INSECTS 



Forester, Inn statices, occurs at Gibside ; near Darlington ; and at other places away from the sea. 

 /. gtryon is abundant on the sea banks from Black Halls, northward, but not inland. Zygeena 

 lonictrte at Shull and other places well in the centre of the county. Z. filipendul<e appears to 

 be common everywhere. The Lithosidte are very sparingly represented, most of the specimens 

 captured being but single stray specimens. Nudaria mundana is the only common member of 

 the family. It does not occur on nor even very near the coast, but is very abundant west- 

 ward. The late John Sang took Litboiia hetueola once at lamps at Darlington. L. complana 

 was taken by the late William Backhouse, both at Darlington and Seaton Carew, over fifty 

 years ago, but it has not been recorded again. L. complanula was taken at Hartlepool in 1873. 

 I took it again in 1876, and one or two more were taken by others at the same time. 

 Common as it is generally, I have seen no later record. (Enistis quadra occurred oddly, in 

 different parts of the county, from 1872 to 1875, in which year I took six. It has not been 

 seen since. 



EucheKa jacobeea, the Cinnabar, occurs all along the coast, but is not nearly so common as 

 it was fifty years ago. It has not been recorded inland. Euthemonia russula, the Clouded Buff, 

 is found on the moors in the extreme west of the county. It has been recorded for Shull and 

 for Wolsingham, and occurs elsewhere. Nemeophila p/antaginis, the Wood Tiger, occurs on 

 the coast and on the moors. It is especially abundant on the railway banks near Hartlepool, 

 but is being gradually driven away by the growth of the town. The Common Tiger, Arctia 

 caja, abounds everywhere in the larval state. Specimens with dark and yellow hind wings 

 have been reared. An example, entirely black, was reared from a Hartlepool larvae. The 

 Ruby Tiger, Phragmatobia foliginosa, occurs all over the county, generally in some numbers. 

 The Muslin (Spilosoma mena'ica) occurs all over the county, extending quite to Upper Teesdale. 

 The Buff and White Ermines (S. lubrlcepeda and menthrastri) are generally common. I have 

 taken the dark form of menthastri near Throston. The Brown Tail (Liparis chrysorrhtea) is 

 but a casual visitor. It was taken at Darlington quite fifty years ago by the late William Back- 

 house. In 1875 several were taken, two at South Shields and I got about a dozen at Hartlepool. 

 It has not been seen since. The Gold Tail (. auriflua} was taken in 1875 at South Shields 

 and recorded as new by Mr. Eales in error. It is common about Hartlepool and Greatham and 

 westward to Bishop Auckland and Upper Teesdale. The Satin Moth (L. sa/icis) occurred in 

 1875 both at South Shields and Hartlepool, but it has not been recorded since. The Dark 

 Tussock (Orygia fasce/ina) is found in the west of the county, about Shull, Wolsingham, etc. 

 A solitary larva was found on the Sea Banks near Hesleden Dene mouth in 1859. The 

 Vapourer (O. antiqua) is common in all the county, the larva feeding on hawthorn generally, 

 and on Rosa spinosissima on the sand banks. The Pale Oak Eggar (Trichiura crattegi) is given 

 in Stainton's Manual as occurring at Darlington, and it is in the list in Ornsby's Durham, but 

 I have no other knowledge of its appearance in the county. The December Moth (Pcecilo- 

 campa popult) is well distributed over the county, but it is in the perfect state at a time when 

 collectors are not much on the look out, and most of our specimens are bred. The Small 

 Eggar (Erlogaster lanestris) is common, but, emerging in February, it is seldom seen on the 

 wing, and, like the last, most of our specimens are reared. The Lackey (Bombyx neustria) has 

 only twice been taken at South Shields. The Oak Eggar (B. quercus] is tolerably common. 

 It generally passes one winter as a larva and the next as pupa. The Fox Moth (B. rubii) is 

 common on the sandhills and on all moors and heaths, sometimes very abundant. I bred some 

 very curious varieties a few years ago. The Drinker (Odonestis potataria) is common generally, 

 out does not occur in the Auckland district. A specimen of the Small Lappet (Gastropacha 

 iiicifo/ia) was sold in 1895 in Dr. Wheeler's collection, labelled ' Castle Eden, J. Sang.' I 

 have grave doubts, not that the specimen was British, but as to the place where it is said to 

 have occurred, and of its reputed captor. It was much more likely to have been taken in 

 Upper Teesdale, but it certainly was not a species that Mr. Sang ever had in duplicate or ever 

 took. The Emperor Moth (Saturnia carpini) is abundant on the moors in the west, but 

 rarely occurs elsewhere. 



GEOMETRY 



The Swallow-Tail Moth (Ourapteryx tambucata) is well distributed in Durham, but 

 never very common. Ep'tone veipertaria has occurred sparingly in most parts of the county. 

 Rumia crat&gata, the Brimstone, is abundant everywhere. PenU'ia maculata was taken by 

 Mr. Sang around Darlington, but no one else appears to have met with it. The Light 

 Emerald (Metrocampa margaritata) is common in woods everywhere. The Barred Red 

 (Ellopia faiciaria) is rare in Durham. It has been taken in Upper Teesdale ; at St. John's, 

 Weardale ; and at Edder Acres, near Hartlepool. A single specimen also came to the 



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