128 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



a feature. Of twenty-five larvae of Agrotis strigula, picked up 

 one wet night in March, twenty-three produced a specimen each 

 of the Braconid Meteorus pulchricornis, while quite fifty per cent, 

 of the larvse of Hygrochroa syringavia, taken in April and May, 

 succumbed to the attacks of another Meteorid — a black insect 

 with yellow legs, which appears to be nondescript. 



Although I cannot hear of any great rarities having been 

 taken at sallow, the number of beautiful forms of Taniocampa 

 munda that were captured amply repaid the collector, to say 

 nothing of hybernated Lithophajie socia, which were rather 

 abundant. Sugaring in June and July was quite a failure. This 

 was no doubt owing to the prevalence of honeydew, and to there 

 not being sufficient rain to wash it off the leaves. In August, 

 however, Catocala sponsa and C. promissa turned up in fair 

 numbers, and in the autumn the usual things were plentiful, 

 although Lithophane socia was scarcely seen. We were glad to 

 welcome back Eumichtis protea after an absence of several 

 years. 



It j.8 my opinion that Apatura iris was more common in 1911 

 than it has been for a long time. I have heard of twenty-seven 

 specimens having been captured in the neighbourhood of 

 Brockenhurst alone. The larvae were correspondingly plentiful 

 in the autumn, and probably quite a hundred were taken 

 locally. 



It is very pleasant to find that, in spite of the hordes of 

 collectors who yearly thrash our sallow bushes for the larvae, this 

 fine butterfly is still holding its own. Perhaps it would be an 

 exaggeration to describe 1911 as a "butterfly year," but in 

 addition to Apatura iris several species were more than usually 

 abundant, the most noticeable being Pararge egeria, Argynnis 

 paphia and its var. valesina, Zephyrus hetulce, Cyaniris argiolus, 

 and Chrysophanus phlceas. 



As there still seems to be some little doubt as to the winter 

 quarters chosen by Gonepteryx rhamni, it may be of interest to 

 note that, on the evening of November 14th, when collecting 

 with Mr. E. Morris (whom I must thank for much informa- 

 tion which is embodied in this article), a specimen of this 

 butterfly was discovered resting under an ivy-leaf some ten feet 

 from the ground.* The insect was still in the same position on the 

 night of November 28th, and was very easily seen by the light 

 of an acetylene lamp, the wings appearing to reflect the light 

 and to make the butterfly stand out very plainly. Finding it in 

 the daytime, however, was a very difficult matter, so great was 

 its resemblance in colour and shape to its surroundings. 



On November 28th Mr. C. W. Colthrup discovered, while in 

 my company, another hybernating G. rhamni in a similar posi- 



-- On February 14tli this butterfly was still in the position noted, but on 

 March 4th it had disappeared.— G. T. L., March 24th, 1912. 



