Insects. 1803 



to emerge, though well formed, I stripped off the dry shell, after which they died. I 

 have stated (Zool. 1508) they all went into the mould about the end of July, 1846 ; 

 one came out on October 11th. In November I took the others out of the mould, and 

 put them into cigar boxes, lined with flannel or strips of list, and net over the front, 

 placing the naked chrysalides on flannel at the bottom ; these I hung up by one end, 

 in a room occupied daily, where they remained till the warmer weather of spring 

 came on, when they were removed to another room. On the 7th of the present month 

 (July) one came out and crept up the list, where its wings freely expanded, and it be- 

 came a beautiful insect. It was then placed alive in a larger box, when between eight 

 and nine in the evening of the second day, it was heard fluttering about. Alarmed for 

 the safety of my specimen, I immediately obtained a light, and on opening the box, it 

 flew about the room ; it exerted itself with considerable strength when caught, utter- 

 ing sharply its peculiar cry ; but as soon as possible I fixed the insect, and killed it, 

 by holding its head in the steam from a boiling tea-kettle, first pinning it to a strip of 

 wood to hold by. This is the quickest method I know, and it kills them without in- 

 jury. The other came out during last night, the 25th instant. Both these insects, 

 while in the chrysalis state, would frequently turn about in the box, and by breathing 

 on them a few times, they would show, by moving, that they were alive. — T. Goatley ; 

 Chipping Norton, July 26th, 1847. 



Capture of Deilephila Celerio at Brantingham Thorp. — On a recent visit to the 

 garden of Captain Shaw, of Brantingham Thorp, near this place, Mr. Kingston, the 

 head gardener, presented me with a fine specimen of the rare Deilephila Celerio, which 

 was captured last summer in rather a singular manner on a plant of Physianthus albi- 

 cans (albens), together with two specimens of Sphinx Convolvuli ; some peculiar con- 

 struction of the flower having closed upon the long proboscis, and so held them prison- 

 ers, where they were found fluttering about, but unable to escape. The plant was 

 growing in the greenhouse, the doors of which were left open. Mr. Kingston told me 

 that a great many other insects were caught on the same plant in the same singular 

 manner. — G, Norman ; Hull, July 8th, 1847. 



Occurrence of the true Cerura bicuspis in Britain. — A male specimen of a Cerura, 

 new to Britain, was captured near Preston by Mr. James Cooper, a most ardent and 

 indefatigable entomologist, and to whose unwearied exertions we are likewise indebted 

 for considerable additions to our knowledge of the nidification, &c. of our British 

 birds. The insect in question was found upon an alder, having just emerged from its 

 cocoon : there is little doubt of its being the genuine bicuspis of Hubner ; the spe- 

 cimens hitherto so-called in this country being merely furcula : from this species it is 

 totally distinct. 'Mr. Cooper most kindly presented this fine species to me. — Henry 

 Doubleday ; Epping, August 6th, 1847. 



Capture of a new Psyche. — Mr. Iugall has captured a small Psyche with beauti- 

 fully mottled wings : it is very different from the known British species, but in some 

 degree resembles Psyche undulella of the continent : it is proposed to call the new 

 species Psyche retiella. — Edward Newman. 



Capture of Euchromia ericetana in the Isle of Wight. — I met with a specimen of 

 this species on the 15th of July last at Shanklin, Isle of Wight ; as I had only seen 

 one specimen before, which I formerly named ericetana, I was desirous, if possible, of 

 getting more specimens: on the 17th I succeeded in taking several, some in copula, 

 and am now certain that this species is distinct from E. purpurana. — W. Bentley ; 

 3, Critchell Place, August \0th, 1847. 



