: 
; 

21 
NOTES BY DR. HERBERT DOBIE. 

INTERESTING MoTHS TAKEN BY DR. HERBERT DOBIE AT THE ELECTRIC 
LIGHTS OF CHESTER, DURING THE LATTER HALF OF THE YEAR 
1898 :-— 
(1) New records for the District — 
Sphinx ligustri—At Boughton, on July 1 5th. 
Platypteryx hamula—On August rgth, at the Watergate. 
Tethea retusa 
Pyralis glaucinalis Both taken in August. 
(2) Moths formerly considered scarce in the District, but which have been 
common at the lamps— 
Letocampa dictea—17 or 18 specimens were taken. 
Calamia lutosa—Several specimens. 
Mamestra persicarie—Sparingly. 
Agrotis nigricans—Common. 
5,  porphyrea—Many. 
Triphana fimbria—Three, 
Noctua C—nigrum—Common. 
Cucullia umbratica—Was exceedingly common. 
Ennomos fuscantaria—Hardly recorded previously ; was taken in 
such abundance in September that its capture was dis- 
continued. 
Geometra papilionarta—F airly common. 
(3) Rare Moths of which one or two specimens were taken— 
Cherocampa elpenor. 
Cerura furcula. 
Leiocampa dictezoides. 
Notodonta camelina. 
Diloba ceruleocephaila. 
Petusa cassinea. 
Bombyx neustria. 
Drepana falctaria. 
Luperina cespitts. 
Cirredia xerampelina. 
Plusia festuceés 
Ennomos erosaria, 
Himera pennaria. 
Chesias spartiata, 
(4) Other species of interest— 
Amphidasis betularia—Only the black variety was taken last 
year; but this year, up to the time of writing, I have taken 
several types and intermediate forms.of this Moth, of which 
a separate account will appear in the next Proceedings. 
Fidonia piniaria—Tolerably common amongst the Pines in Dela- 
mere Forest, was taken at the lamps. 
I have to acknowledge the assistance given to me by my brothers 
Messrs. Douglas and E. Cyril Dobie, and also by Mr. R, W. Shand and 
Mr, W. J Anderson, to whom I am indebted for a number of the specimens 
recorded above.—H. D. 
