138 '^^y- 



at the bottoms of dingles or at sheltered path sides, and close by — where the lovely 

 " demoiselles " {Calopteryx) were sporting — was to be found the far more local 

 Osmylus chrysops, flitting like a faint shadow under the bushes, quite within the 

 deep bed of the rivulet. Here also among the blackthorn bushes the queer Orthopt- 

 eron, Bfafta lajjponica, ran swiftly over the leaves and flitted from bush to bush ; 

 and a far more welcome prize turned out, a fine specimen of Macrochila fasciellus . 

 On the slopes, Botys }}andalis and Argyrolepia Baumanniana were not scarce, and 

 the latter could be disturbed at ail times in all the open parts of the woods, by no 

 means restricting its flight to sunset, as is the habit of its allies. Among the 

 aspens in the afternoon flew Pltoxopteryx latana (ramana) looking like a tiny snow- 

 flake, P. diminutana was among the sallows, where also, just before I left, occurred a 

 single Lohesia Servlllana ; and Penthina prmlongana and Stigmonota Oermarana 

 CpunctlcostanaJ occurred, also singly, among birch and oak respectively. Here 

 Catoptria Albersana flew commonly, about sunset. Old isolated fir-trees furnished a 

 few (Ecophora Panzerella with, of course, Macaria Uturafa and Eetinia pinivorana, 

 and having been so long away from woods of this sort, I was even well-pleased 

 again to see such ordinary species as Acidalia candidata, Ephyra porata, Venilia 

 maciilata, Eupithecia satyrata, and Platypteryx lacertula. The resemblance of a 

 specimen of the last named, at rest upon a grass culm under a birch tree, to a brown 

 and twisted leaf of birch was something wonderful. It must be seen to be fully 

 appreciated. 



All this while the principal object of search was not forgotten. The woods and 

 coppices were ransacked for Madopa salicalis, undergrowth — sallow especially — 

 thrashed and even trampled through, and long grass disturbed in every probable 

 spot, but to no purpose, not a specimen was seen, and I greatly fear that it has died 

 out from its old haunts. In one of these haunts a long search revealed nothing 

 whatever except a female Sesiafuciformis laying her eggs on honeysuckle, but far 

 too wary to be approached.— C. G. Barrett, London : 1890. 



The unique specimen of Pyralis pictalis, Curtis. — One of the most interesting in- 

 sects which we saw when at Liverpool was the original specimen of Pyralis pictalis, 

 Curt., a fine and perfect specimen, agreeing accurately with the figures by Curtis and 

 Noel Humphrey. It is in the collection of Mr. Robertson, who is mentioned by Curtis 

 and others as its captor ; the whole collection, which is of considerable interest, 

 bein» carefully preserved by Mrs. Robertson. Mr. G. Robertson, her son, writes : — 

 " My father died in 1853, and for several years befoi'e his death was unable to do 

 anything in the way of collecting. Pyralis pictalis was found in a house near 

 Poplar in Ji^iy. My father lived in Limehouse, which adjoins Poplar. I remember 

 that there was a small society which used to meet at each other's houses, but it was 

 80 small that I do not think any record was kept, b\it I recollect Messrs. Chant and 

 Bentley as coming to the house." 



This account of the moth is in agreement with tliat of Curtis and Westwood. 

 Pictalis is recorded also by Guenee in his " Pyralites," on the authority of Mr. H. 

 Doubleday ; this specimen being the only one referred to, Guenee suggests that it is 

 in all probability a native of the Indies, and places it between two species from 

 Central India. The close proximity of Limehouse to the East India Docks, and the 



