iSgi.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



133 



christiernella. This lovely species seems to have entirely disappeared 

 from its old locality near Sevenoaks, owing, I fear, to so many be- 

 coming acquainted with its very restricted haunts ; and as space is 

 getting short, will just observe that the larva of S. cvatcegella is now to 

 be found in a dense web on the sloe and hawthorn bushes. These 

 larvae are gregarious in their habits, and are now about full grown. 



122, Shepherdess Walk, N . 



Notes. 



The Genus Acronycta, auct. — I have read Mr. A. G. Butler's 

 remarks in the " Entomologist," on Dr. Chapman's proposed division 

 of this genus. Having but little experience with regard to the various 

 species, I am unable to enter into any discussion on the merits of Dr. 

 Chapman's investigations, but it has appeared to me that he has 

 honestly endeavoured in a painstaking and praiseworthy manner, to 

 elucidate^and place before British Entomologists, much needed details 

 concerning the life history of such of the species, at present classed 

 in this group, as occur m Britain. In his opening remarks Dr. 

 Chapman states the reasons which induced him to record his observa- 

 tions, and makes reference to a paper " by Mr. A. G. Butler, which pro- 

 pounded such extraordinary ideas, that 1 felt it was necessary that 

 further remarks should confirm or refute them." Entomologists who 

 have read the papers will certainly acknowledge the careful and 

 exhaustive manner in which Dr. Chapman has treated the subject, 

 and it would ill become me to say one word decrying' his good work. 



There is one portion, however, of these papers which for some 

 time past has been the cause of much heart-burning, viz. : — the sub- 

 division of the genus, and the suggestion of the new names for the 

 different sub-genera in which he breaks it up. Dr. Chapman himself, 

 does not, in his paper, use any of these names generically, except in 

 the description of the plate in the last number (in the plate itself 

 Acronycta is used). But various writers in the "Record" appear to 

 have used these sub-generic terms 'as names of genera, myself for 

 instance, in reporting the proceedings of the City of London Entomo- 

 logical and Natural History Society, for August 21st 1890. In that 

 report Acronycta accris is called Cnspidia acevis. Mr. Butler 

 enumerates six persons in all who have thus used this term, and on 

 the strength of this list he makes bold to affirm that " these names 



