INSECTS 



Forester, Ino sttitias, occurs at GibsiJe ; near Darlington ; and at other places away from the sea. 

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

 lonictrie at Shull and other places well in the centre of the county. Z. fil'ipcndula: appears to 

 be common every where. The Lithoiida; arc very sparingly represented, most of the specimens 

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

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

 ward. The late John Sang took Lithoi'ui helveola once at lamps at Darlington. L. complana 

 was taken by the late William B.ickhouse, both at Darlington and Scaton 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 . CEiiistis gtnidni occurred oddly, in 

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

 seen since. 



Euchelia jacobisa, the Cinnabar, occurs all along the coast, but is not nearly so common as 

 il was fifty years ago. It has not been recorded inland. Euthcmon'ui rmsula, 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. Nemcophila 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 larv.'e. The 

 Ruby Tiger, Phragmatobla fuliginosa, occurs all over the county, generally in some numbers. 

 The Muslin (Spiloioma mendicti) occurs all over the county, extending quite to Upper Teesdale. 

 The Buff and White Ermines (S. lubrhepcda and mcnthnutri) are generally common. I have 

 tidcen the dark form of nunthastri near Throston. The Brown Tail {Lipiiris chrysorrhad) 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 [L. auriflud) was taken in 1875 at South Shields 

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

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

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

 Tussock {Orygia faicelind) is found in the west of the county, about Shull, Wolsingham, etc. 

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

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

 and on Roia spinosissima on the sand banks. The Pale Oak Eggar [Trichiura cratagi) 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 [Pxcilo- 

 campa populi) 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 {Eriogastc-r Uineitr'n) 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 {Boinhyx 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. rubi) 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 {Odoneith potator'm) is common generally, 

 out does not occur in the Auckland district. A specimen of the Small Lappet [Gaitropacha 

 i/icifo/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 w.os 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 {Satuniia carpini) is abundant on the moors in the west, but 

 rarely occurs elsewhere. 



GEOMETR/E 



Tlie Swallow-Tail Moth {Ouraplrryx idmhuctita) is well distributed in Durham, init 

 never very common. Epiom- XHipn-taria has occurred sparingly in most parts of the county. 

 Runiia crutiCgtitn, the Brimstone, is abundant everywhere. Finiliti nuicuhita was taken by 

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

 Emerald {Metrocampa margarilala) is common in woods everywhere. The Barred Red 

 {Ellopia fasciaria) 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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