1886.] 159 



surface of the earth, only shows once more that Nature does not waste her energies 

 in producing forms that have no meaning. In sheltered woods and copses, not only 

 do the leaves remain all the winter on the ground, but they often retain their varied 

 colours until quite late in the spring. — Geo. H. Keneick, "Whetstone, Somerset 

 Eoad, Edgbaston : November 12th, 1888. 



Thecla w-album in Norfolk. — The T. w-album which has occurred at King's 

 Lynn {ante p. 137) is not the first capture recorded for this county. I have in my 

 possession an example taken at Stoke-Holy-Cross, near Norwich, on July 10th, 1881, 

 and exhibited by Mr. Edwards at a meeting of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' 

 Society in that year. It was seen to fly from one of a group of tall elmB and alight 

 upon a thistle head, where it was netted. Although the spot was frequently visited 

 in 1881 and following years, no second example was seen. — H. J. Thouless, Cathe- 

 dral Close, Norwich : November IQth, 1888. 



Sphinx pinastri near Wimbledon. — I have to record the occurrence of what I 

 believe to be Sphinx pinastri in this locality. The larva was found wandering about 

 close to this house, some time between the end of August and the middle of Sep- 

 tember, 1887. I was told, on reaching home in the evening, that a strange looking 

 hawk caterpillar had been found ; but, on the breeding cage being examined, it was 

 not to be seen. Hence no particulars of its appearance are forthcoming, and I could 

 not get a sufficiently definite description to enable me then to identify it. On the 

 16th July of this year the mystery was solved by the emergence of a good specimen 

 of pinastri.— W '. A. GrODWiN, 1, Oak Yillas, Church Lane, Merton, Surrey : 

 August IQth, 1888. 



[We have seen this example, and the determination is correct. Isolated cases 

 of the occurrence of the species in England have of late years been several times 

 recorded. There seems reason to believe that specimens recorded from near Ipswich 

 may be considered as British (in the broad sense). Others (and we think the present 

 is one of them) have probably resulted from imported eggs, larvae, or pupse. A full- 

 fed larva that had escaped from confinement might wander for a considerable distance. 

 An insect that is so abundant on the other side of the channel as to be considered 

 injurious, should naturally occur here regularly. S. pinastri does not. A large 

 quantity of eggs, larvae and pupa? of S. pinastri are imported annually by dealers 

 and others. The produce of some of these must escape. Everything tends to show 

 that the insect is never, in any case, likely to be destructive here. — Eds.]. 



Grambus alpinellus in Norfolk. — I had been spending some hours, one day last 

 month (August), in searching for Agrotis cursoria and prcecox, and was pretty well 

 tired from grubbing about among the Ammophila, when I was startled and aroused 

 by the capture of a sharp little Crambus, which proved to be alpinellus. This was 

 something to work for, and in half an hour I had secured two more. Then a 

 thunderstorm, which had been visible at 6ea for an hour or more, broke, and drove 

 me to the shelter of an overhanging bank. This was provoking enough, because of 

 the probability that the storm would be followed by a cold breeze, and that the 

 opportunity of obtaining more alpinellus was gone. However, it turned out differ- 

 ently. The cold breeze did not come, and although the Ammophila and other 6and 



