70 



The Naturalis1\ 



ill my collection was seiit to me by Mr. F. D. Wheeler, of jSTorwicli ; 

 it is one of five taken by him at Wicken Fen in 1874. Perhaps this 

 is the largest number of the species taken in one season by one 

 entomologist on record ; I noticed, however, it was advertised for 

 sale by one or two dealers last month, so probably a few have been 

 taken this year. It flies in June and July, but nothing is known of 

 its earlier stages. Of Stenia punctalis I know nothing personally, 

 though it is abundant in many localities. It is out in August, and I 

 fancy flies over marshy ground, but of this I am uncertain. My series 

 came from Mr. G: P. Shearwood, who took them in the London 

 district. 



The family we next come to is the Hydrocampidoe^ containing the 

 four genera Catadysta^ Paraponyx, Hydrocampa, and Acentropus. It 

 is a most remarkable family, as its larvae have a trait in their 

 character totally unlike those of most other lepidoptera, and which 

 somehow seems altogether out of harmony with our preconceived 

 notions of what caterpillar life should be ; it is none other than the 

 fact that they are totally aquatic, feeding in cases formed on aquatic 

 plants beneath the surface of the water. The life history of any one 

 of them is intensely interesting, but as Mr. Buckler has so recently 

 published so complete an account of several of them in the pages of 

 the " Entomologist's Monthly Magazine," I must refer you to that 

 journal for them. The four genera contain in all only five species, 

 viz : — Cataclysta lemnalis, Paraponyx stratiotalis^ Hydrocampa nymph- 

 oealis and stagnalis, and Acentropus niveus. None of them are at all 

 rare, though stratiolalis and niveus are somewhat local ; where any 

 species does occur it is usually abundant. Lemnalis^ nympJimalis^ and 

 stagnalis occur in our own district — Sheard's reservoir at Kirkheaton 

 I believe used to be a favourite locality. Stratiolalis is said to be 

 found at Scarborough and Sheffield, in Yorkshire, and is common in 

 the south ; whilst niveus swarms at Ringwood, in Hampshire, at 

 Sheerness, and other places. Niveus is the most interesting of the 

 group, and is one of the most peculiar of all the lepidoptera. Indeed 

 I believe some entomologists still maintain that it is not lepidopterous 

 at all, but should be placed amongst the Trichoptera ; and various 

 papers in support of this view have been read before the Entomological 

 Society of London and elsewhere. A masterly paper by Mr. 

 M'Lachlan, was read before the Society just mentioned, several years 

 ago, and the one by Mr. Corbin, published in the Naturalist last year 

 clearly show, however, that it is rightly placed. All the species fly 

 over and about water at dusk, from June to August. The larva of 



