806 Insects. 



Alcis roboraria Xerene procellata 



Boavmia extersaria Thera simulata 



Ephyra penclularia variata 



trilinearia Macaria liturata, abundant 



Eurymene dolabraria Ennomos flexula 



Cidaria quadrifasciaria Cledeobia costsestrigalis 



miaria, abundant Asopia flamealis 



Harpalyce biangulata Simaethis Myllerana, &c. &c. 



Xerene albicillata 



All the Noctuae, and many of the Geometridae were taken whilst sucking sugar. — 

 Samuel Stevens ; 38, King-street, Covent Garden, September, 1844. 



Note on the capture of Phycita pinguis. I captured, between the 24th of June 

 and the 10th of August, 1844, 102 specimens of Phycita pinguis, all of them from a 

 large ash tree standing on the grounds of the cathedral, where it appeared the eggs 

 had been deposited, as the bark of the tree had been perforated quite through, and 

 on removing some pieces of the bark, I found many in the state ready to expand 

 themselves ; most of them were on the south side of the tree ; they were very quick 

 in flight, and very difficult to take: they appeared to depart to the surrounding gardens 

 and shrubberies, and then return to the tree again. — John Allen; Ely, Cambridgeshire. 



Note on the larva of Cucullia Gnaphalii, Hab. Solidaginis, Stephens. Three 

 larvae of this very rare moth were taken in September, 1843, at Birch wood, by Messrs. 

 Haggar, B. Standish, and J. Standish, each taking one. They all made their appear- 

 ance in the perfect state the following June. — J. W. Douglas. 



Note on the Sociability of Moths. There are some circumstances attending the 

 capture of moths by sugar, which must have fallen under the notice of all who prac- 

 tise that system, but which I have never seen noticed. There are laws of which we 

 are ignorant, which regulate their appearance, flight, and feeding : for on some nights, 

 which former experience would teach should be favourable for their appearance, none 

 are to be seen ; at others, they fly, but do not feed, and more rarely they come to the 

 sugar in quantities. Often does the collector use his most enticing bait on a fine 

 evening without success, though perhaps the previous night moths abounded. There 

 must be a reason for this ; it is, I expect, an electrical state of the atmosphere, which 

 to our organs of sense is not perceptible, that regulates their movements. That pe- 

 culiarity of habit, however, to which I more particularly allude, is best observed on 

 those nights when but few come to the sugar, and then on a dozen trees there will 

 not be one moth, and on the thirteenth there will be six or more of different species. 

 When I first observed this, I attributed it to some greater accidental attraction on 

 one tree, but I have since seen the same kind of thing on the street lamps. It seems 

 to me a curious circumstance, and worthy of attention. — Id. 



Inquiry. Has confinement any effect on the colour of Caterpillars P I found seve- 

 ral of Dasychira pudibunda in different stages towards maturity : some had shed 

 their skins for the last time, others had not. I fed them with the foliage of such 

 trees as I took them from : those that had made their final change retained the same 

 beautiful colours as when I first took them ; but every one that shed its skin in con- 

 finement, became black, the tips of the hairs emitting a very faint purplish tinge. 

 The tuft on the tail, which is usually a bright rose-colour, became a black purple ; 

 insomuch that I was led to suppose they were the caterpillars of a different moth, but 

 they all proved to be I), pudibunda. One had no tuft on the tail when I found it, 



