196 Elgee : Lepidoptera in Middlesbrough in 1898-1000. 



Cerastis spadicea. Numerous. 

 Cerastis vaccinii. One. 



Scopelosoma satel/itia. One, 1st November 1900. 

 Xanthia circellaris. Numerous. 



Polia chi. Several, all normal ; one fine var. olfocicea on 24th 

 August 1900. 



Polia flavicincta. Three ; two on 28th September 1898, one on 



17th September 1900. 

 Epunda lutulenta. Half-a-dozen. 

 Miselia oxyacanthae. Numerous. 

 Phlogophora meticu/osa. Numerous. 

 Aplecta occulta. One in 1900 (Mr. Sachse). 

 Had en a dentina. Two in June 1900. 

 Hadena dissimiJis. Two in June 1900. 

 Hadena oleracea. Abundant. 

 Hadena pisi. A few. 

 Hadena thalassina. Several. 



Calocampa vetusta. One, April 1899 (Mr. Sachse). 

 Calocampa exoleta. Abundant. 



Cucullia umbratica. One in 1897 ; one also in 1900 on 



Linthorpe Road. 

 P/usia gamma. One in 1900. 

 Gonoptera libatrix. Three or four. 

 Amphipyra tragopogonis. Abundant. 

 Mania typica. Numerous. 

 Mania maura. One (Mr. Sachse). 

 Pyralis farinaiis. Two. 



No doubt the majority of the species mentioned in the 

 preceding- list are common ones. But my chief reason for 

 writing- this article has been to place on record the lepidoptera 

 taken in Middlesbrough, both on account of the nature of the 

 locality and of it soon becoming destroyed. We should, how- 

 ever, always bear in mind that the common and often despised 

 species are those which have been successful (very much so 

 with some !) in the great struggle for life. Rare species, being 

 usually on the verge of extinction, are to be regarded more 

 as failures in the light of natural selection than otherwise. 



In conclusion, it is obvious that all the natural objects to be 

 met with in an ordinary street of a smoky twentieth-century 

 town will provide us with enough scientific biological study to 

 last a life-time. 



Naturalist. 



