1890.] THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



57 



In reporting the occurence, the correspondent says " some men have 

 lately been engaged in clearing out the rain spouts and gutters - - - 

 the moth might have been hybernating in one of them." In the absence of 

 any editorial note to the paragraph, may I ask if any of the Sphingidce 

 are known to hybernate ? — C. E. Stott, Bolton-le-moors. 



Since the above was written the correspondent of The Field cor- 

 rects his former communication, the insect in question being C. celerio, 

 but this does not affect my query. — C.E.S. 



Breeding the black variety of A. Betularia. — When out 

 collecting Lepidoptera, I took a male A. betularia var. Doubledayaria 

 paired with a female of the ordinary type, which I boxed and obtained 

 a nice batch of eggs, these in due time produced larvae, and last sea- 

 son I bred from them 32 black specimens, the rest being of the usual 

 colour. — G. Pullen, Derby. 



Early Appearance of Phigalia Pilosaria. — A fine example of 

 P. pilosaria was taken at Shipley Glen, near Bradford, by Mr. H. T. 

 Soppitt, on the 6th January, probably the earliest record of this species 

 for this district. 



H. pwgemmaria was taken here by Mr. T. Moxon, on the 25th 

 inst. — J. W. Carter, Manningham, Bradford. Jany. 30th, 1890. 



Phigalia Pilosaria Assembling. — On the evening of Friday, the 

 31st January, I went out to take a few H. progemmaria, which is a very 

 variable insect hereabouts. I had no very sanguine expectations, but 

 I took a man with me to carry the lantern, and we had a net each. I 

 took the direction of a large oak wood, and by the time we reached the 

 wood, my chip boxes (about 25) were nearly full of progemmaria and 

 nipicapraria. We saw next to nothing in the wood, but on returning 

 home, down a very narrow lane, with a hedge on both sides, we were 

 startled by the sudden appearance of P. pilosaria on the wing in 

 great numbers. They literally swarmed round a holly bush, which 

 formed a part of the hedge, and they seemed to go in and out of a 

 thin place near the ground. They resembled a swarm of Bees going 

 in and out of a hive on a sunny day, of course the nets came into re- 

 quisition, and we had 3 or 4 insects in them at once. The phenomenon 

 suddenly ceased, and we stood for five minutes or more, waiting when, 

 they re-appeared as numerous as before. My impression was that 

 there was a female, or possibly more than one, in the holly bush, but 

 a careful scrutiny failed to discover one. The two nearest trees were 



