1'26 LEPIDOPTERA. 



London, when, rising from the foot of a poplar, he was sur- 

 prised to ohserve this fine example of what struck him as 

 one of a second brood oi' A.psi at rest on the bark. * * * 

 Until kindly taken out for me, it had ever since remained in 

 his duplicate box." There is certainly something very strange 

 and suggestive in two out of the three known captures of this 

 rarity having been found, by pupa-hunters, settled low down 

 on the trunks of trees in the London district. Perhaps, like 

 its congener rhizolithaf while paying an occasional visit to 

 sugar and ivy (and the Hon. S. Canning's specimen did 

 come to sugar), it is far more commonly to be met with at 

 rest in the localities it frequents, and ergo, we can readily 

 understand how such an insect in such a situation at such a 

 time of year should have so long escaped observation. At 

 any rate, the suburban pupa-digger, whose " takes " usually 

 consist of a few score TcBniocampcB and Hibeimice, may now 

 look out for the chance of an indirect benefit from his back- 

 breaking occupation. 



AciDALiA HERBARiATA, Fabr. This is another British 

 species included in Stainton's Manual, but excluded from sub- 

 sequent lists, which will have to be reinstated. It is unfor- 

 tunately true that its larva has the singular whim to feed by 

 choice on dried plants, and might therefore be accidentally 

 introduced just as many of our common pests have been im- 

 ported ; but still, while we have no proof that the species is 

 not a native, and while we continue to retain, in the lists of 

 our fauna, insects of evidently doubtful British origin, it does 

 not seem by any means advisable to reject this little wave, 

 especially as three or four specimens of it have pretty re- 

 cently (June, 1868; turned up in the shop of a herbalist in 

 Holborn, who, of course, can make no extra capital out of 

 the statement of his belief that its larva had fed upon tansey, 

 which was the only plant amongst his stock bearing evidence 



