THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 421 



thai of the caterpillars of Anticlea sinuata, of which above 

 fifty specimens have been taken by different people following 

 my directions. Having had a couple of caterpillars given me 

 by Mr. Browne, of Cambridge, and having subsequently swept 

 three more from Galium verum, T watched them carefully, 

 and found that they never touched the flowers of the plant, 

 but fed entirely on the young seed-vessels and their stalk, as 

 soon as the flower was off. I have had three in my sweeping- 

 net at once from Galium verum in this condition. Why is it 

 that A. sulphuralis, A. rubricata and A. sinuata are almost 

 confined to the sandy districts in Cambridgeshire, Suffolk 

 and Norfolk, their food-plants being of far more general 

 occurrence? I conjecture, in answer to this question, that 

 these larvae are all feeble, and cannot enter the ground where 

 the soil is hard or stiffs hence their selection of a sandy 

 locality. Has the larva of L. grisearia ever been found in a 

 wild state on Erysimum cheiranthoides ? I have seen and 

 taken many on Sisymbrium Sophia. — [Rev.\ A. H. IVratis- 

 law ; School Hall, Bury St. Edmunds, August 31, 1871. 



Polia nigrocincta. — During the past week I have had the 

 pleasure of taking two fine specimens of this insect from my 

 breeding-box. — R. Kay ; Bury, August 19, 1871. 



Butalis cicadella at IVeyhridge. — On Saturday, the 1st of 

 July, I caught, I may say accidentally, an example of this 

 exceedingly rare British species, on the heath, near Wey- 

 bridge Station. I believe specimens have been taken by 

 Mr. S. Stevens, but I know not the locality. The original 

 individual was taken at Brandon, in Suffolk, many years 

 since, by Mr. Dunning. — R. M'Lachlan; Lewisham, July 

 10, 1871.— £". M. M. 



Acentropus niveus.—l have this season discovered a spot 

 for this small, local, and peculiar insect. Strange to say 

 I had not observed it before, though it is not uncommon on 

 several parts of the river. Has this season been an 

 exceptional one for it in its usual haunts? Its flight is one 

 of the most peculiar with which I am acquainted, as it never 

 seems to leave the surface of the water, but swiftly flutters its 

 tiny wings, and, in the dusk of evening, looks almost as if it 

 was swimmmg about here and there. At such times it is 

 only to be got with a water-net ; but in the day-time it will 

 be found settled on the under side of leaves, &c., close to the 



