NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 105 
stridulating at intervals, for the most part in a very low tone, only 
just audible at the distance of a few inches. Every now and then he 
made a single abrupt movement of the thighs, thus causing the 
short, single note which had first attracted my attention ; this sound 
was usually made by only one leg. For some minutes the two 
maintained their relative positions, only altered slightly by small 
movements of the male. Occasionally the latter extended his low 
call into the full normal song. Apparently attracted by the last 
a second male soon came hurrying up, pausing once or twice to call 
by the way. On his approach the first male moved aside somewhat, 
later commencing to feed. Number two settled face to face with the 
female, and uttered the soft call as the other had done. The female 
now began to show symptoms of boredom, and, cutting off a long 
stem of grass with her mandibles, proceeded leisurely to munch it 
up. When finished, she walked slowly off, and was not followed by 
either male, although number two raised his voice to a louder pitch 
as the female increased her distance, as if in the vain hope of arrest- 
ing her attention. A few yards further on the female was accosted 
by a third and more excitable male, and a repetition of the previous 
scene took place. For nearly three-quarters of an hour the male did 
his utmost to please his prospective partner, singing his soft song 
almost incessantly, and frequently swaying his body from side to 
side in a most curious manner. The relative positions of the two 
varied, the male being sometimes face to face with the other, but as 
frequently by her side. He was always cautious not to approach too 
closely, as, when he seemed too pressing in his attentions, the 
female moved abruptly off, although otherwise quiescent. At 
considerable intervals of time the male broke into the loud song, 
always prefixing it by the short single note. The incident was at 
length terminated by the female suddenly leaping off to some 
distance, leaving the disconsolate male alone. Truly courtship in 
G. maculatus requires patience!—S. EH. Brock; Kirkliston, Lin- 
lithgowshire, January, 1914. 
PYRAMEIS ATALANTA IN F'EBRUARY.—When walking along the 
edge of Ironshill enclosure this morning I was rather surprised to 
see a butterfly which, flying past me, settled on the sandy bank of 
the enclosure. A nearer approach proved it to be Pyrameis atalanta. 
I watched the insect for some little time at a distance of a couple of 
yards or so, and left it still basking in the bright sunshine.—G. 
Lyte; Brockenhurst, February 1st, 1914. 
GLOUCESTERSHIRE List or LreripoptErRA.—On looking through 
Hudd’s ‘List of Lepidoptera of the Bristol District,’ I find no 
mention of Hpunda lutulenta in Gloucestershire. I captured three 
at sugar here in Pucklechurch in September, 1908. Ido not know 
if this is a new record, as Hudd’s list is a little out of date.—B. A. 
Coney ; Pucklechurch, Gloucestershire, February 12th, 1914. 
ABRAXAS GROSSULARIATA IN DEcEMBER.—On December 14th, 
1913, I took a freshly emerged Abraxas grossulariata at rest on 
ENTOM.-—MARCH, 1914. I 
