2178 Insects. 



List of Captures of Rare Insects in the Neiv Forest. — T have just returned from a three 

 weeks' stay at Lyndhurst, in the New Forest, and have been fortunate enough to meet 

 with several rare species. The season appears a most favourable one ; and, from the 

 numbers of larvae that occurred on the oaks and thorns, I think entomologists may 

 this year expect to reap an abundant harvest. My best captures were the following. 



LEPIDOPTERA. 



Stauropus fagi. One male, trunk of an oak, May 20. 



Penthophora nigricans, Curtis. This insect, of which there appears some doubt as 

 to its true name, I found cases of, both near Ringwood and Lyndhurst, attached 

 to the points of the heath and gorse, the third and last week in May. It was just the 

 time to take them, as they were in pupae, for not many days after they made their ap- 

 pearance in the perfect state, the female (previously unknown) looking more like a 

 maggot than a complete insect, having neither wings or legs, or at least only the ru- 

 diments of minute legs. I obtained more than one hundred cases, but have only 

 as yet reared fourteen males and about two dozen females : they are very slow in 

 making their appearance, and always emerge from chrysalis (the males) between five 

 and seven in the afternoon. The attractive power of this — in my eyes — not very 

 beautiful lady, was singularly displayed one evening in the garden of the cottage I 

 was at, which was more than half a mile from the heath, and where it was not likely 

 any of the males could have been ; however, it appears for about a quarter of an hour 

 the garden was quite alive with them, from the numbers settling and flying round the 

 box in which I had the cases, which I always kept out of doors and in the sun. 

 I most unfortunately was not at home at the time, but the woman at the cottage secured 

 one in a pill-box ; but what is strange, they never came again, although I purposely 

 left several females in the cage. I have had several pair, which takes place with the 

 male within a quarter of an hour of emerging from chrysalis ; in fact, as soon as he 

 has dried his wings, he inserts his body into the case of the female till nothing is ob- 

 servable but his wings and head, and remains not more than half an hour in coitu : 

 the female comes out of her case the following day, after laying all her eggs in the 

 case. I shall try to establish a colony on one of our heaths near London. I don't 

 think they occur near town, as I cannot suppose we could have overlooked them, they 

 stand out so conspicuous on the heath and furze. 



Dypterygia pinastri. One, at sugar, May 29. 



Mcesia favillacearius. One male, on Lyndhurst Common, May 27, in the 

 evening. 



Cleora viduaria. This beautiful species I found spread over the forest between 

 Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst, but it was rare. I was only able to obtain seventeen 

 specimens, all males, and I devoted several hours every day scraping down the trunks 

 of the oak trees with a stick in search of them : this is a most successful plan to obtain 

 some of the rarer species ; it has the effect, generally, to make them fly off ; otherwise, 

 being so much the colour of the bark and lichen, they would remain unobserved. 



Cleora cinctaria. This is more local than viduaria, but is rather more abundant, 

 and obtained the same way. I took forty-two specimens, but only one male, which I 

 suspect was full late, for they generally frequent the small oaks, and I found most of 

 my specimens on the north side of Wallace's enclosure, in open parts of the forest : 

 this, as far as I was able to judge, is decidedly the best part for collecting. 



