Lepidoptera in Roxburghshire. By Adam Elliot. 151 



represented by all the known species ; Velleda and Sylvinus being 

 especially abundant in some particular years. Of the Notodon- 

 tidse, Harpyia Vinula is generally distributed but scarce ; Noto- 

 donta Dromedcwius and Zic%ac moderately common, the larvae of 

 the former on birch, and of the latter on Salix Caprcea ; of Leio- 

 cam/pa Dictcea on poplar, and Dictaeoides on birch, the latter a 

 scarce species, but in two localities I have gathered the larvae, and 

 bred the imagoes. Lophopteryx Camelina on oak and Salix 

 Caproea, is a rather common and generally distributed species, 

 the imagoes showing considerable variation. Pygcera Bucephala 

 with its gregarious larvae, which occurs so abundantly in some 

 places, is not common in Eoxburghshire. Of the Liparidce we 

 have Dasychira Fascelina and Bemas Coryli : the latter I have bred 

 from larvae on sallow and sloe, and although a scarce insect, it 

 seems to be generally distributed. The common species of the 

 Lithosidae — Nudaria Mundana — is generally abundant. In the 

 Chelonidae, Euthemonia Russula has been taken in the western 

 district. Nemeophila Plantaginis, which I found in two different 

 localities, is a very local insect ; and when it does occur is con- 

 fined to a few acres of moorland, and not even then visible every 

 season. Bomhyx Quercus, var. Callunce does not appear to be 

 very general in its distribution : in this district I have only found 

 it on moorland in the higher parts of the Oxnam valley, and 

 have bred a fine series of specimens from larvae taken there, 

 which I reared exclusively on hawthorn and poplar. The ima- 

 goes from these are remarkably large, the female measuring 3^ 

 inches across the expanded wings. Saturnia Carpini^ the soli- 

 tary representative of the Saturnidae, is found on every moor- 

 land: it seems specially subject to the attacks of parasitic Dip- 

 tera and Ichneumonidae, and from this cause is decreasing in 

 some localities. 



In the large group of the Noctuae, the pretty species, Thyatira 

 Batis occurs, but not commonly, and the same may be said of 

 Acronycta Ligustri. In the autumn of 1880 I took two specimens 

 of Nonagria Lutosa, the best species we have of the Leucanidse. 

 Luperina Testacea may be frequently seen flying swiftly over the 

 hill-sides at dusk in August. Mamestra Furva, easily confounded 

 with vars. of closely allied species, is occasionally to be met with, 

 and Celcena Haworthii in the higher mountain localities. I took 

 several specimens of Caradrina Blanda in the summer of 1881, 

 being the best species we have of the Caradrinidae. In the Noc- 



