EAELY MOTH. 6D 



Umber' were sticking iii the grease-bands on the ApjAe trees, where 

 this species seemed most prevalent. We found one hedgerow swarming 



Hybeknia kupicapraeia. 



with males of H. rupicajyraria, which we all at first sight took for 

 hrumata; but I secured a few in the cyanide-bottle, and, on making an 

 examination of them with a better light than the lantern gave, I find 

 they are the former species." — (T. D.). 



An examination of the figures of the two species of moths given 

 above will show the great similarity of appearance on general in- 

 spection. They are much about the same size, and the females 

 in either case have abortive wings, which, though useless for flying, 

 are still large enough to be clearly noticeable. The male rupicapraria, 

 or " Early Moth," is distinguishable, in a general way, by the fore 

 wings being darker, and the hind wings lighter, than those of hrumata, 

 or Winter Moth. 



A little later — on February 20th — Mr. J. Wright (of the ' Journal of 

 Horticulture') wrote me regarding no«-effect of the long-continued frost 

 on vitality of the eggs experimented on : — " We have recently passed 

 through the longest frost that has been experienced in the South of 

 England for more than 100 years ; yet trees with eggs on them placed 

 in heat at Glewstone Court a week or two ago speedily produced a full 

 crop of young caterpillars." — (J. W.). 



One of the first notes of appearance of the caterpillar-pests was 

 sent me, on March 26th, by Mr. C. Lee Campbell, of Glewstone Court, 

 Boss, Herefordshire : — " Just a line to say that I commenced my Paris- 

 green spraying yesterday. To-day my gardener reports that he has 

 found three caterpillars at work ; so it is time to sound an alarm." 



On April 16th, Mr. Hiam, writing from Astwood Bank, near 

 Redditch, noted that "the eggs of the Winter Moth [Cheimatohia) are 

 also just coming to hatch on a few small trees which I did not grease- 

 band. Trees properly banded I cannot find an egg on." And on the 

 25th of the same month, Mr. Henry Martin, Fruit-grower, Bredon, 

 Tewkesbury, wrote me, " We have the Winter Moth hatching out in 



