1890.1 255 



Occurrence of Plusia moneta, Fab., in Great Britain. — It is a rather curious 

 fact, but one well established, that those seasons which are remarkable for unfavoura- 

 ble weather and consequent scarcity of insects, are also noticeable for the occurrence 

 of unexpected novelties or rarities. Possibly the wretched weather (which is not 

 usually confined to these islands) induces restlessness on the part of insects, and a 

 desire to " better their position " by migration, and so an influx of strangers comes 

 about. 



This season the interesting visitor appears to be Plusia moneta, Fab., of which 

 a specimen has already been recorded this year in another magazine. The first 

 specimen noticed was taken hovering over a Delphinium blossom in a garden at 

 Dover, by a schoolboy, on the evening of June 25th. It was brought to Mr. Sydney 

 Webb, in whose collection it now is. Another was taken by Mr. W. Holland flying 

 about a gas lamp at a railway station near Reading, on the night of July 2nd, and 

 is now before me. It is a beautiful specimen, but paler than Mr. Webb's and not 

 quite so large, the latter being of the largest size usually attained by the species. 

 This is a most lovely species, as large as P. orichalcea, almost the whole of the fore- 

 wings being of a pale yellowish-brown or yellowish-grey, suffused with pale golden, 

 with a narrow, darker golden-brown, central band or irregular fascia. The greater 

 part of the hinder margin is broadly tinged with violet. The orbicular stigma is 

 nearly round, bright golden, and beneath it is a similar spot of the same colour, the 

 two forming a sort of 8 mark, or two tiny yellow coins — hence the name. The 

 hind- wings are pale grey with darker nervures ; the palpi are long and somewhat 

 recurved. 



Plusia moneta is widely distributed in Europe, and is said by Kirby chiefly to 

 frequent mountainous districts. It occurs in the east and south of France, and 

 much interest would attach to any information attainable as to whether it has thia 

 year been noticed in the northern or western portions of that country. It is a most 

 welcome addition to our fauna, and as its food-plant, the monkshood (Aconitum), 

 grows in every cottage garden, there seems no especial reason why it should not 

 become a permanent resident. — Chas. Q-. Babeett, 39, Linden Grove, Nunhead, 

 S.E. : September 15th, 1890. 



Eulepia cribrum. — What is the food of this species ? It is generally supposed 

 to be heath, but is this the case ? Towards the end of last June, Mr. Y. Gerrard 

 kindly sent me some eggs from the New Forest ; I gave the young larvse heath, 

 Calluna vulgaris and Erica cinerea,hu.t they were very restless, I could not see that 

 they touched it, and some died. I then put in also some grasses, Poa annua and 

 Aira flexuosa, when they seemed to settle and one or two passed their first moult. 

 My observations were brought to an end by the pot in which they were, being upset 

 from the low shelf on which it stood. On looking at Mr. Buckler's figures, vol. iii, 

 pi. xlvi, I observed that the larv£B are represented on a fine leaved wiry grass. I 

 see that Festuca duriuscula is given as the food of E. grammica, so very probably 

 that species or F. ovina would be eaten by F. cribrum. I shall be glad of any 

 information on this point. — E. N. Bloomfield, Guestling Rectory: Aug. Ydth, 1890. 



[Freyer, vol. ii, p. 56, thus writes of Bombi/x cribrum : " We are indebted to 

 Herr Konewka (after whom the variety of Arctia viUica was named Koneivkai), of 



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