3076 Tur Zootocist—May, 1872. 
on the last night fifteen—one hundred and six in all. We certainly were 
in luck: so great a take was never heard of before, and there is no doubt 
Opima is unusually plentiful this season. On the second night we only 
hunted a short time for Opima, and then went on to look for Lichenea 
larvee on Sedum acre: we were also successful here, thanks to Mr. Greasley, 
from twenty to thirty being taken. On Wednesday morning we went on 
the sand-hills for the day-flyers and larvee. Hubolia lineolata was out in 
excellent condition; also Nyssia zonaria on the marram—this we took both 
by day and night: it is a very sluggish insect, even the male seldom flies— 
only about nine o’clock in the morning, says Greasley. Larve of Bombyx 
Quercus and Rubi were scarce: we only found three of the latter, and they 
were all in the act of spinning up. We also found a few larvee of Leucania 
littoralis by raking the sand. Nothing could exceed the beauty of the 
sallow-bloom in the slacks of the sand-hills: acres of it, one mass of gold— 
a “golden floor”—the perfume delicious; while the natterjack toads kept 
up a continual and somewhat monotonous croaking in the fresh-water ponds, 
and the larks, singing “at heaven’s gate,” and the bees’ murmur at the 
bloom, made delightful music to the ear: the green lizards ran along the 
hot sand with rapid movement; and altogether the scene was one not to 
be easily forgotten. It is worth anyone’s while to pay a visit to the sand- 
hills in bright weather when the sallows are in bloom. The atmosphere 
being so calm the tracks of the different animals were clearly visible on the 
driven sand: very curious is that of the natterjack, but still more curious is 
the track of larve, every ring being marked, as it were, in steps. Besides 
the insects above mentioned we took the hybernated larve of Liparis Salicis 
in abundance at one spot; Tseniocampa rubricosa and gracilis and Anticlea 
badiata at the sallows at night; Eupithecia pumilata and Selenia illunaria 
at lamps. As may be supposed, we returned home well satisfied with our 
very pleasant “out,” and our “spolia opima.”— Thomas W. Daltry; 
Newcastle, Staffordshire. 
Early Occurrence of Ophion obscurus.—Exclusive of Lepidoptera, the 
insects that most constantly resort to a light are Bradycellus fulvus, 
Aphodius rufipes and Ophion luteus; and it may be supposed that these 
three transact their business in the night, and rest during the day. The 
only living specimen that I have seen of Acentropus niveus came to me in 
like manner. Opbion obscurus was attracted by a candle on the 2nd of 
March, its early appearance corresponding with the unusual mildness of the 
season.—F'rancis Walker ; Elm Hall, Wanstead. 
