8068 



Insects, 



taken the female : I believe they are found on most of the New Forest 

 heaths, but they favour particular spots. There is one of these spots 

 on Parley Heath, which seems to be the metropolis for them, although 

 there they are far from common. It is three miles from Ringwood to 

 this heath, and although it extends to within a mile of my home this 

 insect is of rare occurrence near here. I never saw but one instance of 

 their flight in the day time : they generally begin to fly about half-past 

 eight or nine o'clock, and continue on the wing for a short time, not more 

 than an hour. They only appear for about a fortnight, so I must catch 

 them then or not at all. I have seen them at rest on the tops of the 

 heath, but to catch them requires a little care, as they will not fly off, 

 but fall to the ground among the entangled stems ; and you stand a 

 good chance of not seeing them a second time, as they have a plan of 

 sliding between the stems with agility, while their elongate form (cha- 

 racteristic of all the family Lithosidae) greatly facilitates this means of 

 escape. Their flight may be compared to that of the great caddis-fly 

 (P. grandis), that is rather jerking, but they sometimes have an hover- 

 ing flight, something similar to Hepialus hectus. When taken in the 

 net they are to all appearance dead, falling to the bottom. Their 

 flight is not swift, and, as far as my experience goes, they never fly 

 very high. If you touch them with the net they immediately fall, and 

 all chance of recovery is lost. 



Euchelia Jacobeae. This species may be found common in an old 

 gravel pit, where its food-plant (the ragwort) abounds. 



Callimorpha dominula and Euthemonia russula. Both these species 

 are not uncommon. The former I often find in the larva-state after 

 hybernation. They both fly in the day time. 



Chelonia caja. Common. 



C. villica. I bred a pair of this species in 1861 from two larvae found 

 in April after hybernation. 1 have frequently taken them on the wing, 

 but always in a mutilated state. 



Arctia fuliginosa and A. mendica. May sometimes be taken, but 

 not common. 



A. lubricipeda and A. Menthastri. Both these species are sometimes 

 abundant. 



Liparis aurifiua. Very common. 



L. Salicis. The only specimen I have is one Mr. Greene bred from 

 poplar during his stay here. 



L. dispar. I never saw the species till 1 bred some from eggs sent 

 me from Workington, although I have heard of their being found near 

 here. 1 set several bred specimens at liberty. 



