334 



FIELD NOTES. 



ENTOMOLOGY. 



Cicindela campestris (L.) in Derbyshire.— In the 



British Association Handbook (Sheffield meeting), 1910, 

 Mr. E. G. Bayford, referring to this beetle, states that ' although 

 usually a common species there are only two localities [i.e. 

 within the twenty-mile radius of Sheffield] where it has been 

 recorded, viz., in the higher reaches of the Don valley above 

 Penistone, and at Rossington, near Doncaster.' Both these 

 localities are in Yorkshire. In the Victoria County History 

 of Derbyshire the species is stated to be ' scarce,' only three 

 localities being given, viz., Matlock, Repton and Little Eaton. 

 I am able to add to these Derbyshire records, having found the 

 insect in numbers near Bamford and in Lathkil dale. — J. M. 

 Brown, Sheffield. 



Cicindela campestris used to abound on Crosland Moor, near 

 Huddersfield, and on Norland Moor, near Halifax. Whether 

 it still does so I do not know. — G.T.P. 



Scoparia atomalis. — Referring to my note as to this 

 species, if it can be considered a species (see The Nahtralist 

 for August, p. 268), I was aware that many lepidopterists had 

 regarded the above as a variety of the common 5. ambigualis. 

 I may state, however, that many years ago I sent the late 

 Mr. C. G. Barrett a few insects which I had taken on Blackhills, 

 Wilsden, one of which he said was an undoubted specimen of 

 5. atomalis, which at the time he considered a good species. 

 Whether it is a good species I cannot say. It differs from 

 ambigualis in point of size, colour, and date of appearance ; 

 and he would be a bold person who would be dogmatic enough 

 to assert that he could define when a variety became a true 

 species. My contention is that if S. atomalis is merely a variety 

 it ought to be a named variety.* — E. P. Butterfield, Wilsden. 



Cloantha solidaginis (K.) at Bingley. — On the 12th 

 August, I took one Cloantha solidaginis at rest on an old wall 

 on Blackhills, near Wilsden, and another on the same wall 

 about three weeks later. The distribution of the insect in this 

 district, and perhaps other parts of Yorkshire as well, is very 

 remarkable. It was first recorded by my brother in 1896, who 

 took one on Harden Moor, and in the same year I took it 

 quite abundantly on Blackhills, and in the following year 

 (1897) it was by no means uncommon at the latter place ; 

 subsequently, however, it has been unaccountably scarce un- 

 til the present year. Has its distribution been so erratic 

 in other parts of its haunts in Yorkshire ? The district of 

 Blackhills was well worked from the years 1876 to 1896 without 



* It is a named variety — var. atomalis. In such a case the original 

 name becomes the varietal name. — G.T.P. 



Naturalist, 



