202 



[January, 



mischief to tho birch and oak trees. I do not recollect whether a Cossws-infested 

 birch has been noticed before to bo such an excellent trap for Noctiue. One small 

 tree on my hunting-gronnd was nightly visited by hosts of moths, and what is 

 remarkable enough, certain species were taken there and nowhere else; for 

 instance, I only took five specimens of N. glareosa, the whole of which occurred on 

 this wounded birch, which also yielded one night no fewer than six E. nigra. Tho 

 larv8B of N, querents were very abundant on heather ; one specimen only, however, 

 out of some 20, yielded the perfect insect on 20th July. The remainder are still in 

 their pupa state. P. populi scarce, only one pupa at foot of poplar tree. T. pavonia 

 minor not very common, smaller and less richly coloured than Yorksliire specimens. 

 C. spartiata very abundant. 



The subjoined list of Noctuce will show that this locality is a very promising 

 one. Being, however, my first season's collecting after an interval of some 25 

 years, I was imperfectly read-up in the modem system of collecting larvaB and 

 pupae, otherwise the hst of species might have been considerably augmented. 



A notable fact was the remarkable scantiness of most of the insects which, 

 with few exceptions, were fully four or five weeks in advance of their usual time 

 of appearance, owing, no doubt, to the heat of tho season. 



The date is that on which the first specimen was observed. 

 T. hatis, 20th June, scarce, two specimens at rasp blooms. C. duplaris, 27th 

 June, frequent at sugar ; or, 20th June, frequent at sugar ; fiavicomis, 30th March, 

 rare at rest, afterwards many larvae on birch. A. tridens (?), 27th June, at sugar : 

 I suspect I am right in referring this to tridens, being darker than the next. ; psij 

 4th July, not uncommon at sugar, also at rest on birch trees ; leporina, 25th May, 

 at rest in Altyre Forest, afterwards many larvae on birch ; ligustri, bred from pupaB 

 taken on ash trees ; rumicis, 25th May, two at rest ; salicis, 17th June, rare at 

 sugar ; mynccd, 16th June, rare, one specimen at rest near Dallas. L. lithargyria, 

 27th June, very abundant at sugar ; conigera, 4th July, not uncommon flying near 

 Lychnis vespertina, and at sugar ; itnpura, 4th July, not common, sugar ; pallensy 

 3rd July, very abundant at sugar and flowers. H. nictitans, 7th August, not un- 

 common at sugar ; micacea, 2nd August, several specimens at sugar. X. rurca, 

 25th May, common at rasp blooms and sugar ; polyodon, 23rd June, very abundant 

 at sugar and at rest. C. graminis, taken last autumn on rag-wort. L. tcstacedy 

 18th August, abundant at light. M. anceps, 25th June, not unfrequcnt at sugar ; 

 hrassiccVf 23rd June, occasionally at sugar and at rest. A. hasiUnea, 2nd June, 

 veiy common at rasp blooms ; fibrosa, 29th June, rare at sugar ; oculca, 2nd July, 

 very abundant at sugar. M. strig His, 6th. July, not common, sugar ; fasciuucula, 

 11th June, very abundant at sugar ; litcrosa, 25th July, common at sugar. C. 

 cuhicularis, 19th June to October, over flowers, at sugar, and swarming in hay- 

 fields. R. tenchrosa, 7th June, very common over rasp blooms, also at sugar. A. 

 valligera, 27th July, not abundant, sugar, several beautiful varieties ; suffusa, 2 1th 

 July until October, not uncommon at sugar ; scgetuirij 25th July, not common, 

 sugar; lunigeray 28th July, rare at sugar; exclamationis, 24th June, not common, 

 sugar ; corticca, 26th June, not common, sugar ; nigricans, 17th July, not rare at 

 rest and at sugar; tritici, 26th July, sugar, frequent; agathina, 14th August, not 

 uncommon on heather, but very difficult to take ; porphyrca, 8th June, swarming 

 over heather : pupa) very plentiful, under moss on heaths j pra:cox, 7th August 



