hatched on May 23rd, 1919, and fed up rapidly, 

 pupation taking place in July. Either because of the abnormally 

 cold summer, or because they were reared many miles north of their 

 native place, no moths emerged in 1919. Two insects have emerged 

 so far this year — on March 5th and March 20th. The larvae were 

 sleeved out and the pupae kept in an outdoor cage. — H. Douglas 

 Smart ; Shelley, Huddersfield. 



Early Spring Butterflies. — Euchloc cardamines : Male taken 

 at Muddles wood, Sussex, on March 28th. Celastrina argiolus : Two 

 males seen flying in the Brighton streets on March 30th. Pieris 

 rapcB : Several males flying at Brighton on March 30th. — F. G. S. 

 Bramwell ; 1, Dyke Eoad Drive, Brighton. 



Pieris rap^ in March. — On March 22nd I saw a specimen of 

 Pieris rapce flying in my garden. In 1918 I noted a specimen on 

 March 24th. — W. M. Christy; Watergate, Emsworth, Hants. 



Phlogophoka meticulosa in March. — I have collected Lepi- 

 doptera for many years, and I think the following record is worthy 

 of notice. On March 28th I found a freshly emerged female of 

 Phlogophora meticulosa ; the wings are perfect and fringes intact, so 



