19 1 6. Notes. 155 
ZOOLOGY. 
Qrammoptera ruficornis at Poyntzpass, 
A number of these beetles occurred in the beginning of July on a large 
plant of Giant Spiraea in my garden. I had seen a single specimen on 
the same plant last year but failed to capture it. The curious thing about 
it is that for the past twenty years I have constantly searched this plant 
for insects and till now never met with this beetle. I don't know any 
means by which it could have been introduced artificially, so it must have 
travelled here by its own powers. Its appearance here is analogous to 
that of Hydropovus dor salts F. at Armagh in 1909. The var. palHpes Steph. 
occurred along with the type. 
W. F. Johnson. 
Poyntzpass. 
Triphaena ianthina feeding on Ivy. 
Last April I took a caterpillar feeding on the Ivy on the gable of this 
house. I looked up all the ivy-feeding caterpillars but none of them 
corresponded with mine. In a few days it pupated and on July 13, 
emerged a beautiful specimen of this handsome moth. I do not find Ivy 
mentioned as its food plant, but it seems to be omnivorous. 
W. F. Johnson. 
Poyntzpass. 
Hipparchus papilionarius in Donegal. 
It may, I think, be worth recording the capture by Mrs. H. C. Young, 
of the Large Emerald Moth [Hipparchus papilionarius), a female, some- 
what worn. A small number of ova have been deposited, which I shall 
try to rear. The only previous example of which I have heard from this 
immediate district was taken here by Mr. D. C. Campbell, about twelve 
years ago. W. E. Hart. 
Kilderry, Co. Donegal. 
Dummy Nests of Whitethroat and Garden Warbler. 
I do not know whether I am travelling over known ground in the 
following. Quite the majority of my nests of the Greater Whitethroat 
have never been occupied. These blank nests are nearly complete, but 
seem to want a further bottom Uning of finer grass. They are thus deeper 
than the bona-fide nest. They also have more willowdown and white 
petals about them ; one extreme example having a mass of down piled 
on side of nest, half as big as the nest. If I find the nest in the side of a 
hedge or at all easily exposed, or if the builder freely exposes itself carry- 
ing long straws, the nest is nearly sure to be blank ; the real one being 
very low down and thoroughly concealed, even approaching in the after 
growth the concealment of a Grasshopper Warbler, and the building 
operations are most secretive. 
