250 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



discovered that the empty pupa-case closely resembled that of 

 E. vulgata ; and as the size and shape of my moth seemed to agree 

 with that species, the date of emergence was about right, and 

 remembering that its larva was similar to that of castigata, I trans- 

 ferred it to my series of vulgata as a fine "ab." ! This was of course 

 a gross mistake, and it is unpardonable that it has remained un- 

 discovered until now ; I can only plead in extenuation that it is 

 notorious that Scottish vulgata are very different in colour and aspect 

 from our southern ones. Now that I am more familiar with the 

 facies of virgaureata, I can give the name of my long misidentified 

 specimen with certainty. As it happens, it is a male, so that I was 

 able to follow up my determination by the facies with an examination 

 of the antennae, and thus " make assurance doubly sure." — Louis B. 

 Prout ; 62, Graham Road, N.E., August 22nd, 1910. 



EoRFicuLiNE Maternal Care. — I recently noticed the following 

 case. On the shore at Hayling Island I lifted a small stone — some 

 6-9 cubic inches — rather firmly fixed in the tenacious soil a little 

 above the tide-line, and found under it a female earwig. The creature 

 was covering a small cavity, and this cavity was filled with numerous 

 minute young earwigs ; only one young one was at large, and this 

 was close to the mother. As the little family was evidently disturbed 

 by the discovery I replaced the stone, and did not take possession of 

 the mother. I feel pretty sure, however, that the species was 

 Forficula auricularia, the common earwig. I noticed something of 

 the same sort in the eastern Pyrenees many years ago, the species in 

 that case being Lahidura riparia. The psychology of these cases 

 might give rise to interesting discussions. But at present I think all 

 that can be considered certain is that association between mother 

 and offspring is continued after deposition of the eggs, and is pro- 

 longed even after the hatching of the young. — D. Sharp ; Brocken- 

 hurst, August 22nd, 1910. 



CAPTUEES AND FIELD REPORTS. 



Synia musculosa in Wiltshire. — In classifying up a lot of my 

 last season's insects from your ' Moths of the British Isles," I came 

 across enclosed specimens. So far as I can judge, they agree with the 

 illustration (plate 149, fig. 7) of Synia musculosa. I would like your 

 opinion of same. I took six specimens last season, and have one 

 this season " last night " at light. — H. Haynes ; 6, Nelson Road, 

 Salisbury, August 13th, 1910. 



[The specimens (three males) are certainly 5. musculosa. In a 

 letter dated August 17th, Mr. Haynes notes the capture of two other 

 specimens. — Ed.] 



LocusTA viRiDissiMA (Orthoptera). — During the last fortnight 

 of July I found the nymph of this grasshopper in numbers at a 

 certain spot on the cliffs at Beer, South Devon. — G. Lyle. 



Lepidoptera at Gas Lamps. — We have taken a good many 

 specimens of Drepana hinaria off the gas lamps during the last 



