210 THE entomologist's record. 



Notes from the New Forest. 



By H. K. DONISTHORPE, F.Z.S., F.E.S., and W. J. KAYE, F.E.S. 

 The last AnnualWhitsuntide Excursion of the Entomological section 

 of the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society was held at Lyming- 

 ton, within easy reach of the Salterns, New Forest and the Isle of Wight, 

 Prof. T. Hudson Beare, ^Messrs. Bouskell, G. B. Chalcraft, A.M. 

 Corah, Dixon, Horace Donisthorpe, C. B. Headly, W. J. Kaye, and 

 Pearson, representing the Entomological section. The Angel Hotel 

 was made the headquarters, and here everything was done to make the 

 members comfortable. All were provided with bicycles and kodaks, 

 and much ground was covered and many interesting "snap-shots" 

 taken. Our energetic Secretary, Mr. Bouskell, had introduced a new 

 departure, which turned out a great success. This consisted of a short 

 after dinner paper to last ten minutes by different members with a dis- 

 cussion afterwards every evening, the most noteworthy being Mr. 

 Kaye's "New Forest Lepidoptera to be searched for," Professor 

 Beare's " Coleoptera of the Isle of Wight," Mr. Bouskell's " Notes on 

 Aberrations, Varieties and Species," and Mr. Donisthorpe's " Some 

 Notable New Forest Coleoptera." Of the captures made during the 

 trip the best in the Coleoptera were Colijdiioii elowjatiim, by Mr. 

 Bouskell, in the bark of oak infested by Dnjocaetea rillosiis ; Haploc- 

 nemns ni(jrieornis, by Prof. Beare ; Meaom ni(hUa, by Mr. Donisthorpe ; 

 PediacKH deincstrulcft, Laoiiojildociis hiiiiaciilatiis, and M>/cctncliares hipus- 

 tnlatii^i, by Messrs. Bouskell and Donisthorpe ; and a series of Ptermti- 

 chus diiiti<liatii>i by all the party out of a sand pit. The Lepidoptera 

 were notably absent. Imagines were rarely seen, a few Ci/aiiiris aniioliis 

 roimd the holly bushes and J'imattdya ntowaria on the heaths being 

 the most frequent. Owing to the earliness of Whitsuntide and the 

 backwardness of the season, Marroiflassa fucifontiis and M. hoDilnjliforniis 

 were not to be seen, and the rhododendrons were hardly showing a 

 flower, where they are generally to be seen Ituzzing at the blossoms. 

 Larvffi! were most conspicuous by their absence. \\'here usually one ob- 

 served thousands oillijhcrnia di'Udian'a and CJicintatobia bniDiata, three 

 or four was the result of several slashings into the beating- tray. The 

 larvte of Misclia o.rt/acantJiae were fairly common on the lichen-covered 

 blackthorn, l)ut persistent beating of the sloe failed to yield a single 

 larva of Zeidnjrus hetidac. From oak a couple of I'luirodcsma pustidaia 

 were l)eaten out, but the larvte of Tacnitn-ampa miniosa and Asjdudin 

 ridciis altogether failed to put in an appearance. In Raiunor enclosure 

 a very few larvte of L'uiicnitia sibijlla were taken by searching, and now 

 and then an Kphi/ra iniiicrouan'a got up and was bagged. The larvae of 

 Crocallh liinriiiaria were fairly commo}i for those who wished to breed 

 this cannibal larva. Dusking at Queen's Bower resulted in a few of 

 the common Geometrids, the best of which was IJ(/dia adustata. 

 From pine, larva' of Kllojiia fasctarld were taken full-fed, and in the 

 near neighbourhood, where sometimes (i'itoi>Jiria ridirindlis is so 

 common, not a specimen was to be seen. Although the Lepidoptera 

 taken were few in number, doubtless a month later there would be all 

 the more to take, and, may it be added, it is highly satisfactory to 

 consider that those species which aiv hard pushed for an existence 

 have this year had a chance of recouping themselves. 



