35 



NATURE NOTES FROM ASHFORD. 



Less time than heretofore has been given to the insects of the district dming the past summer. 

 ■While collecting mosses in the early spring, a few almost bUck pupa; "ere found under moss growing 

 on alder trunks by Hothfield Lake. These, as «as susj^cted, produced in due course the May 

 Highflyer." Uypsipele, impluviata. Three of the " Emerald motfca were taken during the summer- 

 P,7udoterpna cytisa^ria and rhorodesma pustulata (for the first time in the immediate neighbourhood), 

 also the commoner Hemithea thymiania. , « i. tw j /i n- -,-*^™-- 



Acronycta leporincL was again met with in the larva state in Penny Pot Wood. Cuculha ajtn-,' 

 occurred freely in the larva state on Golden Rod in September, but only one of its rare congener, 



Gnaphnlii, was found. , , ,, . r i „v,i„ „.«;„ fy^ 



Only one Botys hyalinalis was met with this year, but as this was a female, was able again to 



gratify some of my correspondents with a sight of its interesting eggs 



The larva of Hypermllia christiernetla was found feeding on flowers of Milkwort, and was 



handed on, that others might have the pleasure of se»ing this lovely little moth emerge from its 



anguUr S^^J-^'^^y^J^^^ ^^ experience on the interesting subject of " Progressive Melanism 



in Moths." I regret to say the subject has had but little personal attention. I may mention, how- 

 *ver, that one of the species asked about-PoHa vinnnahs-was reared a few years ago from a ^rva 

 found near here in spring feeding on sallow, which produced a very dark variety of the moth. Dark 

 forms of XylophoiH, polyndon are occasionally met with here, but not, at present, the black ones met 

 with in the northern counties. On the other hand some of the lightest examples I have ever seen of 

 Dianthecia carpophaga have been bred from larva found feeding in capsules of Silene maniima and 

 Nutans growing on Lydd Beach. An extremely light specimen of Abraxas grossularrata was taken 

 some years ago on the wing. This latter insect has been noticed to be more than usnaUy common in 

 the lanes about here this year, but no striking varieties were observed. I may state that twenty- 

 eight years ago last June I found at rest on a tree a fine light specimen of the then rare moth 

 Pachefra hurophcea. Of late years this species has turned up more freely and been rather hunted 

 down. It appears to me to be getting scarce again-one interesting fact noticed about it (bearing 

 upon the above named subject) is the increase of dark specimens, having some resemblance to a dark 

 variety of an abundant moth, Hadma deMina. May it not be a case of protective mimicry helping 

 it to evade the hand of the rapacious dealer, the dark ones thus escaping, as supposed H. dentina (not 

 wanted) to perpetuate a race of darkei moths— thus proving, perhaps, to be advantageous in the 

 struggle for existence. 



WILLIAM E. JEFFREY, 

 Ashford. 



NOTES ON LEPIDOPTERA. 



The season of 1903 had a very bad influence on the numbers of many Lepidoptera in the present 

 year, and it is evident that larvae must have perished wholesale during the wet weather. On the other 

 hand some of the migratory species were tempted over to this country by the heat of 1904. Vanessa 

 atalanta and V. cardui both appeared m the early summer, and their progeny were in some numbers 

 during August, Cohas edusa was also seen in the lucerne fields, and Sphinx convolvuh seems to have 

 occurred very generally throughout the country, a nice specimen being picked up by my son at rest on 

 a breakwater at Heme Bay. Among the commoner species, the numbers of British Piusta gamma, 

 Stenopteryx hyhridalis, and Scapula ferrugalis were evidently augmented by migration from abroad. 



Only a few insects were noted at sallow blossom, and until June had half passed the woods 

 produced very little. Then an improvement took place, Limacodes testudo, Ernstriafuscula, Phorodesma 

 bajularia, Acidalia trigeminata, BupUhecia plumbeolata. Anticlea rubidaU, Cidaria picata, and Pionea 

 stramentaHs being among the best during the season. A single specimen of Myelophila cribrella was 

 taken on the occasion of the Hothfield excursion, the locality being a strange one for this coast- 

 frequenting species. , r i. - 



Evening work at several marshy spots proved very successful, the wet weather of 1903 having 

 induced a strong growth of the foodplante (many of the larva being internal feeders), while the 

 dryness of the present year enabled one to collect on ground otheiwise inaccessible. Among the 

 species taken were Nudario scnei. Letteania straminea, L. phragmitidis, Senta ulvx, Nonagria neurica, 

 and var. dissoluta, N. geminipuncta (very common), N.sparganii, N. typhK, N. lutosa, Noctua umbrosa, 

 Plusia festucm, Acidalia emutaria, and Phibalapteryx lignata, most of these being rare or local species, 

 whilst N. neurica var. dissoluta (a melanic variety) and N. sparganii do not appear to have been 

 recorded in Britain during recent years, and their re-discovery is therefore very interesting. 



A. U. BATTLEY, 



Heme Bay. 



