200 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



October 



hours work I obtained about forty, I find they are difficult to breed, 

 many producing cripples or else not emerging. They occur in great 

 plenty at the Junctions of the Midland and North Strafford Railways 

 in the stems of the great reed mace Typha latifolia. — G. Pullen, 

 Derby. 



Hydrcecia petasites. — I never knew H. etasitcs to remain in 

 pupa over the winter Some of the pupa are always tenanted by 

 ichneumons, perhaps fully developed now. These infested pupae may 

 be told by being shot out posteriorly, and stiff when handled. — Joseph 

 Collins, Warrington. 



Noctua Dahlii. — I have been a week at Sherwood Forest with 

 Mr. Batty. We had very poor luck and found everything scarce 

 except Dahlii. Larvae were utterly wanting, even the commonest 

 kinds. — A. E. Hall, Sheffield. 



Agrotis agathina. — I bred three fine Agvotis agathina from larvae 

 last week. These are all I expect to breed this year. They are nice 

 dark specimens. I have intended going the last fortnight to try and 

 take the imago, but the weather has been so wretchly unsettled. — 

 Jos Collins, Warrington. 



Variety of Rumia Crat^gata. — In May of this year, I had the 

 pleasure of breeding a specimen of this species, with the space between 

 the nervures of the right side only, suffused with a rich brown colour. 

 These varieties have often been captured and our respected Editor 

 notes one in Vol. 6 of the Entomologist, p. 516 precisely similar to the 

 one above mentioned, though he does not say which particular side, is 

 affected. Mr. Gregson in his valuable pamphlet, entitled " Variety 

 Manufacturing," and several other Entomologist's of note, state, 

 doubtless quite correctly, that these specimens assume these brown 

 markings through being scorched, and Mr. Gregson has made ordinary 

 specimens into this variety by simply passing the specimen over a 

 flame of gas. I was however very glad to breed a specimen which 

 certainly had never seen artificial light, as I observed it when just 

 emerging, and saw the darker markings while it was drying its wings. 

 The probable cause of the one side being variable in so peculiar a 

 manner I leave to wiser judges than I. — A. E. Hall, Norbury, 

 Sheffield. September, 1890. 



