Royal Physical Society. 259 



of 1855. It is probably frequently overlooked, like many other brumal and 

 vernal species ; but does not appear to be common in Scotland. Eupithecia 

 innotata. — Of this scarce species the Messrs Wilson obtained one specimen 

 near Morningside in 1855 ; and have hitherto been unsuccessful in their 

 attempts to find more. The Rev. Joseph Green, in a recent number of the 

 Zoologist, states, that he believes the food of the larva to be the ash 

 (Fraxinus excelsior) ; and this is still further confirmed by Mr Crewe, 

 who states, in the Naturalist, that he has taken it from that tree. Knoch, 

 however, as quoted by Treitschke, says, that it feeds on the various species 

 of wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium, vulgaris, et campestris) ; living on 

 the blossoms in the month of August, and varying in colour from green to 

 brown. 



The curious little Noctua Euplexia lueipara, "although known to occur 

 in other parts of Scotland, had not apparently been observed near Edin- 

 burgh till the summer of 1855 ; when Mr Wilson obtained a specimen 

 on Corstorphine Hill ; and I afterwards found several, in the larva state, 

 on the Pentlands in October, feeding on the common fern or braken 

 (Pteris aquilina). These larvae formed loose cocoons just under the sur- 

 face of the earth ; and produced the perfect insects in June 1856. 



In June and July 1855, Dianthcecia conspersa was observed by the 

 Messrs Wilson, at Slateford and Currie ; in which localities, they after- 

 wards found the larvae in August, feeding on the seeds of Silene infiata, 

 along with those of the rather scarce Dianthcecia carpophaga. From 

 these larvae both species were reared in 1856 ; but those of D. carpo- 

 phaga are not easily reared in confinement ; and but few moths came 

 to perfection. These are very different in colour from English speci- 

 mens of the same insect, being much darker, and less ochraceous in tint ; 

 and are no doubt a climatal or geographical variety. 



The next species I have to mention is Demas Coryli, of which Mr Wil- 

 son reared one male, from a larva found in the autumn of 1855. During 

 last autumn Mr Wilson and I found nine or ten more larvae ; so that the 

 species does not seem so rare in the district as we had imagined it to be ; al- 

 though certainly less common than in many other parts of Scotland. 



In 1856 the Messrs Wilson have added five species to the list. Lobo- 

 phora lobulata was found among sallows near Penicuik in April ; and 

 in the same locality in June, Coremia ferrugata, and Coremia propug- 

 nata occurred ; both common insects, but not before observed in the dis- 

 trict. Thera variata was reared in July, from rather short green larvae, 

 with white lines, found on juniper on the Pentlands in June, along with 

 the larvae of Eupithecia Sobrinata ; and on the 8th of October, I beat a 

 specimen of the perfect insect from one of the juniper bushes, apparently 

 indicating the existence of a second brood in the year, as in Thera simu- 

 lata. Finally, Mr Wilson found five or six larvae of Clostera reclusa 

 on Salix caprcea, in Drumshorling Wood, near Broxburn, in the end of 

 August ; they were then full grown ; and spun their cocoons in a day or 

 two after they were placed in captivity. 



VOL. I. Z 



