838 THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD. 
could be said to approach black. Hypenodes costaestrigalis was 
commoner than I have ever before seen it and I set some fifty 
specimens. Of species hitherto unrecorded for North Staffordshire, I 
took two, viz., Agrotis obscura and Pyralis glaucinalis, whilst Xylophasia 
scolopacina was taken, a species, of which only one example had 
hitherto been recorded. Besides Venusia cambrica and Hupithecia 
debiliata, Hucosmia undulata was in much greater numbers than usual. 
From August 9th-12th I visited Cannock Chase for Stilbia anomala 
and Melanthia bicolorata, which, strange to say, were both below their 
average numbers. As sugar towards the end of August was of little 
use, I used, as I have before noted (ante., p. 273), a strong light in a 
peat-bog with much success, and obtained—on August 28th, three 
Luperina cespitis, one Epione apiciaria, and numbers of Noctua rubi 
and Phibalapteryx vittata; on the 29th, one Trichiura crataegi, one & 
Ennomos tiliaria and many P. vittata and N. rubi (unfortunately on this 
night I was obliged to leave the spot at 9 p.m., before L. cespitis began to 
fly) ; on August 30th, a very cold night and rather starlight, only a few 
P. vittata and N. rubi occurred, and moths ceased to fly at 9 p.m.; on the 
31st, wind west and very rainy, twenty-two L. cespitis, two T. crataeqi, 
and many N. rubi and P. vittata; on September. 1st, wind north, 
twelve L. cespitis, eight or ten P. vittata and N. rubi, but nothing 
came after 11 p.m., whilst nearly all the L. cespitis appeared to be quite 
freshly emerged specimens. With the exception of one specimen 
the insect has not been recorded from here before, and the date strikes 
me as being very late. For attracting the moths, I used a large duplex 
petroleum lamp in square glass box, something like a street lamp, and 
no upright sheet. Many of the insects settled or fluttered on the 
glass and were easily boxed. On the ground in front, I had a large 
white sheet on which most of the L. cespitis dropped and waited to 
have the box put over them; they then immediately walked up and 
rested on the side of the box. Most of the N. rubz, too, were quite 
fresh specimens, and certainly belonged to a very late second brood. 
Of the Plusias all but P. gamma have been unusually scarce this year in 
this neighbourhood. I may further add that since my note (untea, 
p- 278) [have had two larvee of Acherontia atropos brought to me, one on 
October 5th, and one on October 10th. ‘The latter does not seem 
healthy, as, though it has turned colour, it has not yet gone down, 
and seems sluggish ; I expect it has been hurt. The former is still small, 
and feeds on jasmine, as potato leaves are now hard to get. On the 
evening of October 9th it poured, but sugar was exceedingly good for 
moths :—HKighteen Calocampa exoleta, six Miselia oxyacanthae ab. 
capucina, two Anchocelis macilenta, A. rwfina abundant, and in all 
manners of condition; Orrhodia vaccinwi swarming, a few Scopelosoma 
satellitia, and two quite fresh Peridroma saucia, a species | have only 
taken here once previously. We get no really good autumn moths, even . 
Calocampa vetusta has only been taken three times. Larva-beating has 
been profitable,-in two days I obtained over 70 larvee of Hadena con- 
tiyua, besides about a dozen of those of Letocampa dictaeoides, a great 
many Cymatophora duplaris, a fair number of Notodonta dromedarius, 
N. camelina, Hypsipetes impluviata and Hupisterta heparata, whilst 
Amphidasys betularia larvee were especially abundant.—F’.C. Wooprorpg, 
Market Drayton, Salop. October 10th, 1900. 
AutumnaL Leprmpoprera in Guernsey.—On July 24th I watched 
