Insects. 



8729 



I took the following twelve species of Eupithecia in the west of 

 Ireland, from the 18th to the 27th of June : — E. venosata, subumbrata, 

 plumbeolata, satyrata, castigata, constrictata, nanata, vulgata, absyn- 

 thiata, pumilata, rectangulata and *debiliata. The last named in some 

 numbers among holly trees, which, however, it appears to frequent 

 only for concealment. It prefers old trees, settling on the stems and 

 branches, and is then extremely difficult to see, although it may have 

 been observed to alight. 



*Eubolia lineolata. Several taken on Mangerton, at an elevation of 

 about eight hundred feet above the sea. This appears a singular 

 locality for a coast insect, and it has not been previously recorded as 

 occurring in Ireland at all. Perhaps it is a straggler from the coast 

 fauna of a time when the lakes of Killarney were like Glengariffe, an 

 inlet of the ocean ; and that they were so at no very remote geological 

 period there is the further evidence that a thoroughly sea-side fern, 

 Asplenium marinum, still clings to the cliffs of the upper lake, though 

 in a very stunted condition. 



*Hypena crassalis. This insect is not uncommon in the south of 

 Ireland. It flies along the roads in the sunshine, resembling Plusia 

 Gamma in its mode of flight. It may also be beaten from holly 

 trees. 



Bombyx Quercus. Well-marked specimens of the variety Calluna? 

 occurred on the moors of the south of Ireland. 



*Emmelesia taeniata. A fine series beaten from holly from the 18th 

 to the 27th of June. I have heard the larvae spoken of as a hazel 

 feeder, but am not aware whether this has been really observed. 

 There is very little hazel in the locality where I obtained E. taeniata, 

 and although diligently beaten it produced no moths. The habit of 

 the other British species of Emmelesia would lead one to expect E. 

 taeniata to feed in the capsules of a Lychnis or Silene. 



Lithosia aureola. Full-fed larvae taken June 20th ; moths emerged 

 July 15th. 



Lithosia caniola. Larvae taken June 24th, sunning themselves on 

 stones; spun up July 10th. 



Setina irrorella. Frequent on West Coast. 



I also met with the following species whilst in Ireland this summer, 

 and have duplicates of those marked with an asterisk : — P. lacertula, 

 P. falcula, H. contigua, P. festucae, V. aureum, *E. fuscula, *B. ar- 

 gentula, *H. unca, M. hastata, *A. viretata, C. temeraria, C. taminata, 

 M. notata, A. fumata, S. Belgiaria, E. scutulana, E. trigeminana, *S. 

 VOL. XXI. . 3 H 



