304 THE entomologist's record. 



(lant. ( 'i/coiiris aniloliis, much as \isual in spriiij^', hut quite excep- 

 tionally numerous and fine during August and September. Generally 

 the second l)rood is very poorly represented here. KncJidia jacohacae 

 appeared on ]\Iay 12th, which is the earliest date I have observed it. 

 On the 20th I was agreeably surprised to receive a specimen of 

 L'hoerocawpa celeriu, from Miss Betty Bell, Les Rocquettes. It had 

 been taken in September, '98, in the greenhouse, but not being so 

 large as Sphin.r ronrtdnili, which she had caught in some numbers for 

 me at flowers of Xicotiana, she thought little of it. It was put aside in 

 a box, and I am very pleased to say was less damaged than might have 

 been expected. It was bred in the island some years ago from 

 larvfB found on the vine. May 28th I bred a specimen of Dianthnccia 

 conspersa. On my return to the island after my absence for two 

 months I found ( 'allimnrpha hera very common, with a sprinkling of 

 Yar. flavescena. Up to August 11th males of Lauocampa qnercm v^qvq 

 very common, and still in fine condition. This is late, in my experi- 

 ence, for this species in Guernsey. I did but little sugaring, and that 

 only in my garden in town, there were no captures of note, and moths 

 generally scarce. Sphinx convolvuli was not very common at tobacco 

 plants ; I first saw it on August 27th. On August Blst I was some- 

 what surprised to see Catocala nupta flying at nine o'clock in the 

 morning. But the event of the year was the abundance of Laiiijiides 

 boctica from September 1st to 15th, after which the wind and colder 

 weather seem to have destroyed them. Somewhat over 100 speci- 

 mens have been taken in the island, and I could have captured at least 

 50 more in my own garden alone, only that I left these in the hopes 

 that they might be induced to lay upon the scarlet runner beans which 

 they frequented. Females were very scarce, not, I think, seven per 

 cent, of those observed or captured. I made several attempts to get 

 eggs by caging a female with males and food-stuft', but entirely failed. 

 I have also sown seed of Colutva arborescent, both in this garden and 

 country, desiring that future visitors may find provision made for their 

 wants. Many unknown correspondents, in consequence of a letter in 

 the Standard, have been most kind in supplying me with this seed. It 

 was to be regretted that a majority of the specimens were certainly under- 

 sized, the range of diflerence, however, was very remarkable. The 

 largest male I took measures exactly l-50in., and the smallest a trifle 

 under 0-9in. In the case of the females it was much the same, 

 , though I had but few to measure — the largest is l'40in. and the 

 smallest just lin. in expanse. That some, or even many, were small 

 is not strange, considering the very dry summer, but that others, and 

 several, for I have a nice series, were quite large is remarkable. Mr. 

 Lang gives expanse l-10in.-l-33in., and Mr. Kane l-3in.-l"10in. 

 Thus our Guernsey specimens are record sizes. To refer again to 

 other families, on September 7tli I received a splendid Aeherontia 

 atrojios, and for the first time heard this creature squeak — it was so 

 vociferous that I nearly dropped it in astonishment. I have also bred 

 four Diantlioecia luteaijo var. lowei from pupa dug in the spring, a-nd 

 one more D. conspersa and four (jortijna ochraeea. At the end of 

 August I took a few Caradrina anihifiua, at sugar, not very fresh. , I 

 may add that Pijra)neis cardiii and /*. atalanta have been unusually 

 abundant this autumn, as also has Macroijlossa stellatarmn . — Frank E. 

 Lowe, M.A., F.E.S. September dOt/i, 1899. 



