NOTES, CAPTtJRES, ETC. )245 



*• Variation of Insects" (Entom. xxii. 177), mentions this peculiarity in 

 Lyccena corydon and L. comyntas, in addition to L. icarua. According to 

 Mr. Tutt's opinion, referred to in the same article, -these dwarfed specimens 

 of L. icarus have been " reared on isolated food-plants insufficient for their 

 needs." — Henry D. Sykes; The Cedars, Enfield, Sept. 21, 1891. 



CucuLLiA ABSINTH IT IN S. Devon. — As it is a local insect, it may 

 interest your readers to know that on August i9th, 22nd, and 31st last, I 

 obtained about twenty young larvse of C. absinth'd by beating Artemisia 

 absinthium, at Slapton in Devonshire. I should be glad to know whether 

 the insect has been taken there before. — Chas. Bartlktt ; Brauscombe, 

 Redland Green, Bristol, Sept. 12, 1891. 



AcRONYCTA ALNi IN SOMERSETSHIRE. — A fortnight siuce a larva of 

 A. alni was found on a dwarf rose tree in my garden. It has since become 

 a pupa, in a slight web. I would wish to note the first appearance of this 

 species in this neighbourhood. — H. W. Livett ; Wells, Somerset, Sept. 8. 



Sphinx convolvuli near York. — A fine example of 8. convolvuU was 

 taken about 8.20 p.m. on September 2nd, at rest on one of the stakes 

 supporting a chrysanthemum, at Lincroft, near York. The night was very 

 dark and warm. — W. Hewett ; 12, Howard Street, York, 



Larva of Hadena pisi. — Yesterday I took several larvae of H.pisi off 

 heather, and naturally supposed they fed on it ; but to-day, while watching 

 them, I found them restless and apparently unsatisfied, though occasionally, 

 vei-y occasionally, one or another would just nibble a leaf or a flower of it. 

 I then remembered that I had before now found the larvae of Saturnia 

 carpini, which are said to feed on heather, on willow ; so I offered a leaf of 

 that plant to one of these H. pisi. It took it at once ; and now they are all 

 feeding on willow as if it were their natural food. I may mention that, 

 besides those I found on heather, I found one on furze and one on a small 

 shrub, the name of which I do not know ; and I noticed this morning that 

 the leaves of this shrub, which I had put with the caterpillars, were 

 entirely eaten, while the furze was untouched. — C. A. Bird; Rosedale, 

 102, Calling Eoad, Hammersmith, W., Sept. 18, 1891. 



Asthena blomeri, &c., in Buckinghamshire. — The Editor notes 

 (Entom. 217) taking two specimens of Asthena blomeri on beech trees in a 

 wood in Buckinghamshire. It may be interesting to some readers to hear 

 that a few days ago I saw a long series taken in the same district and in 

 the same way. My friend who took them was also lucky enough this 

 spring to take a fine series of Tceniocampa leucographa. — K. Marshall ; 

 Sunnyside, Potter's Bar, Sept. 1, 1891. 



LARViE OF Larentia didymata ON WooD-soRREL. — In the last week 

 of April, in a lane near here, I found a number of larvse of this species 

 feeding on the flowers of the wood-sorrel [Oxalis acetosella). The cater- 

 pillars were very numerous, there being several on aluiost every plant of 

 wood-sorrel on each side of the lane for a distance of about half a mile. I 

 took some, and fed them on the sorrel, which they eat readily ; they some- 

 times attacked the leaves, but the flowers setjmed to be their favourite 

 food. They fed-up rapidly, and went down early in June. The first moth 

 appeared on the 4th of July, and the last on the Cth of that month. 

 I could find none of these caterpillars on sorrel, except in this one lane, 



