NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 233 



The best additions to the Alton list were Gosmia pyralina and 

 Palimpsestis octogesima in single specimens, with Noctua stigmatica, 

 etc., and a beautiful series of Eurois prasina in very fresh condition. 

 In every season one or more species of the commoner Lepidoptera is 

 apt to predominate in numbers to an unusual degree. This season I 

 was struck by the exceptional numbers of Ligdia adustata in May. 

 The puzzling thing about this insect is the apparent discrepancy 

 between its abundance and the scarcity of its food-plant. I had the 

 curiosity to examine the hedges of a lane where it flew out of every 

 bush one tapped, and in a quarter of a mile I could only detect two 

 scrubby little bushes of Euonymus. Other unusually abundant 

 species were Euchelia jacobaeae and Leucama conigera— the latter a 

 perfect pest at light and at flowers in the garden. On the other 

 hand, I have seen but one single specimen of Spilosoma lubricipeda 

 in four years here ! Can it be growing scarce ? S. menthastri turns 

 up at light as usual. It would be interesting to learn if others have 

 had the same experience, or if the scarcity is merely local. — E. A. C. 

 Stowell ; Alton, Hants. 



Notes from E. Kent (Lep.). — Melitaea athalia : Visiting a home 

 of these insects on June 13th I found larvae in plenty, nearly full- 

 grown, also plenty of pupae ; on the same day imagines were on the 

 wing. I netted about three dozen ; all being typical I retained none. 

 On June 24th I took a nice variety ; the anterior wings have a small 

 patch of brownish-orange at the basal area ; the centres are obscured 

 by a deep black band three-eighths of an inch wide at the costa, 

 extending across to the dorsal margin, followed by six deep orange 

 marks forming a narrow band ; the outer margin has a deep black 

 band one-eighth of an inch wide with usual fringes. The specimen 

 is otherwise normal. I do not think this variety is mentioned in 

 South's British Butterflies. Colias croceus (ediisa) : First noticed 

 here on July 30th, when four specimens were taken. Between that 

 date and August 20th ten others, including one \zx.heiice, occurred. 

 In 1921 I took thirty-two G. hyale, but saw no croceus. This season 

 I have seen no hyale. Sphinx convolimli : September 1st a large $ 

 in fine condition was found in garden, resting during daylight, on 

 foliage of Nicotiana affinis. On September 2nd a 9 was netted at 

 dusk hovering over the same plant. September 3rd, 9 at dusk and 

 two others seen. September 5th, one $ and one other seen. Sep- 

 tember 11th, netted a large 9 very much worn. — H. G. Gomm ; 

 Westbrook, Margate. 



COLIAS CROCEUS AND OTHER LEPIDOPTERA IN CUMBERLAND.— On 



August 29th I was shown a living specimen of G. croceus by tin- 

 inevitable small boy, who had taken it about ten minutes previously 

 and asked me if I could identify it for him. On September 1st and sub- 

 sequent dates my son and I obtained specimens, all of which were in 

 very beautiful condition. These were all netted on the shores of the 

 Solway, and they appear to be confined to a very restricted locality ; 

 they were generally flying among the marram grass a short distance 

 above high-water mark ; we found none in the clover fields. Il/jwrnla 

 jacobaeae used to be found in a few restricted localities in this 

 county, but has gradually disappeared from them, and appears to 

 have approached extinction. We found, however, tho larva' swarming 



ENTOM. — OCTOBER, 1922. 



