14 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



rocks by the sea, C. ; the larvae feed on Armeria vulgaris, in long 

 silken tubes, entwined among the leaves and stems of the plant. 

 There is marked variation, ranging from nearly white to a 

 dark stone-grey. Capuafav iliac eana. Bactra lanceolana. Plioxo- 

 pteryx lundana. Graiiholitha nisella, G. nigromacidana, G. tri- 

 maculana, G. penkleriana, G. ncevana. Phloeodcs immundana. 

 Pcedisca corticana, P. profandana, P. semifuscana. Ephippijjhora 

 pfliigiana, E. hrunnichiana, E. trigeminana. Coccyx argyrana, 

 C. tcEdella. Stifpnonota regiana. Di'croramplia aljnnana, D. 

 herbosana. Catoptria idicetana, C. liypericana, C. cana, C. citrana. 

 Synuethis oxyacanthella. Eupoecilia pallidana, E. angustana, E. 

 ciliella. Xcmthosetia zoegana, X. hauiana. Argyrolepia hart- 

 manniana. Conchylis straminea. 



ON REARING AGROTIS ASHWORTHII AND ACIDALIA 



CONTIGUARIA. 



By R. Tait. 



My annual visit to North Wales was made rather later than 

 usual this year, and I did not reach Penmaenmawr until July 

 17th, by which time imagines of A. ashworthii were practically 

 over. I did not find one, although a careful search was made ; 

 but Mr. W. G. Sheldon (who was staying at Penmaenmawr) was 

 more fortunate, and captured two or three specimens at rest. 



However, ova were fairly plentiful, and I decided to try and 

 force them again. The results were fairly satisfactory, as I 

 managed to get some sixty odd perfect insects, and should have 

 had more, but for an illness which stopped the feeding of the 

 larvae just when many of them were almost full-grown. Two 

 batches of ova failed to hatch at the same time as the others, 

 although they changed colour ; but eventually they produced a 

 fine brood of minute ichneumons. 



A. contiguaria was taken sparingly by both Mr. Sheldon and 

 myself, and I succeeded in obtaining a few ova. About sixty 

 hatched, and by keeping them in the same temperature as the A. 

 asliwortliii I got about forty odd into pupas by the end of August. 

 They began to emerge on Sept. 8th, and between that date and 

 the 23rd forty-four specimens came out, and were duly killed and 

 set. Fully half of these were of the dark form, probably the 

 progeny of a dark female ; but as the ova were all put together, I 

 cannot speak definitely on this point. 



The moths pair easily, and I have now a nice batch of larvae 

 hybernating on heather. 



I may add that I also forced a batch of Noctua f estiva under 

 the same conditions as A. ashworthii ; these emerged during the 

 last fortnight in October. 



15, Rectory Road, Crumpaail, Manchester ; Nov. 25th, 1901. 



