RANDOM NOTES ON LEPIDOPTERA. 17 



lines radiating from its centre. This has all the appearance of a scar, 

 not unlike that of the horn in Sphingids, but whether of some injury 

 or normal might be doubtful, were it not that other specimens present 

 a very similar appearance. Turning to the ventral half of the area, we 

 find it more delicate and transparent, and divided across the middle by 

 a suture, which does not, however, reach either side. The whole of 

 the area is armed with the cremastral hooks, except a portion in the 

 middle line, slightly behind the suture noted, but chiefly between it 

 and the front of the segment. In the middle of this clear area are 

 two projecting points side by side, and running forwards from between 

 them two fine ridges with a groove between, ending in front by widening 

 out into a rounded lappet, with a surface of extremely fine spiculations. 

 This appears to be at a different level from the portion of segment that 

 seems to overlap it from either side and carries the hooks, and one 

 might suppose this to be 9th and the hooks on 10th, but those 

 immediately behind the surface are continuous, without intervening 

 suture. 



Random Notes on the Lepidoptera observed in the Season 1905 in 

 the Rochester and Strood district. 



By J. OVENDEN. 



The season opened fairly well and to time, Hybemia rupicapraria, 

 H. marginaria, Anisopteryx aescularia, Phigalia peclaria and Amplii- 

 dasys Htrataria, males being rather common on the gas-lamps on the 

 ovitskirts of the towns during January, February and March. Sallow 

 bloom I found a failure, as the only nights on which I could get out it was 

 either wet and cold, or windy and cold with bright moon. Even larva? 

 appeared to be scarce, only a few Noctiia triangulum, lY. haja, Triphaena 

 fimbria and Epinephele janira being taken. During May, imagines 

 were very shy, owing to the cold winds, a few Corycia bimacidata, C. 

 temevata, Zonosoma porata, Z. annulata, Lycjdia adustata, Lomaspilis 

 viarqinata and Acidalia remutata being the only insects netted. 



At the end of May and early in June a good deal of hard work with 

 the beating-stick produced a very fair return in larvae of Thecla iv-albuvi, 

 Himera pennaria, Cosmia trapezina, Taeniocampa mnnda, Hybemia 

 defoliaria, Scopelosoma satellitia, while a few each of Nola cucullatella, 

 Asteroscopus sphinx, Diloba caeruleocephala, Miselia oxyacanthae, Cosmia 

 affinis, 0. diffinis and Hybemia aiirantiaria helped to give variety to 

 the bill of fare. A week or two later, imagines of Adscita statices, 

 Angerona prnnaria, Melanthia albicillata, Asthena luteata, with Anthrn- 

 cera lonicerae pup^e, and larvfe of Enodia hyferanthus, Ebidea crocealis, 

 and OidaematophovHs lithodactyla were easily obtained when wanted. 

 My special quarry was, however, larvae of Toxocampa pastinum, but it 

 seemed to have followed Nola alhnlalis and vanished from its old 

 haunts at Chattenden, although, later on, the species occurred in the 

 perfect state in fair numbers on the outside of a wood about six miles 

 away, with a few other good things such as Agrotis cinerea, Acronicta 

 leporina, Noctua stiginatica, Chariclea umbra and Cymatophora fluctuosa, 

 together with a nice lot of Cncullia umbratica larvcB. 



A visit to its restricted locality produced about fifty larvfe of 

 Ovendenia septodactyla {lienigianus). By the way, how excessively local 

 this plume seems ; an excitable collector could easily exterminate the 



