NOTES ON COLLECTING. 



167 



■winter. This is the only Wilts locality I shall mention, all the other 

 localities to be named are in Somerset. In the beginning of April a 

 larva of Coleophora lineolea was seen mining Ballota nigra, the plant, 

 as usual, growing under a hedge. This was near Bath, and higher up 

 the hill, on a stone wall, two small holes were seen newly covered. On 

 opening these two larvte of Bryophila perla were discovered. On the 

 6th two c? s of Ahopldla aesciilaria were seen partly wrapped round 

 some iron rails. There are few fences here, stone walls or rails being 

 mostly used, and the stone walls are very unproductive. I have 

 searched in vain for eases of Psychids. About this time I paid the 

 first visit to a rough down behind the church at Bathford, and noted 

 its good entomological appearance, but the only thing then noted was 

 the ubiquitous Coleophora laricella, in its winter cases. 



On the 8th, Hibernia inarginaria was seen on a beech trunk beside 

 the canal, at Limply Stolie. At this time we were still getting almosi; 

 daily snow showers. April 24th was the first really bright warm day. 

 I took the tram to Bathford and went up the down. On a beech at 

 the foot of the down were two CJduiabache fagella, a light and a rather 

 dark one. Aglais urticae, Vanessa io, and T igev -beetles {(Jiciiulela) were 

 seen on the wing. Two days later the larva of Coleophora albitarsella 

 occurred on its usual food-plant. Bathford was again visited on May 

 5th, and the first Elachista rufocinerea was noted. Coleophora gryphi- 

 pennella was at work on the rose leaves and, on the down above, it was 

 pleasant to watch several Ancylis conrptana flying over the turf. Some 

 small reddish larvae were found mining the leaves of Heliant/ieniiirii. 

 They mined out the whole leaflet, which then appeared white, and 

 were probably the larvae of Laverna miscella. The next day Selenia 

 bilunaria was brought to me, and the day after the first Celastrina 

 argioliis Avere seen on an iv3^-cov6red wall at Bathwick. On May 8th, 

 Herbida [Pyrausta) cespitalis was boxed off the short turf near the 

 Hampton Hocks. This is another good-looking locality, with a wood 

 below it. It was strange about this time to see the almond and apple 

 in bloom at the same time, as in most years the former is over long 

 before the latter is in blossom. On the 11th Pieris rapae was well on 

 the wing, and P. brassicae was also about. At Conkwell a good speci- 

 men of T)re}iana cultraria was picked up out of the canal, and was quite 

 lively on being rescued and placed at the foot of a neighbouring beech 

 tree. Heliozcla stanniella occurred on oak in the wood. At this time 

 CeiiiioHtoiiia labiiniella was observed in Queen Square, Bath. On the 

 4th I went to Bathford and found that May had come in, as I saw 

 many Pancalia leinrenhoekella skipping over the turf, and Adela viri- 

 della was on the wing. Hesperia vialcae and Nisoniades tages were also 

 both common, and Hipocrita jacobaeae was dashing about in its wild 

 way. The calendar of the entomologist and botanist does not always 

 coincide with that of the astronomer. On the 19th Adaina microdac- 

 tyla, Adela rnhmitrella, and Coleojiliora niurinipennellaweve boxed from 

 the old. canal bed at Midford. Here grows the great dock with sedges, 

 Eiipatorium, Innla and colt's foot ; the ground looks promising but is 

 not of great extent. On the 25th Bathford was revisited, and Callo- 

 pliryti riibi was noted. I took Microjiteryx thunbergella and some Kla- 

 chista bedellella. These small grey moths were difficult to see in my 

 net, which is not so white as it once was. Klachuta argentella was 

 easy to see sitting on the grass stems. The next day, at Conkwell, 



