NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 21 1 



and Cidarias prunata, C. picata, and C. immanata were also 

 taken ; besides one or two of the variety conversaria, Boarmia 

 repandata, and other common species. It was among the smaller 

 species of Lepidoptera that I had hoped to be successful. 

 Ephippiphora signatana occurred pretty freely among blackthorn, 

 but was difficult to get quite perfect ; by dint of careful working 

 I managed to get a nice series. The larvse of Eupoecilia atrica- 

 pitana were feeding in the terminal shoots of a species of rag- 

 wort, which I have not yet identified ; and from these I bred 

 some very richly coloured specimens, having the ground colour 

 of the fore wings deep peach-colour. E. hybridellana was common. 

 Other species of Tortrices which occurred were Ditula semi- 

 fasciana, Penthina gentiana, P. marginana, Euchromia purpurana, 

 Sciaphila perterana, Olindia ulmana, Semasia rufilana, Catoptria 

 ccecimaculana, Trycheris mediana, Argyrolepia zephyrana, Con- 

 chylis inopiana, &c. Among the Tineas I took Psychoides 

 verhuella, Gelechia inopella, (Ecophora flavifrontella, Acrolepia 

 granitella, Gracilaria stigmatella, Coleoplwrafabriciella, C. alcyoni- 

 pennella, C. lixella, C. discordella, C. therinella, C. troglodytella, 

 C. hemerobiella, and C.frischella. This last was fairly common 

 on a large bed of Melilotis officinalis, but I quite failed to find 

 cases. Doubless the larvse leave the food-plant when about to 

 pupate. Altogether I noted some 119 species of Macro-lepi- 

 doptera, and 1 13 species of the Micros. I did not sugar, so the 

 number of Noctuae was small. Tapinostola bondii occurred, but 

 not in quantity. I boxed, yet lost, a perfect variety of C. inopiana. 

 It was an entirely black female. She appeared sluggish in the 

 extreme ; permitted me to thoroughly inspect her at my leisure, 

 as she sat on a grass stem, and to box her. In this latter 

 operation I unfortunately included a piece of the grass. Upon 

 opening the box, the veriest trifle to remove this, heigh, presto ! 

 out went the black inopiana. A friend who was with me made a 

 futile effort to net it, but we both marked it down in some long 

 grass within a yard of us. I searched, I smoked into the grass till 

 I emulated the moth as regards the colour of my face, I tried 

 various other expedients, but I never again saw the melanic 

 beauty. My friend was visibly affected, and I returned a sadder 

 man. This would have made the fourth decent variety I have 

 taken this season. In my garden I took the darkest Melanippa 

 fluctuata I have seen ; and near home a pretty variety of Antithesia 



