NOTES ON COLLECTING. 79 



year. — T. Greek, Lissan, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone. February 10th, 

 1906. 



Aglais urtic^ FLYING IN THE WINTER. — A quite noticeable feature 

 here is the frequent appearance of the imagines of Aglais urticae flying 

 briskly over the snow. The first was seen at noon on January 29th. 

 Everything is still covered with snow, but, when the weather is clear, the 

 sun shines the whole day long, and the sun's heat is then greater than 

 that of many a July day in England. The butterflies mentioned are 

 more frequently seen on the higher slopes of the mountains than in 

 the valleys. On February 19th, five were seen at a height of 6500 

 feet. I have noticed the dried stems of nettles here, and these plants 

 are no doubt common along the roadsides at the lower levels. From 

 the number of pupal remains of A. urticae casually noticed, I should 

 say that this species must have been abundant here last autumn. 

 True winter moths must be scarce here, or else they have habits different 

 from our winter species. I have searched tree-trunks (alders, ash, spruce 

 fir) and rocks without finding a trace, and no dead specimens have been 

 found in the snow. — Alfred Sigh, F.E.S., Adelboden, Switzerland. 

 February 20th, 1906. 



Habits of young larvae of Noctua depuncta. — From ova of Noctua 

 depuncta a number of larvae emerged in September, I gave them sorrel 

 to feed on, but they huddled together, and used the sorrel, not as food 

 but, as a resting place, and remained perfectly quiescent till disturbed 

 with a fine brush. This went on for some weeks, being, each time I looked 

 at them, perfectly quiet and gregarious till touched, then quite livety, 

 settling down again afterwards. Tired of this, I put them out in the 

 garden on a small bed of sorrel, but suppose I shall see nothing of them 

 in spring. I cannot help wondering how, if this is the usual habit, 

 they manage to keep alive through the winter. I do not remember ever 

 reading anything about the life-history of N. depuncta. Has anything 

 been published thereon? — J. E. Gardner, 201, Evering Road, Upper 

 Clapton, N.E. February 5th, 1906. 



Early Butterflies. — Mr. Sloper tells me that Pontia daplidice 

 var. bdlidice is already on the wing here ; I saw two specimens of 

 Pnlyyonia egea on February 1st. It may be well also to put on record 

 that Erebia epistygne pupated about January 20th. — H. Powell, 

 7, Rue Mireille, Hyeres, France. February 3rd, 1906. 



Winter Lepidoptera. A run on January 31st, showed that the 

 mild weather had brought out a good many of the early species ; I 

 took Hybernia rupicapraria, H. proyeinmaria, Aniaopteryx aescularia, 

 Phigalia pedaria, OrrJiodia vaccinii, and CJieimatobia bruinata ; a very 

 satisfactory result for so early a date. — J. 0^'^NDEN, Frindsbury Road, 

 Strood, Kent. February 12th, 1906. 



Peculiar habit of larva of Pararge egeria. — I have noticed a 

 habit in larvae of Pararge egeria (a species which I bred this 3'ear 

 (1904) for the first time) of which I have never read. They eat 

 through the blades of grass near their base, causing the part above 

 to fall and wither. They do not appear to attempt to devour the 

 "felled" portion. — H. Wood, Ashford. December 11th, 1905. 



Oporabia autumnata IN the New Forest. — I have recently seen 

 specimens of Oporabia autunmata bred by Mr. B. W. Adkin in 1899, 

 from larvae taken at Brockenhurst. — J. E, R. Allen, Euniskillen, 

 January, 1906. 



