Insects, 201 



nests of Formica flava, under flints; and the specimen which I took was seized, im- 

 mediately on my turning over the flint, by an ant, who was rapidly carrying it off" in 

 her jaws when I captured it. — Edwd. Douhleday ; British Museum^ May 30, 1843. 



Note on Mancipium Daplidice. In a foraaer No. (Zool. 113) I stated that Mr. 

 Le Plastrier had in his possession last winter four specimens of Mancipium Daplidice, 

 in the chrysalis state, which he had reared from eggs laid by a female after it had been 

 captured by him near Dover ; and I then ventured an opinion that the flies would 

 come forth in May. In this respect my expectations have been realized. In a letter 

 from Mr. Le Plastrier, bearing date May 18, 1843, he says — " I have the pleasure of 

 fulfilling my promise, by informing you of the safe arrival of my four specimens of 

 Mancipium Daplidice last week, and certainly they are a splendid-looking insect, and 

 of course, in fine condition ; there are three females and one male." The above no- 

 tice may not, perhaps, be wholly without interest to your entomological readers, as it 

 serves to point out with precision the period when this rare insect makes its first ap- 

 pearance on the wing. I may add that Mr. Le Plastrier states in his letter that he 

 has the specimens to dispose of. I suspect he is the only English entomologist who has 

 bred a native Daplidice. — W. T. Bree; Allesley Rectory, near Coventry, May 31, 1843. 



Note on the capture of Noctuce with Sugar, in the Autumn of 1842, at Epping. 

 Calocampa vetusta. I captured thirteen specimens of this tine species between the 8th 



of September and the 4th of October. 

 Calocampa exoleta. I saw the first specimen of this moth on the 6th of October, and 



during the remainder of the month and the beginning of November I took about 



thirty specimens. 

 Agrotis Saucia. I captured two females of this species the latter end of October. 

 Agrotis suffusa. The first specimens were seen on the 15th of August, and from that 



time to the end of October there was a constant succession of fine specimens : they 



were very abundant. 

 Glcea satellitia and Vaccinii were first seen on September 15, and G. subnigra on Oc- 

 tober 3 : all abundant, 

 Graphiphora C -nigrum appeared on August 16, and was very abundant. 

 Orthosia litura, pistacina, rufna SLXid ferruginea were also very common. 

 — Henry Doubleday ; Epping, May 31, 1843. 



Note on the capture of Lophopteryx Carmelita, at Epping. I procured a fine pair 

 of this species early in May, in On gar-park woods ; they were both sitting upon the 

 trunks of birch-trees. The female laid a few eggs, from which I have obtained about 

 a dozen caterpillars, which are now about two weeks old. — Id. 



Note on the occurrence of Ceratopacha Octogesima at Epping. Soon after T sent to 

 you on Friday, I was surprised to see in one of my breeding cages a beautiful pair of 

 Ceratopacha Octogesima, an insect I never before saw alive, and did not possess a spe- 

 cimen of. Where I got the caterpillars from I do not at all know. — Id. 



Note on Snails devouring Insects. In sweeping the long grass near Penzance, in 

 July, 1836, numbers of middle-sized snails came into the net, most of them having 

 in their mouth a Coccinella or some other small insect, which they were swallowing 

 by degrees. From repeated observations I am confident this was not an accidental 

 circumstance, but that the snails were actually devouring the insects ; and as I never 

 saw any notice of such a propensity, I mention it in the hope that my doing so may 

 lead to some explanation. — Fredk. Holme ; C. C. C. Oxford, May 31, 1843. 



