5166 Insects. 



am well aware, but they are generally small and faint in colour. I have reared most 

 of the British species from the eggs. I never saw an autumnal specimen of N. Car* 

 inelita (the earliest of any in its appearance), trepida, dictaea or dictaeoides. In rearing 

 broods of N. camelina, ziczac and dromedarius, I have generally had a few moths out 

 in the autumn, but the great majority always remained in the pupa state through the 

 winter. Some time since I had a brood of Cerura furcula, and a few moths came out 

 before all the larvae were full grown ; the remainder passed the winter in the pupa 

 state, and produced the moths at the usual time in the following spring. I am con- 

 vinced that rearing larvae in confinement does frequently affect them in someway. 

 Last July I took a female Aplecta herbida, which laid a great number of eggs, all of 

 which hatched in a few days, and the larva? were all fed together: some of these pro- 

 duced moths in October and November; others remained through the winter in the 

 pupa state, and produced the moths early this spring; and the remainder passed the 

 winter iu the larva state, and from these the moths are now appearing. Had this A. 

 herbida deposited her eggs abroad, and the larvae been left in a state of nature, I very 

 much doubt if any moths would have been produced till this month or early in the 

 next. — Henry Douhleday ; Epping, June 16, 1856. 



Note on the Geomelrina. — The announcement of the probable appearance of M. 

 Guenee's work on the Geometrina, before many months have elapsed, will be hailed 

 with pleasure, I believe, by many entomologists in this country who know the value of 

 his works, notwithstanding the strictures to which Mr. Doubleday alludes. The ouly 

 real ground of complaint is the want of descriptions of so many of the species, which 

 deficiency renders the works of this talented entomologist less useful than they might 

 be to those who do not possess an extensive library of entomological authors, or the 

 means of ready access to one. The " generalities," characters of families, genera, 

 &c, are admirable, and well worthy of attentive perusal. I am quite ignorant of M. 

 Guenee's plan of arrangement in the forthcoming volumes, but should almost venture 

 to predict that he will divide the Geometrites into two great phalanges, distinguished 

 by the venation of the posterior wings, as he has already divided the Noctuites. The 

 group, as it at present stands, is in a state of very considerable confusion. Thus Ze- 

 rene adustata belongs to the same section as the Fidonidi, Caberidi, &c, and, along 

 with Abraxas, Corycia, &c, should form the subfamily Zerenidi, and be placed before 

 the Caberidi. Zerene or Mesoleuca albicillata and procellata by no means come in 

 the same genus with Rubiginata, which belongs to the Cidaridi, and is closely allied 

 to Electra Pyraliata, Polyphasia and Harpalyce fulvata, which should probably be 

 united into one genus, which will however exclude Chenopodiata and several others. 

 Electra Populata should be congeneric with Steganolophia Prunata, while Harpalyce 

 Galiata belongs to the Melanthidi, and probably to the genus Melanthia. Lozo- 

 gramma lineolata belongs to a different section from L. petraria, aud is probably 

 allied to Phibalapteryx, in which genus Stephens formerly placed it.— R. F. Logan; 

 Vuddingston, near Edinburgh, June 13, 1856. 



Note on Dosithea circuitaria of Stainton's Annual. — Mr. Hunter having kindly 

 sent me for examination the Geometra taken by himself in London, I find it is a Do- 

 sithea, and of course totally distinct from Eupithecia subciliata : but I still think it is 

 not Hiibner's circuitaria — it does not at all agree with his figure. — Henry Double- 

 day ; Epping, June 16, 1856. 



Occurrence of Platypleryx Sicula near Bristol. — This species has appeared again 

 in Leigh Wood, near Bristol. A single specimen was captured last week, by Mr. 

 Bolt, in that locality.— P. //. Vaughan ; llcdhuul, June 24, 1856. 



