156 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Mr. Harwood, writing of C. scrophularicB in 1876 (Entom. ix. 

 233), pointed out that the species ought not to be confounded 

 with C. verhasci, but adds that it is extremely difficult to dis- 

 tinguish between C. scrophulari^ and C. lychnitis ; and on p. 259 

 of the same volume he quotes a letter received from the late 

 Mr. Henry Doubleday in 1870, which shows that at that time few 

 English entomologists were acquainted with the insect called 

 scrophularicB. Mr. Robson also considers that scrophularice 

 "more closely resembles lychnitis thsiU. verhasci" {ante, p. 145). 

 Between thirty and forty years ago, Speyer suggested that 

 lychnitis was only a form of C. scrophularice, a view of the case 

 which has been accepted by other continental entomologists, and 

 Mr. Dobree's remarks upon this subject (Entom. 146) would 

 seem to indicate that he also holds this opinion. Possibly, how- 

 ever, scrophularice may be a form of G. verhasci, and this seems 

 the more probable when we compare Rambur's figures of the 

 respective larvae, and attach a due amount of importance to the 

 facts that the larva of C. lychnitis feeds only on Verhascum, whilst 

 those of C. verhasci and G. scrophularice feed on both Verhascum 

 and Scrophularia, and the imagines of the last two emerge about 

 the same time. Is it too much to hope that those lepidopterists 

 who have the opportunity of conducting such investigations, will 

 be indefatigable in their endeavour to clear away the cloud of 

 doubt and uncertainty which seems to envelope this mysterious 

 "shark?" 



A PRELIMINARY LIST OF THE INSECT-FAUNA OF 



MIDDLESEX. 



Compiled by T. D. A. Cockerell. 



(Continued from p. 143.) 



Subf. Noctuince (sens. str.). 



Agrotis puta, Hb., Hampstead ; Bishop's Wood ; Clutterhouse 

 Lane ; Old Oak Common (Godwin) ; Mill Hill, at sugar (South) ; 

 Harefield (Wall) ; Chiswick (Sich). A. ypsilon, Rott., = suffusa, 

 Hb., Hampstead ; Clutterhouse Lane (Godwin) ; Mill Hill, at 

 sugar (South) ; Hammersmith (Mera) ; Harefield (Wall) ; Clapton 

 (Bacot) ; Chiswick (Sich). A. saucia,* Hb., Hampstead, some 

 seasons scarce, others in dozens (Godwin) ; Mill Hill, at sugar 

 (South) ; Chiswick (Mera). A. segetum, Schiff., Mill Hill (South) ; 

 Tufnell Park (Shepherd) ; Hampstead (Watts) ; Harefield, usually 

 common (Wall) ; Chiswick (Sich) . A. exclamationis,Jj., geneiallj 

 distributed (Godwin) ; Mill Hill (South) ; Bedford Park (Miss E. 

 Sharpe) ; Tufnell Park (Shepherd) ; Hammersmith (Mera) ; 

 South Hampstead (Watts); Harefield (Wall); Dalston (Prout). 



* A. saucia is placed by Prof. J, B. Smith in the genus Peridroma, Hb, 



