CURRENT NOTES. 



187 



large blotch. There is little doubt that they were the work of the 

 larvae of Nepticula aeneofasciella. Two larvaB of Theretra porcellus 

 were found on Galiiuii sa.vatile, one small and green, the other fully 

 grown and brown. From fir trees some Semasia nannna were shaken, 

 and several Scapula lutealis were disturbed from the undergrowth. 

 On the down Anacampnis taeniolella was quite common. Not that 

 one saw them on the wing, but often in the sweeping net. I was 

 very pleased to take one specimen of the ab. sirco)nella, without the 

 white fascia on the forewings, and one A. vorticella also fell to my lot. 

 On the 28th July, one Monopis vKsticella was seen at rest on a horn- 

 beam' in the Victoria Park. On the 31st, one ±\epticida annmalella 

 emerged from the mines collected at Bathford. Thus July, one of 

 the best months for collecting, did not provide much excitement. All 

 the same, it is always a pleasure to see Lepidoptera in the field, on 

 the wing, or at rest, even if the species are generally common 'and of 

 no particular account. — Alfred Sigh, Augiint 29^/*, 1917. 



Butterflies drinking and Essex records of butterflies. — 

 If you think this fact worth recording, I should just like to men- 

 tion that to-day I saw from twenty-five to thirty white butterflies, 

 mostly Pierk rapae, sitting upon a small heap of horse manure in 

 the middle of a road running alongside of a wood near here, and a 

 little further on another small batch upon another heap. It seemed 

 to me rather an uncommon sight. I was out looking for Anfijnnis 

 cydippe [adippe), but only saw one flying. Pieris brassicae. P. rapae, 

 P. napi, Kpinepliele jurtina [janira], E. tithontis, Aphantopus hyperanttis, 

 Adopaea fiava {thaumas), and Aiigiades sylvaniis were flying freely. A 

 specimen of the second brood of Celastrina aryiolm was flying in the 

 garden a few days ago. — E. Millar (Miss), The Croft, Bainsford 

 Lane, Chelmsford, Essex. Jidy 11th, 1917. 



Abundance of Butterflies at Swanage. — I am just back from 

 Swanage. Ten days ago, while the weather was still fine, butterflies 

 were swarming. I counted twenty-three species, and in an overgrown 

 field on the downs, butterflies were as common as in the Swiss alpine 

 valleys. Here is the list observed. CoHas ednsa 8, Pieru hramcae 

 and P. rapae, both in swarms, P. napi, Ayriades coridon, A. thetis 

 {hellaryus) just appearing, PoIyonDiiatus icariis, Aricia medon [astrarche), 

 liinnicia pldneas, Yanesna atalanta common, V. io common, Aylais 

 itrticae very abundant, Pyrameu cardid very plentiful in one field and. 

 in fair condition, Aryynnis aylaia common but worn, Melanaryia yala- 

 thea common but worn, Epinephele jurtina, E. tithonua, Coenonympha 

 paniphilus very few, Pararge nieyera abundant, Hipparchia semele 

 abundant, Thymelicns acteon everywhere, Niaoiiiades tayea second brood 

 a fair number, and Adopaea fiava (thauwas) a few. These were all 

 noted on Saturday August 17th. — W. J. Kaye, " Caracas," Ditton 

 Hill, Surbiton. Auyust 2Sth. 



(seURRENT NOTES AND SHORT NOTICES. 



In the Ent. Mo. May. for June, Mr. H. Britten describes a new 

 species of Coleoptera as Ptilium asperiim, taken in an old squirrel's nest 

 in Cumberland, in 1913. Specimens have also occurred in the New 



