NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 55 



legists have noticed in frequent specimens the figure 3 near the apex 

 of the left wing ! On the right wing it becomes a capital E. My 

 experience may be of use in accounting for scarcity of Vanessids last 

 autumn in this and other districts. Individuals fortunate enough to 

 leave the chrysalis would probably seek hybernating quarters at once 

 if they could. It will be interesting to observe their progeny next 

 season from a numerical point of view. In spite of their protection in 

 the larva and pupa state, many of the V. atalanta were ichneumoned. 

 The first species of ichneumon, because most abundant, was a midge- 

 like parasite ; the second, of which I only discovered one specimen, 

 was a veritable sawfly, the size of a wasp and black, legs black and 

 russet, and with a long lance at the extremity protected by the usual 

 V-shaped sheath. — J. Akkle ; Chester. 



Chrosis bifasciana = AUDouiNANA. — Tliis pretty species seems to be 

 of rare occurrence of late years, at any rate I could only muster three 

 specimens in thirty years, until Burney's sale in January last, when I 

 purchased about thirty-eight specimens, part in the collection and 

 others in duplicate boxes. All of them had evidently been taken at 

 the beginning of the " gilt pin " era, some thirty years ago ; the pins 

 were tarnished, and most of the specimens were a little greasy and 

 " verdigrised " about the head and body. Does anyone know what 

 the larva feeds on? Stainton says, "amongst oaks." — J.B.Hodgkinson; 

 Ashton-on-Eibble, December, 1894. [This species is said to be not 

 uncommon at Chattenden in Kent. — Ed.] 



CiDARiA RETICULATA. — This pretty and very local species, which 

 only occurs in the Lake District near Windermere, seems, as far as we 

 can judge, to be on the quick road to extermination. The larva feeds 

 on the seed-pods of the wild balsam {Impatiens noli-me-tmuiere). The 

 little Tortrix larva, Penthina postremana, also depends for its existence 

 on the stems of this plant. The balsam grows in abundance, but the 

 first-named insect seems to be exceedingly local. I have only known 

 of three places where I could find any larvae, and two of them have 

 some time since been destroyed. The third and last place, where the 

 plant was in luxuriant abandance last year, is now practically a barren 

 wilderness. My wife and I paid a visit to the spot on Oct. 1st, but 

 we found to our disappointment nearly all the plants swept away. In 

 order to make clear what seems to me the probable solution of this 

 state of things I must narrate a fact. A certain insect-himter in the 

 north of England told some collectors that, before any of them should 

 go and look for reticulata, he would pull tap every plant. He seems 

 indeed to have fulfilled his wanton threat, for my informant, after 

 spending three days in careful search, found only two larvae on a small 

 plant which had escaped the hand of the destroyer. I wrote to Mr. 

 Moss, of Windermere, who discovered the species independently two 

 years ago. He tells me that he was unable to visit the place this year 

 during the reticulata season, as he was staying away in the north of 

 Scotland, and that he is quite at a loss to account for this sad destruc- 

 tion by any natural means. He writes thus : — " It is indeed lamentable 

 if this beautiful moth is to become extinct, and every possible effort 

 ought to be made to obviate such a catastrophe. Not much seems 



