I894-] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



89 



LEPIDOPTERA IN THE NEIGHBOUHOOD OF YORK, 1893. 



BY W. HEWITT. 



The 1893 season, which will long be remembered meteorologically on 

 account of the marvellous weather experienced, has not been equally 

 memorable for quantity or quality of Lepidoptera noticed. Many 

 generally common insects have been either very rare, or else entirely 

 conspicuous by their absence, the only species which have been more 

 than usually common at York are the following : — P. brassier, P. rapes, 

 V. urtica, V. atalanta, A . atropos, S. convolvidi, M. stellatarum, O suspecta, 

 A. litura, P. meticulosa, H. protect, A. sylvata, V. cambricaria, L. lobulata, 

 C. sparsata, L. marginata, T. variata, C. fagella, whilst of those which 

 have not occurred in anything like their usual numbers the following, 

 amongst many others, may be quoted \—Z. lonicercu, L. mesomella, A, 

 lubricepeda, A . leporina, N. festiva, N. mbi, H. porphyrea, T. populeti, T. 

 leucographa, E. vespertaria, A. stvigilata, E. satyrafa, A. immutata, 

 P. lignata, etc. Of those species which have entirely failed to put in an 

 appearance, and which we generally take each season in some numbers, 

 are N. senex, H. unca, P. festucce, and M. arcuosa. My first outing took 

 place on the 14th February, in quest of the variety fuscata of H. progem- 

 maria, of which I took six ; my last on the 3rd November, when sugar 

 produced but a few 5. satellitia and C. vacinii. H. aurantiaria, H. defoli- 

 aria, C. boreata, and C. brumata were very scarce, whilst O. dilutata and 

 H. pennaria were not seen. I have noticed the gradual diminution in 

 point of numbers of these species for the past ten years, each year they 

 become scarcer in this neighbourhood : why, I know not. My worst 

 outing produced five moths, my best 253 ; altogether this season I have 

 set considerably more than 3,000 specimens. 



Early Appearances. — Owing to the almost tropical weather, 

 instances of early appearances have been far too numerous to mention 

 here. On the whole, species have appeared fully a fortnight earlier 

 than usual, in many instances three weeks, and in some exceptional 

 cases even a month, in advance of ordinary seasons. 



Melanism. — Instances of melanism in specimens captured this 

 season have not been up to the average. A very large number of the 

 Noctuse and Geometrae (especially the former), which occur in the 

 neighbourhood of York, are more or less subject to melanism. A full 

 list of the species which show this tendency, and have come under my 

 observation, will be given at some future date. 



Sallows were very unproductive, being well out by the 10th of 

 March, and doubtless on this account the generally seductive blossoms 

 failed to attract the Tcuniocampidcc in anything like their usual numbers, 

 as they would not be out so soon. 



