RECENT LITERATURE. 163 



working — a district of five miles radius around the town, which com- 

 prises woodlands, hills, mosses, marshes, and pastures. From his own 

 particular section of Simonswood, he recorded one hundred and eighty 

 species of Macro-Lepidoptera. The most interesting of these are 

 Ccenonympha daviis, Notodonta dictaoides, Acronijcta Icporina, A. menyan- 

 thidis, A. alni, Mamestra anceps, Hctdena glauca, Heliodes arbuti, and 

 Carsia imbutata. The most abundant species is Ci/nmtophora duplaris, 

 whose larvae occur in thousands on the birch trees. Mr. F. C. 

 Thompson gave his experience of the Knowsley district, which is rich 

 in old woods, mosses, lakes, and pond-holes. On the whole, the species 

 are the same as at Simonswood, with the addition of Agrotis puta, 

 Noctua trianguliwh, DiantJimcia capsincola, Epione apiciaria, and Emiomos 

 erosaria. Mr. Alfred Jackson read an interesting account of his doings 

 in the Bold district. He stated that he had taken the eggs, larvffi, 

 pupae, and imagmes of Odonestis potatoria in a single hour. He also 

 described with what delight he had captured his first specimens of 

 Colias edusa, an insect he had thought would never have visited this 

 district of smoke. He told an amusing story of a policeman who, 

 attracted by his lantern, became infected with the entomological fever, 

 and chased 0. sambucata with his helmet, thereafter becoming a zealous 

 collector. Dr. J. Cotton read notes on the "Eccleston district, and 

 described the sight which may be seen on a favourable August night 

 at Eccleston Mere of thousands of Xanthias {X. ceraijo, silago, and 

 ferruginea) sitting on the leaves of the sallows which grow there. To 

 the lists of his colleagues Dr.' Cotton added Thyatira batis, Plusia 

 festuccB, and Melanippe tristata. The Chairman proposed a hearty vote 

 of thanks to the St. Helen's naturalists for a most enjoyable and 

 profitable evening, which was seconded by Mr. F. Birch, and carried 

 unanimously. Mr. F. R. Dixon-Nuttall, in his reply, described the 

 St. Helen's parks, and assured the members that the smoke of the 

 factories had much diminished of late years. Mr. Wilding exhibited 

 a case of specimens of Deileplula galii reared in 1887. Mr Pierce, 

 a unique collection of Vanessa antiopa showing all the variations 

 from the type to the most extreme dark forms. Mr, J, Collins, 

 of Warrington, exhibited the pupas of Acronycta leporina spun up in 

 dead sticks, as found by him on the mosses. — Frederick Birch, Joint 

 Hon. Sec. 



RECENT LITERATURE. 



Third Annual Report of the Kendal Entomological Societi/. Session 1900. 

 Pp. 31. Kendal : 1901 



Contents : — Rules of the Society. List of Members (thirty-three, 

 of whom six are honorary). President's Address (5 pp.). "Notes on 

 Colias edusa and AcJierontia atropos," by Rev. A. M. Moss (7 pp.)- 

 •' Rearing of Lepidoptera,'' by Mr. Frank Littlewood (10 pp.). " List 

 of the Macro-Lepidoptera of the Kendal District" (5 pp.). Balance-sheet. 



In his interesting remarks on the occurrence of C. edusa and 

 A. atropos in 1900, Mr. Moss briefly reviews the records concerning 

 the first-named species since 1877. The paper on rearing Lepidoptera 

 is a most useful contribution and worthy of careful perusal. Three 



