﻿1870 J 191 



Note on the scarcity of Lepidopteva in 1869. — I have been unable to work well 

 since July ; but, independently of this, the past season appears to me to have been a 

 wretched one for Biuvni and Geometrce. Of No etna I cannot speak, as my health 

 wlil not allow of my sugaring. All the butterflies, except the Lyccenidee, have been 

 scarce. Some of the blues, as Avion and Argiolus, have been unusually abundant, 

 but these are about the ouly exceptions to the general scarcity of Diurni. A 

 common Geometric pest, M . fluctuata, has been quite scarce this season, and even 

 bilineata far from common, compared with its usual abundance. 



One fact respecting the time of appearance of certain species may be worth 

 noticing. Last year, S- tipulifovmis was out in my garden on June 5th and 6th, and 

 I took L. Arion on the next day. This year, I first saw Avion on June 13th or 14th, 

 whereas the clear- wing was not out at all until the last week in June ; I think the 

 27th was the first seen, and yet I watched most carefully for it. This shows only 

 a week's difference between early and late seasons for the Lycoma, and three weeks 

 for the Sesia. — Herbert Marsden, Brook Street, Gloucester. 



Captures of Lepidoptera in Gloucestershire in 1869. — L. Avion, Cotswolds, near 

 Gloucester, much commoner than usual, about June loth; T. W-album, three or 

 four bred ; -4. Atvopos, a few pupa? in October ; M. bombylifovmis, not uncommon 

 early in May ; S. myopceformis, bred, from apple bark, July ; P. Geryon, Cotswolds, 

 near Gloucester, common, May ; B. abietaria, Cotswolds, near Gloucester, not 

 common, July ; A. emarginata, usually a scarce insect here, but took several, 

 August ; Eup. satyrata, only one specimeu, where last year they were very 

 common, Dursley, June ; Eup. subnotata, a few in the suburbs, new to the 

 district ; Eup. isogrammata, a few worn ones flying over clematis, August ; C. 

 ocularis, one bred from pupa? dug last autumn, May 5 X. semibvunnea, four at ivy, 

 October ; E. anguinalis, Cotswolds, May, scarcer than usual ; Botys pandalis and 

 hyalinalis, as usual, pretty common in beech-wood openings on the Cotswolds. — Id. 



Captures of LepidoptevOj, fy'c, in 1869. — The following is a list of some of the 

 Lepidopterous insects I have taken, noticed or bred, during the past season. The 

 several species to which Lytham is given as the locality were captured on Whit- 

 Monday and Whit-Tuesday, May 17th and 18th. 



Thecla W-album : bred a fine series ; larva? from Doncaster. 



Macvoglossa stellatavum : I noticed this species on the cliffs at Scarborough, in July. 



Zygoma lonicevce : on the cliffs at Filey, in July, the former species in profusion. 



Chelonia plantaginis : in the larva state ; Norland moors. 



Arctia fuliginosa : larvae on the sand-hills at Lytham. 



O.fascelina : larvae on the sand-hills at Lytham, but not so commonly as I have 



noticed them in previous years, on other parts of the Lancashire^coast. 

 0. antiqua : a larva brought |to me from near Mirfiold ; this insect, though so 



abundant in most localities, seems to be a scarce species here. 

 Bombyx quercus .- larva? common on the sand-hills at Lytham. 

 B. callunce .- common, Greetland moors and Linthwaite. 

 Boarmia pevfumavia : larva? on ivy at Golcar. 

 Acidalia inornata : bred ; larva? from London. Before hybernation they feed on 



knot-grass, afterwards on dock. 



