212 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



[Mr. Edward Saunders (Ent. Mo. Mag. xxii. 94) records the 

 occurrence of a number of dead or dying humble-bees on the 

 ground under a lime tree in August, 1885. " Nearly every speci- 

 men appeared to have been killed in the same manner, having a 

 large hole in the upper surface of the thorax, and another at the 

 apex of the abdomen, the apical segments being removed." For 

 some time he was unable to discover any clue to the possible 

 cause of mutilation ; but at length he noticed the carcase of a 

 bee to fall from a branch of the tree upon which a bird, subse- 

 quently determined to be the great tom-tit, was disporting itself. 

 The writer adds: — "Although I have no positive evidence 

 whereby to convict Farm major, I think the probabilities of his 

 being the culprit are so strong that it is hardly necessary to seek 

 further for the murderer of these humble innocents." — Ed.I 



A CATALOGUE OF THE LEPIDOPTEKA OF IRELAND. 



By W. F. de Vismes Kane, M.A., M.R.I.A., F.E.S. 



(Continued from p. 162.) 



CucuLLiA UxMBRATiCA, L. — Universally common, and variable 

 in colour and markings. Var. tanaceti, Haw., seems to corre- 

 spond with a large number of our males, and many of our 

 females would rank as var. lucifuga, Haw. Var. lactuccB is a not 

 uncommon form also, of dark grey streaked with lighter ; the 

 hind wings brown, with a paler base. 



GoNOPTEBA LiBATRix, L. — Common in most localities. 



Habrostola TRIPARTITA, Hufii. — Widely distributed, but 

 rarely numerous, so far as my experience goes. In most places 

 more common than H. triplasia. Some examples have the 

 ground colour dark brown, but in others it is almost black. The 

 var. urtic(Sy Hb., which approximates the latter species in the 

 suppression of pale markings, I have not met with. Localities : 

 — Howth, &c., Co. Dublin; and in Co. Wicklow; Cromlyn 

 (Mrs.B.) and Killynon {Miss B.), Co. Westmeath ; Drumreaske, 

 Monaghan, rare ; Favour Royal, Tyrone, rare ; Sligo, rather 

 abundant {R.) ; Coolmore, Co. Donegal (J.) ; about Derry, 

 rather rare (C) ; Carlingford and Castle Bellingham, Co. Louth 

 {T horn] till) ; Enniskillen, rare; common near Belfast [W.) ; 

 Clonbrock, common {R.E.D.), and at Ardrahan and elsewhere 

 in Co. Galway. 



Habrostola TRIPLASIA, L. — Widely distributed, but some- 

 what scarce. Derry, abundant (C) ; Castle Bellingham, Co. 

 Louth, abundant {Thornhill) ; Belfast, abundant (IF.); Carling- 

 ford and Armagh, scarce {J.) ; Coolmore, Co. Donegal, scarce 



