NOTES ON COLLECTING. 207 
muralis) was noticed to occur on the spot, but it is by no means 
certain that this is really its food. I may add that there is no question 
as to the identity of our captures, as they agree with two types I pos- 
sess from the collection of the late Dr. Sequira and also with the pub- 
lished descriptions. ‘The absence of the black scale-tooth from the 
third digit of the hindwing in itself settles the question.—Joun W. 
Mercatre, Ottery St. Mary. July 24th, 1916. 
THree weeks ar Torquay.—The last fortnight of July and the first 
week of August I spent at Torquay. The weather was hot and sunny 
almost every day. Lepidoptera were on the whole not very abundant. 
I did no serious collecting, and the notes below are chiefly based on the 
insects met with in the course of our delightful walks on the cliff paths 
‘and in the deep Devonshire lanes. In the latter Hpinephele jurtina and 
E, tithonus were common, and there was alsoa sprinkling of Aphantopus 
hyperantus. Near the sea the beautiful Satyrus semele was met with 
here and there. In a deep valley near Maidencombe Melanaryia yalathea 
was flying on the steep hill side among Centaurea scabiosa and other 
flowers. In August, between Churston and Stoke Gabriel, afew Pararye 
megaera appeared, and Pieris rapae, P. brassicae, and P. napi were seen 
close together on the same spray of flowers. On the 6th of that month 
the first specimens of Vanessa io, Aglais urticac, and Polyommatus icarus 
were noted, and a larva of Theretra porcellus was taken. Geometridae 
were numerous in the hedges, two specimens of Huchloris vernaria were 
observed. On July 15th, at Babbacombe, on a grassy bank just above 
the beach, a large colony of Aphelosetia (Hlachista) argentella occurred ; 
many pairs were in cop. A small Tineid flying over the grass turned 
out to be Glyphipteryx fischeriella. This was very common on’ the 
slopes facing the sea and also in the inland lanes. At Babbacombe I 
saw also one specimen of G. equitella. Here also a fresh specimen of 
the neat little Aphelosetia disertella occurred, and I saw what looked 
like a very small A. aryentella, and boxed it for closer examination. 
Under the lens it proved to be A. dispunctella. One cannot be too 
careful in examining Micro-lepidoptera in the field when they do not 
appear to be quite typical of the species one supposes them to be. The 
well known Bishop’s Walk runs alone the top of the cliffs, and in one 
place there is plenty of furze. This yieldeda large specimen of Scythris 
grandipennis. On July 20th, again at Babbacombe, a clump of Inula 
dysenterica, growing at the foot of a hedge, was noticed. Many of the 
leaves, especially of the lower ones, were brown, or had brown patches 
in them. An examination revealed the presence of one or two larve 
and several pup of Acrolepia yranitella. The open net work cocoons 
were mostly spun on the underside of the mined leaves. A dozen 
moths were reared in August and it was surprising to find how well 
their scheme of coloration harmonised with the brown and chequered 
appearance of the mined Inula leaves among which they rested. Near 
Maidencombe, July 26th, on brambles, three of those strange moths, 
Schreckensteinia festaliella, were seen, showing that it was too late to 
search for the first brood of the still more curious larva. On some 
restharrow growing on the cliff at Oddicombe several fresh specimens 
of Marasmarcha lunaedactyla were resting, and a solitary Bryotropha 
acuminatella was boxed with difficulty owing to its dive into the herb- 
age on the steep cliff side. Near the Terrace Gardens, Torquay, there 
are some bushes of what I believeis Atriplex halimus, a south European 
