CAPTURES AND FIELD REPORTS. 133 



I believe is to be referred to this species. Unfortunately, the specimen is 

 rather worn, but seems to agree with the continental examples of ocellaris at 

 the Natural History Museum. I do not think ihsLt [/ilvar/o — the species 

 from which ocellaris seems to be separated only with difficulty — occurs 

 here ; but perhaps some reader of the ' Entomologist ' can supply informa- 

 tion on this point. — T. B. Fletcher; 78, Thornlaw Road, West Norwood, 

 S.E., Feb. 3rd, 1895. 



[Three specimens of Xanthia ocellaris were recorded as taken in Britain 

 in 1893 — one by Mr. Taylor at sugar on Wimbledon Common, September 

 27th; and one each by Prof. Meldola and Mr. Boscher, in the autumn, 

 also at sugar, in the garden of Belle Vue House, Twickenham. All these 

 specimens were of the form known as var. lineago [vide E. M. M.xxx. IGl). 

 X. rjilvago ranges in colour from deep orange, with well-defined dark 

 markings (sometimes suffused with dark greyish), to pale yellow with faint 

 markings ; and examples of the latter form are sometimes mistaken for 

 -X". ocellaris, but this last species is distinguished by its more pointed fore 

 wings and a white dot below the reuiform stigma. — Ed.] 



Char;eas graminis in Staffordshire. — My experience of C. graminis 

 differs in some respects from that of Major Still [ante, p. 11). 1 used to 

 take the insect frequently on Cannock Chase, when living at Burton-on- 

 Trent. I found them at all hours of the day, but particularly during the 

 afternoon, sitting on the flowers of the ragwort, from which I was able to 

 box them without using the net. But these were almost invariably males, 

 and were taken about a fortnight earlier than the date Major Still mentions, 

 t>t>., about the beginning of August, or even late in July. I never saw 

 anything like the abundance described by Newman, or by your corre- 

 spondent. The males have been taken freely at light by my friend Mr. H. 

 ireer, of Eugeley, in the porch of his house, which is about a mile and a 

 half distant from the nearest part of the Chase. — (Rev.) Chas. F. 

 Thornewill ; Calverhall Vicarage, Whitchurch, Salop, January, 1895. 



Notes from Paignton, S. Devon. — I recorded [ante, p. 59) the capture 

 of several Heliophobus hispida. This should have been H. [Neurunia) 

 popidaris in all cases. — C. M. Mayor; Jan. 30th, 1895. 



The Illuminated Moth-trap. — A year having elapsed since I sent 

 you an account of the working of my moth-trap (Entom. xxvii, 55), I 

 send you a list of species captured during 1894, which had not previously 

 been taken; and also of a few additional specimens of species which are 

 rare, or of which I had only been able to chronicle the capture of one or 

 two examples. Most of the species previously mentioned occurred again, 

 but it is curious to note how certain species, which seem to occur more or 

 less plentifully one year, are entirely absent, or comparatively scarce, 

 another, and vice versa; for instance, during 1894 the following, which 

 occurred in 1893, were entirely absent, viz. : — Notodonta trepida, Demas 

 coryli, Ajrotis segetum, A. corticea, A. tritici, Noclua plecta, N. umbrosa, 

 Xanthia aurago, Aplecta nebulosa, Epione apiciaria, Cleora glabraria, 

 Cidaria miata, 0. fulvata, Botgs asinulis, Leptogramma literana, Retinia 

 pinicolana, Xanthosetia hamana, Epigraphia steinkellneriana. With the 

 exception of Agrotis segetum, Xanthosetia hamana (which I took in plenty 

 on Kiddlesdown near Purley), and Cleora glabraria (of which I took a lemale 

 in the New Forest), I did not see any of the above at all during 1894. To 

 set against this 1 took the following species new to my list : — Vanessa 



