SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



*59 



CATOCALA FRAXINI IN Enci.AND.— A specimen 

 of this rare moth, known under the English name 

 of "The Clifden Nonpareil." is stated to have been 

 found by a lady on sandhills at Blakeney, Norfolk, 

 about the last week in August. It is probably a 

 migrant from the Continent. 



Larvae of Lycaena Baetica. -1 have had 

 the pleasure this summer of finding the larvae of 

 Lycaena baetica feeding upon the bladder-senna 

 (Coliitea arborescens),an6 I am now breeding some 

 fine specimens of this handsome little tailed-blue 

 butterfly. This plant is not common in our island, 

 so that the butterfly larvae doubtless feed, as 

 elsewhere in Europe, on seed-pods of other Legu- 

 minaceae. — George Baker, 11 Saamarc: Street, 

 Chternsey: September 5th, 1900. 



FASCIAXED Cotoneaster. — I am sending you a 

 remarkably fine case of fasciation. It occurred 

 near Abergele, North Wales, on a shrub of Coton- 

 easter, wherein the lower portion of the stem is 

 normal until within about ten inches from the top, 

 when it begins to broaden and flatten to about 

 three-quarters of an inch wide. The small branches 

 •on the portion of the stem anterior to the fascia- 

 tion are changed into leaflets. The broadening 

 divides near its base, forming a short flat branch 

 in the fasciated portion, both being curled at the 

 ends. — //. Bmmett, 33 Selroyn Street, Shelton, Stoke- 

 on-Trent. 



VANESSA antiopa. — The year 1900 appears to 

 have been favourable to the migratory butterflies, as 

 in addition to the invasion of " Clouded Yellows," 

 mentioned last month, numerous specimens of the 

 " Camberwell Beauty " ( Vanessa antiopa) have 

 been noted. Among the localities are Heme, in 

 North Kent (August 18), Yattendon, Berks 

 (August 18 and September 5), Newlands, North 

 Sussex (August 2t>), Lindfield, Sussex, Bedding- 

 ton, Surrey (August 31), Watlin°', Oxfordshire 

 (August 19), Holt, Norfolk (August 30), and in 

 Huntingdonshire (August 19). These are doubt- 

 less all migrants from the mainland of the Con- 

 tinent. We do not know of any trustworthy 

 instance of the larva of this species occurring in 

 this country during the last half -century. 



New Orchis.— In the Rev. E. F. Linton's " Flora 

 of Bournemouth," referred to ante, page ll(i, men- 

 tion is made of the one thing that prevents this 

 work being a mere, however admirably complete, 

 list of plants and localities, and that is the de- 

 scription of a new form of Orchis, which is separated 

 from the spotted orchis under the name of O. erice- 

 torum, n. sub-sp. It is described as a plant of 

 moist places and bogs on heaths, and is said to 

 range from the extreme north of Britain to the 

 south coast, and is also found in Ireland and the 

 Channel Isles. A number of characters are 

 enumerated as distinct from typical Orchis macu- 

 lata, but whether these are of such value as to 



give iib-specific rank to this heathland form is 

 a doubtful matter; though, indeed, the Rev. E. V. 

 Linton seems to be of the opinion thai it should 

 take specific rank, if further study shows its dis- 

 tinctive features. to be constant. Whatever maj 

 be its status, Orchis ericetorum Linton is certainly 

 a plant to be Looked for ne :1 seasoi . and in this 

 connection I may mention that during the past 

 summer my friend. Mr. Jas, Holloway, b 

 under my notice a very distinct-looking form of 

 Orchis maculata, found growing in bogs in i 

 Forest, which I now think may prove to be the 

 Orchis ericetorum. The variability of Orchis 

 maculata has in the past received notice in i In- 

 pages of Science-Gossip, notably in the article 

 by Dr. G. H. Bryan in L896 (vol. iii., U.S., p. 17.".). 

 when' are figured examples of variation of the 

 labellum. Some of the figures no doubt illustrate 

 Orchis ericetorum, which is, I believe, certainly 

 indicated in the first paragraph of the second 

 column on p. 175. — C. E. Britton, 35 Dugdale Street, 

 Camberwell. 



Coleoptera near Carlisle. — Having during 

 the last few months taken some interesting beetles 

 in this district, I thought a few notes on same 

 might be of interest to some of your readers. 

 Nebria gyllenhalii is common under stones in our 

 mountain streams. Lebia ehlorocepliala by pulling 

 grass tufts in winter; not common. Taphria 

 nivalis running on roads ; two specimens only. 

 Anisodactylus binotatus occurs locally under stones 

 and running on roads in spring. Bembidiuvi 

 rufescens, B. acneum, B. minimum. Ji. decorum, 

 B.tibiale, B. atrocoeruleum, and B. saxatilc are all 

 locally common. B. schuppelii, J! monUcola, JJ. 

 lunat'tim, B. stomoides, and B. pahtdosum are rarer, 

 and generally extremely local. Agabus guitatus is 

 common, and A. femoralis is also common, but 

 local. Conosoma inimaculatus occurs rarely in 

 putrid fungi. Taehinus collaris was very abundant 

 in flood refuse. In about an hour I got some 

 seventy sjaecimens. Bolitobius atricapillus, B. 

 trinotatus, and B. pygmaeus occur in fungi. Staphy- 

 linus erythropteru,s is sometimes found running on 

 roads and at tree-roots in winter. Stenus guttula 

 is common near water. Pselaphus heisei and Tych us 

 niger occur among Sphagnum moss. Cholera 

 longula, one specimen sitting on a blade of grass. 

 Paramecosoma melamocephalum, not uncommon in 

 grass tufts and flood refuse. A /tatis ocellata, some- 

 times beaten commonly from fir-branches. Athous 

 niger, uncommon, generally by sweeping. Podabrus 

 alpinus and Ancistronycha abdominalis are local 

 and rare TelepJtorws figuratus is very local, but 

 abundant about the end of June. Barynotus 

 moerens is not uncommon on Dogs" Mercury. 

 Pissodes pini, fourteen specimens found sitting on 

 the undersides of fir-logs. Apian carduorum, A. 

 striatum, A. seniculum, A. friimcnturiiim, A. nigri- 

 tnrsc, and A. humile are common, and .1. affine, 

 A. gyllenhalii, and A. viciae are local. Wvynchites 

 aeneovirens, not common, were beaten from haw- 

 thorn. Ghrammoptera tabacicolor and G. ruficomis 

 both occurred, the latter very commonly. Lema 

 melanopa- occurred occasionally by sweeping. 

 Chrysbmela hyperici is rare. Cryptocephalus labia- 

 tus, one specimen beaten from birch in June. Taken 

 all in all. this year up to that month has been 

 favourable for the Coleopterist, some groups — as 

 the Longhorns, for instance— being more in evi- 

 dence than is usual. — Jas. Murray, 11 Close Street. 

 Carlisle. 



