138 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



emerging I was very badly punished several times, my eyes and neck 

 suffering most ; in fact, I got so annoyed that I turned the lot out 

 into the garden, opened the cage-door, and let them all go. It was 

 my first, and I think it will be my last, attempt at rearing that 

 species. — W. E. Butler ; Hayliug House, Oxford Road, Reading, 

 March 15th, 1903. 



Eeastria fuscula. — The food-plant of the larvae of Erastria fiiscula 

 is without the slightest doubt Molinia ccerulea in Devonshire. I first 

 became acquainted with the fact in September, 1873, and my note on 

 the subject will be found in the ' Entomologist,' vol. vii. p. 185 

 (August, 1874). In that note it will be seen that I searched the 

 bramble, afterwards ferns and heath, and not finding it, turned my 

 attention to sweeping the undergrowtii, and in the first hour obtained 

 about a dozen. The question then became, what was the food-plant? 

 and on careful search over the herbage swept, found it on a coarse 

 grass, which proved to be Molinia ccp.riUea. After that I collected them 

 without any trouble feeding about halfway up the blade of grass, 

 taking them in September several years following. — G. C. Bignell, 

 F.E.S. ; Saltash, Cornwall, April 4th, 1903. 



CAPTURES AND FIELD REPORTS. 



Abnormal Appearance of Noctu^. — Whilst sugaring at Boscombe 

 with Major Robertson on March 21st, we took a fine specimen of 

 Hadena chenopodii, evidently freshly emerged. The next night, 

 March 22nd, Major Robertson's son took Agrotis segetum, at sugar in 

 good condition, apparently not hybernated. Phlogophora meticulosa 

 was also common at sugar, and that they are this year's emergences 

 is confirmed by Prof. Meldola taking a specimen drying its wings on 

 March 26th.— J. A. Finzi ; 53, Hamilton Terrace, N.W. 



Note on Pup^ of Nonagria typh^. — When hunting for pupje of 

 this species, I find the old previous year's dead stems by far the best 

 place for them, and have taken as many as seven or eight pupae from 

 one stem. — Gervase F. Mathew; Dovercourt, Essex, April 16th, 1903. 



Spring Lepidoptera at Wallington. — In our neighbourhood here 

 the season has started very well, insects being both plentiful and 

 varied. Of course the sallows have been the most productive, and all 

 those within easy distance were visited, the following being the insects 

 obtained : — Panolis jiiniperda, Pachnobia riibricosa, I'miiocampa gothica, 

 T. incerta, T, )nunda, T. gracilis, T. pulverulenta, T. stabilis, Orrhodia 

 vaccina, Scopelosoma satelUtia, Hoporina croceayo, Seleida hilunaria, and 

 Larentia viidtisLrigana. The gas-lamps have proved very attractive, 

 and yielded Tceniocampa incerta, T. gothica, Xylocampa lithorhiza, 

 Selenia lunaria, S. bilunaria, Phigalia pedaria, B iston strataria, Hybernia 

 viarginaria, H. leucophaaria, and Anisopteryx eescularia. Among larvae, 

 TnphoRiia ianthina has been swarming everywhere, and a good many 

 Apamea ophiogramma have been taken from the ribbon-grass. Many 

 others of all sorts have been captured, but I have not had time to get 



