116 
OCCURRENCE OF XANTHIA AURAGO IN 
SOUTH YORKSHIRE IN 1893. 
WILLIAM HEWETT, 
York. 
Wuitst looking over the collection of Messrs. Brooks and Bloor, 
of Rotherham, a few weeks ago, I noticed several examples of 
X. aurago, including two specimens of the variety fucata, which had 
been obtained by them whilst shaking ivy-blossom into their 
umbrellas, on the night of the 30th September, in a wood situate at 
a short distance from Rotherham. Both gentlemen very kindly 
furnished me with full particulars as to capture, etc., of which the 
following is a résumé:—Time, about 7 p.m.; wind blowing from 
south-west, and so strong that ei ot could only be kept up 
by dint of great exertion; rain falling heavily and rendering it 
necessary to frequently empty the umbrellas of water as well as 
discarded insects. 
our specimens were secured on this occasion, and ten more on 
subsequent evenings up to the 8th October. With the exception of 
the first capture, not more than two. were taken on one night. 
Others would doubtless have been obtained, but that the X. aurago 
were at first taken for light forms of Anchocelis rufina. The species had 
evidently been out some little time when first discovered. Mr. Brooks 
informs me that as soon as X. aurago falls into the umbrella it 
rapidly ascends the side in order to escape. Cerastis vaccinit, 
A. rufina, and X. Serruginea were all common at the ivy-blossom. 
Mr. G. T. Porritt, in his useful list of ‘ Yorkshire Lepidoptera,’ 
published in 1883, says of X. aurago:—'‘A great rarity, and gives 
‘Sheffield, 1859 and 1860’ and ‘York,’ the latter place on the 
authority of Stainton’s Manual (but neither date nor captor are ~ 
given), as the only localities in which it had been taken. 
Mr. H. H. Corbett records its occurrence at Doncaster last 
season. The Rotherham record (proving as it does that the species 
is well established with us), is therefore of great interest to Yorkshire 
entomologists generally, and I should here like to urge upon all of 
them to keep a sharp look-out for it next autumn, especially those 
resident in South Yorkshire ; if this be done, I doubt not but that 
we shall hear of it during 1894. 
February 23rd, 1894. genome 
Naturalist, 
