33 



of North America (" E. M. M.," 1906, p. 100). It is to be 

 hoped that Mr. Murray may be successful in taking the 

 imago, or in securing a further supply of larvae and rearing 

 them, so that this fourth addition for the year to the list of 

 British Lepidoptera may be fully verified. 



But in addition to these novelties, several species have, in 

 the course of the year, occurred under circumstances that 

 make their record interesting. Neuroptera has two such, 

 namely, Sympctrum vnlgatum, L., of which the capture of a 

 specimen at Epping Forest, on September 4th, is recorded 

 by Messrs. F. W. and H. Campion, and its authenticity 

 vouched for by Mr. Kenneth J. Morton. Only some three 

 previous captures of this species in Britain are on record 

 (" Entom.,' 1906, p. 282). S. flaveolum, L., a species of 

 fitful and by no means common occurrence, was noted in 

 the same neighbourhood, between August 8th and Septem- 

 ber 2nd, in some numbers (" Entom.," 1906, p. 281). 



Lepidoptera also has several similar records. Hardly 

 had spring merged into summer when hordes of Pyramcis 

 cardui, L., appeared in our southern counties ; among them 

 were numbers of Plusia gamma, L., and many Nomophila 

 noctuclla, Schiff. Almost simultaneously reports of Dcilcphila 

 livornica, Esp., came in from various parts of the country. 

 Later on Hciiotliis pcltigcra, Schiff., and Laphygma cxigua, 

 Hb., were found commonly in certain localities, and the 

 season closed in with records of the capture of stray examples 

 of Xantliia ocellaris, Bkh., Lcucania cxtvanea, Gn. (unipuncta, 

 Haw.), Chcerocampa cclcrio, L., and Deiopeia pulchella, L., in 

 the autumn, the last-named being met with on October 24th. 



Such happenings appear to me to be full of interest, and 

 suggest to my mind subject matter on which, I trust, I may 

 be permitted to address you very briefly this evening. I 

 therefore proceed to 



Some Thoughts on the Probability of the Abundance 

 of Certain Species of Lepidoptera in 1906 being 

 due to Immigration, and its Possible Effect on 

 our Insect Fauna. 



Pyramcis cardui has always been regarded as a common 

 British species, and I suppose that some individuals might 

 be found in any year in some part of the country. But 

 it is very fitful in its appearance, occurring at times in 

 great abundance, while at others it is distinctly scarce. 

 In 1905 it does not appear to have been, generally, at all 



