190 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Eavages of ToRTRix viRiDANA IN MIDDLESEX. — Never in my 

 recollection have the Middlesex oaks been so cruelly tormented by 

 this pest. An avenue, 300 yards long perhaps, in Oxhey Lane was 

 left practically leafless the first week in June, and the same deplorable 

 nakedness was visible wherever I walked in the neighbourhood. It 

 was curious to note, however, that here and there among the affected 

 there would be one immune. Last year the ravages were not abnormal, 

 and in view of previous observations it would appear as though an 

 open winter is particularly favourable to the development of Tortrix 

 viridana. — H. Kowland-Brown ; Harrow Weald, June 19th, 1920. 



GoNEPTERYX RHAMNi IN WESTMORLAND. — For a few yoars prior 

 to 1914 G. rhamni was something of a rarity with us in Westmorland, 

 but since then its numbers have steadily increased, until now (May, 

 1920) it has become once more a fairly common butterfly. On any 

 favourable day in spring hibernated examples can be met with 

 abundantly — particularly in Arnside or Witherslack — either feeding 

 upon the wild hyacinth, or the males may be seen flying low over 

 the open stony places in search of the females, which love to sun 

 themselves in such situations. Copulation takes place in the spring. 

 — James Smith ; 67, Captain French Lane, Kendal, Westmorland. 



Deilephila livornica, ETC., IN DEVONSHIRE. — I had the pleasure 

 of netting a fine specimen of D. livornica in my garden on May 22nd 

 this year ; there was also another at the same patch of sweet rocket 

 which I failed to net. ' This and S. sacraria, which I took at Tor 

 Cross (September 14th, 1911), are the best two insects I have had 

 the luck to capture since I came into Devon ten years ago. — R. H. 

 MoOEE ; Heathfield, Plymstock. 



Deilephila livornica in Kent.— It may be interesting to report 

 that I was lucky enough to catch a good specimen of D. livornica on 

 May 23rd.— R. M. A. Sutton ; Clare House, Sidcup. 



Deilephila livornica reared from Ova. — On May 14th Mr. 

 Alfred Hedges, F.E.S., of Sandbanks, Dorset, took a female of this 

 species at rhododendron blossom at Canford Cliffs, and wired me re 

 obtaining ova. I replied, and he was successful in obtaining a good 

 batch. He entrusted most of these to me to try and rear, and I am 

 pleased to report that I have succeeded in obtaining some pupte which 

 I hope in due course will produce imagines. I give a few particulars 

 that may be of interest. The ova were laid from JNIay 17th to 22nd, 

 the first larva hatched on May 31st, and last on June 5th. Food- 

 plants tried were vine, fuchsia, bedstraw, knotgrass and dock. My 

 larvye, when young, utterly refused the first two named plants, but 

 took readily to Galium verum, on whicii they were reared till the last 

 skin, when my supply of the growing plants of this species failed. I 

 then fed them on Galium mollugo and I noticed that the flowers only 

 were eaten of both species of galium. When all the flowers were 

 eaten larvae became very restless. The larvee repose in the daytime 

 right up on top of the partly eaten stalks in the full glare of the sun, 

 if touched they " spit " and emit a dark, almost black fluid, which 

 stains the hand and is very hard to remove. Mr. Hedges tried dock 



