i89i.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



p. 50). From this it might be assumedthat Mr. South knew the 

 larva, but it is one of those he does not describe later on in his 

 "Contributions"; and he falls back on Frey's description of the larva : 

 "The ground colour of the larva is dirty pale green, on each segment 

 are four black warts, bearing a star-shaped tuft of bristles; head and 

 dorsal plate blackish, the latter divided by a pale line," and further 

 states, apparently on the same authority: — " The larva feeds m April 

 on the young leaves of Stachys alpina ; in Autumn on the heads of 

 Marmbmni.'' (" Entomologist," XXII., p. 34). I have generally taken 

 it among Thynms sevphyllum, but the latter plant is generally abundant 

 in all the chalky localities frequented in England by this insect, and 

 there may be no real connection between the two. The late 

 Professor Zeller records as follows: — "On the 19th of June, (i86g), 

 near Meseritz in Posen, on dry sandy places where Hieraciuin piLosella 

 grows very abundantly, Ptevophonis tristis was already mostly in bad 

 condition, showing that the first brood was nearly at an end; the 

 Pterophorus ohscurus (parvidadylaj, which occurred singly amongst 

 them, showed by their freshness that they certainly came out later 

 than P. tristis.'" ("Entomologist's Monthly Magazine," Vol. VL, p. 50. 



Time of Appearance. — This species appears to occur continuously 

 from the second week in June until the second week in August, but 

 it is rarely out for more than about six weeks in any one year. In a 

 normal season I have taken it from about the middle of June until the 

 end of July, and this may be looked upon as its ordinary time of 

 appearance, but in 1888 and again in 1890, I captured specimens 

 continuously from about the nth of June to the 12th of August. In 

 the latter year it was most abundant from August ist to August 8th, 

 near Dover. Staintori gives "June and July." Professor Zeller, as 

 stated elsewhere, captured it at Meseritz on the 19th of June and nth 

 of July, in 1869. 



Habitat. — The species occurs on the chalk hills in Kent and 

 Surrey, and I have taken it very commonly near Caxton and also near 

 Dover, in Kent ; but I have never seen it off chalk. Its time of 

 flight is in the afternoon until dusk, and it wants a sharp eye to detect 

 it rapidly enough to take it in any numbers. Stainton gives as 

 localities: — "Alkham, Bristol, Lewis, Pembury, Scarborough, Charlton 

 and Mickleham." The Rev. O. P. Cambridge also reports: — "One 

 specimen many years ago at Bloxworth " (in litt.) whilst Mr. W. F. 



