CAPTURES AND FIELD REPORTS. 



57 



Vanessa polychloros in 1900. — I have not seen in anv of the maga- 

 zine notices of 1900, with the exception of the ' Entomologist,' that 

 V. polychloros has attracted any attention. Tiiis appears to me curious, 

 for although of late years it has scarcely been seen where formerly it 

 occurred pretty freely, in East Kent last season it was far from uncommon : 

 Folkestone, Dover, Shepherdswell, Wingham, Walmer and Deal, Sand- 

 wich, Margate, Canterbury, have all to my knowledge yielded specimens, 

 and in most cases series, to net wielders ; and friends have informed me 

 that it has been common at Norwich, Surrey, Hnnts I New Forest), and 

 Devoii>hire too. — Sydney Webb; 22, Waterloo Crescent, Dover, Jan. 

 3rd, 1901. 



Vanessa antiopa in Surrey, 1900. — I am able to add one more to the 

 list of captures of V. antiopa during 1900. A very poor specimen was 

 caught on a window at Englefield Green, Surrey, about Sept. 1st. It was 

 given to a boy of seven years old, who had no collection, as a " Purple 

 Emperor." When I saw it, a fortnight ago, it was indeed a pitiable sight, 

 with a large needle through it and wings on only one side : the bits of the 

 other wings had been kept — no antennae. Though in this bad state, there 

 was no mistaking it, and I, having patched it up as well as possible, have 

 it now in my cabinet. — L. M. Seth-Smith ; Alleyne, Caterham Valley, 

 Surrey, Jan. 1 1th, 1901. 



Vanessa urtic^. — A specimen of V. urtica, in good condition, suddenly 

 appeared in the aimng-rooin of a house here, on the evening of Dec. 26th, 

 having probably been brought in with the evergreens used for decoration. 

 We have also one example of the same species, at present on the wall of 

 the stairwell in this house, where it has been since the end of September 

 last. — A.Marshall; Windmill Hill, Craubrook, Kent, Dec. 28th, 1900. 



Vanessids in 1900. — In reply to Mr. Adkin's note (ante, p. 17) I give 



the following notes of my captures. I took a number of pupae of V. poly- 



chleros, suspended from tar-covered palings near Winchfield in Hants, on 



July 6th last, the majority of which emerged on July 16th. I also took a 



number of V. polychloros pupae, suspended from the round rails of iron 



hurdles at Shoreham, Kent, on July 12th; imagos emerged on July 22nd; 



one was ichneumoned, a large number of flies emerging. I found V. cardui 



plentiful at Margate, Sept. 18th, flying in a lucerne field, at Cra\ford,on 



railway banks (one female full of eggs) ; on Sept. 7th, at Sandwich ; Sept. 



25th, in the lanes, at Deal ; Sept. 26th, at Hythe ; Oct. 2nd, in lanes; and 



at Worcester Park, Surrey, on July 3Uth. 1 have noticed that certain of the 



Vanessids seem to enjoy the neighbourhood of brick-works and gas-works, 



but cannot understand what it is that attracts them, unless it be the vile 



smells they find there. They are verv fond of settling on the cinders used 



in brick-making, and when driven off will return to them, in preference to 



settling on flowers or mother earth, and there sun themselves. V. atalanta 



I found not so plentiful as in ls9y, although I had been on the look-out 



every day in the week, right through the season. V. io : I have seen odd 



specimens at Hythe, Aug. :31st, and at Margate, Oct. 18th. — C. W. 



CoLTHRUP; 127, Barry Road, East Dulwich, S.E. 



I did not see, in this district, a single specimen of either Vanessa 

 cardui, V, io, or V. polychloros, although V. atalanta was very common up 

 to Oct. 7th, on the over-ripe fruit in this neighbourhood, where baskets of 



