Talbot : The Birds of Wakefield. 



83 



As regards water fowl we are exceptionally well placed — situated 

 almost midway between two seas, we have within an easy walk of the 

 town no less than seven lakes or ornamental sheets of water, nearly all 

 of which are well wooded to the brink ; in addition we have two large 

 reservoirs and numerous pools ; we have also converging upon Wake- 

 field several streams which are the home of the kingfisher and the 

 moorhen, and where occasionally in winter the water-rail may be 

 found. The Calder, which runs from west to east, abounded, before 

 its waters were polluted, with wild ducks in autumn and winter, and 

 the large beds of shingle in various reaches of the river were, and to 

 some extent still are, a great attraction to the piper family. 



I am greatly indebted to numerous gentlemen and friends whose 

 names repeatedly appear in the foregoing pages, and who have kindly 

 given me free access to their collections, and have furnished me with 

 much valuable information. 



15th December, 1876, 



THE BRITISH PYRALES.— OowcWe-c^. 1 



By G. T. Pokhitt, F.L.S. 



Theee are five British representatives in the genus Ehulea, viz :~ 

 Crocealis, catalaunalis, verbascalis, sambucalis, and stachydalis. Of these, 

 sambucalis only occurs in this district, but it is very plentiful. I have 

 seen an elder tree in my father's garden at Clare Hill almost stripped 

 of its leaves by the larvse. Grocealis is very generally distributed^ 

 and plentiful where its food-plant, the fleabane (Inula dysenterica)^ 

 abounds. I have reared a fair number this and last year, and 

 published a description of the larva in the " Entomologist " of April 

 last. I have taken the imagos abundantly at Chattenden, in Kent. 

 Of catalaunalis I know nothing, except that its larva is said to feed 

 on Linaria spuria in August, and that a single example of the imago 

 was exhibited at a meeting of the Entomological Society of London, 

 taken by Mr. W. C. Boyd, at Cheshunt, September 18th, 1867. 

 Verbascalis I have never seen alive, though I believe it is a common 

 Kent moth ; my series was sent to me from Norwich, by Mr. C. G. 

 Barrett. Stachydalis was only added to the British list last year, 

 and is another of the species brought forward by the indefatigable 

 Mr. O. G. Barrett, who captured an odd example near Pembroke, and 

 having obtained the clue, searched for it again this year, to be 

 rewarded with a number of specimens amongst its food, Stachy 



