200 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



[September 



Abdera bifasciata, Marsh, at Hastings. — I took a specimen of 

 this rare species on July gth, when beating for Lepidoptera, in a wood 

 near the town. I found it on my coat sleeve ; it had evidently drop- 

 ped from the trees. This is the second specimen that has occurred 

 in this district. The first I swept at Guestling, last year. — A. Ford, 

 Claremont House, Upper Tower Road, St. Leonards-on-Sea, -/?//>' Gth, 

 1891. 



Lepidoptera. 



NOTEwS FOR BEGINNERS.— MICRO LARV^ 



FOR THE MONTH. 



BY GEO. ELISHA, F.E.S. 



With the month of August another busy time commences, which 

 although short requires all our best energies, for it is our harvest 

 among the numerous species that are to be found feeding on seeds 

 externally, or in the seed pods and withermg flowers, and we must not 

 forget to take with us on all our excursions at this season a good 

 supply of various sized calico bags, and a few tin larva boxes, for it 

 is wasting valuable time to examine every seed head separately, it is 

 best on opening one or two and finding a larva to cut at random 

 sufficient to fill one of our bags, then tie up the mouth, and so continue 

 till all our bags are filled with the seed heads and leaves, containing 

 larva from the various plants we may come across during our journey, 

 the small tin boxes are useful for larva that occur singly here and 

 there, or delicate external feeding larva that are likely to get injured 

 among the stuff, on being pressed into the bags. 



The weather during this month still continues favourable and in 

 the early morning most refreshing and invigorating, but the deepening 

 tints of the foliage and occasional chilly winds is a gentle reminder 

 that the summer weather is gradually passing away, but it is not 

 altogether discouraging, for the pleasure of our rambles is equally as 

 keen at this time of year, or even much later, as in the earlier months, 

 from the fact that each season produces its own specialities. 



