1890.] 187 



It seems to me that Deilephila lineata is the only Deilephila which 

 lives through the winter in our islands. B. celerio is taken very late 

 in the year, even in November, but, as far as my memory serves me, 

 no spring specimens are ever recorded. 



MacrofjJossa stellatm'um regularly hibernates, coming into houses 

 or barns where it may find a winter shelter ; whether these examples 

 are all females, or both sexes mixed, is unknown to me. 



SarrotJiripa revayana sleeps through the colder months, to re- 

 appear in the evenings of early spring. None of the Bomhycidcd or 

 [ ArctiidcB hibernate, as before said ; where there is no mouth it would 

 be physically impossible for them to do so, as there could be no store 

 of nutriment laid up for the system to feed upon. 



Agrotis. — Mr. Hellins always thought that A. svffusa lived through 

 the winter, but the evidence of this never seemed to me quite sufficient ; 

 sujfusa, it is well known, can be taken at sugar or ivy bloom up to a 

 very late period of the year, and it may be caught again in May, but 

 these specimens are, according to my idea, an early brood ; and the 

 same may be said of segetum, save that the autumn examples of A. 

 segetiim do not seem to occur every season. Agrotis saucia has also 

 a brood in May. 



Laphygma exigua undoubtedly lives through the winter, and is 

 occasionally caught on sallow blooms ; my late brother took one in 

 June at sugar, close by Teignmouth, this was clearly a hibernated 

 specimen. 



Cerastis vaccinii, spadicea, and erythrocephala all live in a torpid 

 or semi-torpid state during the winter months, and so do Dasycampa 

 ruhiginea and Scopelosoma satellitia : the phrase semi-torpid was used 

 advisedly, because Cerastis vaccinii and Scopelosoma satellitia are not, 

 according to my experience, very rare in holes and crevices of walls 

 during December and January, and these specimens are only half 

 asleep. 



Oporinia croceago, like the Glcece, hibernates, and is taken on the 

 sallow blossoms in early spring. 



All the five British Xylince live through the winter, and lay their 

 eggs in spring, so also do Oalocampa exoleta and C. vetusta ; my own 

 knowledge is limited to the following facts, that the two GalocamfcB 

 and X. semihrunnea have been caught by me in April or May, and that 

 the freshly-laid and fertile eggs of X. furcifera, X. petrificata, and X. 

 rJiizolitha have been sent to me in early spring ; my information about 

 X. lambda is only from books. 



