Insects. 7765 



Capture of Acronycta strigosa in Cambridgeshire. — On the 3rd of last July I 

 captured a specimen of tbis moth at sugar. Last year I was fortunate enough to 

 capture several pairs. Acronycta strigosa prefers a covered situation in the imme- 

 diate vicinity of young ash trees. It takes sugar freely. Its flight is low, undulating, 

 and even slow. Most of my specimens I took either after a slight shower of 

 rain or during a brisk breeze. One might easily pass this insect over, as it sits 

 particularly close, with closed wings, and its colouring being so near to the small 

 knobs of the grayish white of the ash as to be distinguished with difficulty therefrom. 

 This year is decidedly an unpropitious one as far as Cambridgeshire is concerned, 

 many common species not having made their appearance at aW. — S. P. Saville ; 

 Dover House, Cambridge, July 23, 1861. 



Description of the Larva of Botys fuscalis. — Does not feign death when disturbed, 

 but affects its escape with considerable rapidity. Head rather small ; body rather attenu- 

 ated towards both extremities ; the segmental divisions strongly marked. Head black, 

 shining: body pink or flesh-coloured, each segment having eight very depressed 

 brownish warts ; the 2nd segment has a transverse, dorsal, shining corneous black plaie 

 divided by a median pale line. Feeds on the seeds of Khinanlhus Crista-galli (yel- 

 low rattle), first enclosing itself in a hammock composed of two united sepals. Full 

 fed July 15th. I am indebted to the Rev. Hugh A. Slowell for a supply of these 

 larvae, accompanied by a supply of their food, so that I had an excellent opportunity 

 of observing their singular economy. — Edivard Newman. 



Description of the Larva of Catoptria ulicelana. — As I was walking along a rail- 

 way bank I noticed two or three plants of Genista anglica covered with its swollen 

 pods, and I opened one out of curiosity. Inside was the larva of which the following 

 is a description : — Yellowish green ; spots minute, black. Head dark chestnut, 

 shining ; also the shield, except the front, which is green. When full fed the green 

 tint disappears from the body, and the head and shield are entirely light brown. On 

 opening other pods I found most of them tenanted, although not the smallest hole 

 could be seen in any of them. I collected a good number of pods, thinking the insect 

 might be some local Endopisa, from its feeding on the seeds of a leguminous plant, 

 like that genus; but only two specimens of the moth have come out, owing to the 

 difliculty of rearing it. These, howover, are quite enough to identify the sj)ecies. 

 The first appeared August 17ih, from an earthy cocoon just below the surface of the 

 soil. Now I suppose that this larva feeds generally in the pods of Ulex, among which 

 the perfect insect is always found, but that it has no objection to kindred plants when 

 that is wanting. — E. Horton ; Wick, Worcester, August 22, 1861. 



Entomological Notes from South Wales.— I fear these notes will- be meagre, owing 

 partly to the bad weather (scarcely a day having passed without rain), partly to the 

 bad season, and partly, I think, to the unfavourable locality, the iron and coal basin 

 of the neighbourhood of Aberdare. Of course I did not expect much in the midst of 

 coal-dust and sulphureous smoke, and therefore had to make excursions some miles 

 away, where the woods and mountains were still uucontaminated, where fresher lichens 

 enlivened the rocks, and the bark of the trees was of its natural colour. Even here, 

 however, I was much disappointed by the fewness and commonness of the Lepi- 

 doptera. The loveliest wild places one could conceive often produced nothing 

 but what might have been taken in one's own garden at home. Sheltered nooks 

 in woods, protected from the wind but open to the sunshine, showed no butterfly. 

 Grassy hollows on the mountain side, where local Crambina were reasonably 



