NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 43 



through its life-history. The best plan to ensure imagines is to 

 let the larvae form their cocoons in a common flower-pot, and, as 

 soon as they have all gone down, bury the pot up to the rim in 

 the earth, taking care to keep away mice, &c, by covering a piece 

 of wire-gauze over the top. In this manner sufficient moisture 

 will be obtained to prevent the larvae drying up in their cocoons, 

 which otherwise they will often do. — Alfred Sich ; 25, Branstone 

 Road, Burton-on-Trent, December 20, 1883. 



Epunda nigra at Bournemouth. — E. nigra, being reckoned 

 one of the "good things" of this neighbourhood, the local 

 collectors look out for it every autumn at sugar ; but, like many 

 other " good things," it does not put in an appearance by any 

 means with regularhy. Since 1879 (when I took some four 

 or five dozen) I have not seen a single specimen until this year, 

 when, on the evening of the 2nd October last, I took a fine 

 female off a gas-lamp, which within a week laid a large batch of 

 eggs, from which, on the 13th of this month (November), the young 

 larvae emerged. I was utterly unprepared to receive them, and, 

 like other " unexpected arrivals," they had to take pot-luck, which 

 I am sorry to say they took with a very bad grace, for all of 

 them died rather than eat anything I could procure for them at 

 this season of the year. Newman gives Galium mollugo as the 

 food-plant, but omits to mention where this can be obtained in 

 the middle of November. Perhaps some entomologist will kindly 

 say what I ought to have done under the circumstances, so that 

 I may be prepared in case of any similar emergency in the 

 future. — W. McRae ; Bournemouth, November 18, 1883. 



Rearing Larvae of T^eniocampa opima. — Last season I 

 received a fine batch of eggs of T. opima from Liverpool, from 

 which I obtained a good supply of larvae, which appeared healthy 

 and did well until about a quarter fed; after which they began to 

 sicken, and each day told of considerable loss, until all were 

 gone, not one having reached the pupal state. They were fed on 

 sallow (Salix caprea), which was supplied them every other day. 

 It is my intention to make another attempt in the coming 

 season, and I shall be glad of any information as to the best 

 method of constructing an appropriate breeding-cage, and of the 

 treatment of the larvae. During the past season insects have 

 been exceedingly scarce in this locality, even more so than in 



