1890.] 87 



The area above this, up fo sub-trapezoidal line is darker than the dorsal area in 

 spadicea, in vaccinii there is not much difference of tint, and there is a tendency in 

 spadicea to darker inter-trapezoidal lozenge markings. 



In vaccinii the spiracles are black ; in spadicea they are paler, with a black 

 margin. 



The suture marking off the clypeus at the lower angle of the impressed trian- 

 gular mark is waved inwards, gently in vaccinii, but with a marked zigzag in spadicea. 



My notes conclude with the statement that the definition of the lateral line and 

 its different colouring, and the darker sub-trapezoidal area in spadicea are definite 

 and constant differences, whilst the others are rather different in degree, and vary 

 somewhat in individuals. — T. A. Chapman, Firbank, Hereford : February, 1890. 



A point concerning hybridization. — In May, 1888, while at Cambridge, I was 

 bi'eeding Smerinthus ocellatvs and tilix at the same time. Wishing to obtain ova, 

 I put two pairs of ocellatus and one pair of tilicB together in a large box, and on 

 looking in the evening found that the ocellatus had all paired. The pairing lasted 

 about twenty hours, and I found them separated late the next afternoon. As far as 

 I could see, the tilia had not paired at all. Later on that evening I looked at them 

 again, and was much astonished to find one ocellatus ? in cop. with the $ tilia. I 

 considered this the more extraordinary as the ? ocellatus had already paired with 

 her natural spouse, and the (? tilirt had selected an already impregnated ? of another 

 species in preference to a virgin ? of its own. A good number of eggs were laid 

 and hatclied in due time ; unfortunately, soon after they had hatched, I had to leave 

 Cambridge, and the larvae were left under the care of a friend. Most of them died 

 whilst in the larval stage ; a few pupated, but these failed to emerge, so I had no 

 chance of observing whether any of the imagines would have shown signs of the 

 cross. I may add, that the ocellatus came from larvae found in Glamorganshire, and 

 the tilim from pupje dug up at Cambridge. — H. W. ViVlAN, Glanafon, Taibach, 

 South Wales : January 3Ut, 1890. 



Some Micro-Lepidoptera of the Chalk Hills near Beading.— 1 spent several 

 afternoons last summer, from the end of June to the middle of July, collecting on 

 the Oxfordshire Chalk Hills near here, and got many species which were very useful 

 to me, and which may be worth mentioning. Roimxasoma nebidella and binrnvella, 

 Tortrix cinnamomeana, EupcecUia flaviciliana, Argyrolepia zephyrana and sub- 

 haumanniana, Conchylis dilucidana, Chrosis alcella, Orthotcenia striana, Euchromia 

 purpurana, with many other commoner species. Also on another hillside I found 

 Phycis or •at ell a and dilutella flying together in plenty at dusk, along with Xantho- 

 setia zwgana.—W. Holland, Southampton Street, Reading : January 2lst, 1890. 



Aciptilia paludum in the Netv Forest. — In a boggy hollow near Lyndhur&t I 

 netted two specimens of this little plume at dusk on the 13th of August, 1889. It 

 was a very windy evening, and this was the only moth I could find moving.— Id. 



Mecyna polygonalis, Tr., in New Zealand. — I do not know to what sources of 

 information Mr. W. W. Smith has access, but unless I am greatly mistaken, his notes 

 under the above heading in the February No. of this Magazine are wholly based on 

 error. I can state positively the following facts : — 



