﻿1369.] 145 



When full-fed, the larva spins a long cocoon in a perpendicular position in the 

 sand, and attached at right angles to the tube, the upper end being, I believe, 

 close to the surface ; but this is a condition liable to constant alteration from the 

 action of the wind. 



On this occasion (July 19th), I found a few of the moths on the sand, and 

 several emerged from the cocoons before I got home. 



Ten days afterwards, as they did not emerge by any means as freely as I had 

 hoped, I went to Yarmouth again, and found a few cocoons still containing pupae, 

 and a large number of the moths sitting on the bare sand, generally at the bottom 

 of a foot mark or other slight depression which would shelter them from the wind. 

 Hardly a specimen was to be seen on a grass blade, and to this habit of sitting on 

 the bare sand under the direct rays of the sun, I attribute their almost invariably 

 faded appearance. 



To capture them it was only necessary to carefully examine the sand, and box 

 them when found ; no net was necessary, as they very seldom attempted to fly. 

 More sluggish moths I have seldom seen, and it is not to be wondered at that the 

 species remains excessively local. It seems to continue out a long time, as I took 

 a specimen as late as August 20th. 



On my first and second visits I also found a few cocoons of Agrotis cursoria, 

 compact and egg-shaped, and the little stumpy ones of Anerastia lotella, and of the 

 latter species the perfect insects were very common. Among them were two or 

 three lovely varieties : one, very rare, dark grey with a broad whitish costal 

 streak, another bright reddish with a similar streak, and a third reddish with 

 greyish white veins. 



Except a specimen of Gelechia distinctella,, nothing else of moment occurred 

 on these two visits, but, on August 20th, the Agrotes being out, I obtained the most 

 lovely varieties I ever saw of cursoria and tritici, both of which were very abundant ; 

 pracox and aquilina also occurred but rarely ; Crambus latistrius, which one generally 

 associates with extensive heaths, was not scarce ; and the lazy little Eubolia lineolata, 

 (2nd broad) was constantly to be seen flying a few yards, and then lying on its side 

 on the sand with its wings up, feigning death. — Charles G. Barrett, Norwich, 

 16th October, 1869. 



Cymatophora ocularis, Xylomyges conspicillaris, §"c, near Worcester. — Of five 

 pupae of Cymatophora ocularis I obtained last autumn, two attained the perfect 

 state on the 25th of May, proving to be male and female, and paired about 10 p.m. 

 on the same day ; by 7 o'clock next morning they had separated. During the 

 night of the 25th the female deposited ten eggs, on that of the 29th ten more, and 

 several more on that of the 30th. She was quite lively for nearly a week after, but 

 laid no more eggs. I fed her on sugar moistened with wine. The larva? hatched 

 out during the 8th, 9th, and 10th of June, coming forth by day and night indiffer- 

 ently. Half of them have since died, the others are doing well. I have forwarded 

 two or three to a gentleman who will, if all be well, in due time give an account of 

 them. The eggs were rather large in proportion to the moth, somewhat flattened, 

 in colour bluish-white ; they were deposited on the upper-side of the leaves of 

 poplar (a twig of which I enclosed with the moth), near the edge, towards the 

 petiole. 



