THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
27 
the “ Maypole,” at Barking Side, I ac- 
costed a man, loitering down the road, 
and who appeared likely to give me the 
information I wanted, and, after a few 
preliminary questions, ascertained that a 
larger space of ground was to be cleared 
of trees this year than last, that a great 
quantity of hornbeam was cut down , but 
they had not yet begun to cut the oaks ; 
“ in fact,” said he, “ we commence to- 
morrow.” Here, then, was an end to 
my hopes of capturing the Cucujus , for 
it has only been taken under the bark of 
newly-felled oaks. All that I eventually 
got were a species of Tomicus, Sylvanus 
unidcnlatus, Cerylon histeroides, &c., all 
under bark of oaks felled last year, and 
Triphyllus bifasciatus under bark of dead 
hornbeam. — J.W. Douglas, Lee; April 
18, 1850. 
Captures of Rarities near Worcester . — 
I am particularly requested by Edward 
Smith to confirm what he has written to 
you concerning certain of his captures. 
I therefore beg to say that I saw a vast 
number (I estimated them about twelve 
hundred) of Pionea slramentalis in his 
possession: that was in the winter fol- 
lowing the date of capture; aud, after 
the closest observation and the strictest 
inquiry, I am forced to believe what he 
asserted, that he took them in Shrawley 
Wood. He is a most indefatigable and 
expert collector of Macro-Lepidoptera, 
but I must say that when the habitat of 
a species has been worked by him during 
two or three seasons, it is almost im- 
possible to discover an individual. Me- 
thinks such wholesale destruction cannot 
be beneficial to science, and ought to be 
discountenanced. On the 13th inst. I saw 
in Edward Smith’s possession a pinned, 
but still living, Cloanlha conspicillaris : 
that is not the first that has been captured 
here, inasmuch as I took a male in 1 852 
or 1853 in my garden, at rest on a door. 
In your ‘Annual’ for 1856, you mention 
the capture of Synia musculosa : I beg 
to inform you that I took a male, at 
light, in my garden at Dinas Green, near 
here, on the L3th of last September ; it 
was a little over-flown. — S. C. Fletcher, 
9, St. John’s, Worcester; April 19, 
1856. 
Captures at the “ Brushes” near Man- 
chester. — I took Ileusimene fimbriana and 
Amphysa prodrotnana at the “Brushes” 
yesterday, and found Vaccinium Vitis- 
Idoca, with larvae of Neplicula Weaveri 
and Lithocolletis Vacciniella, feeding in 
the leaves ; also larvae of Euchromia flam- 
meana and E. Arbulana, aud Coccyx 
ustomaculana, &c. — C. S. Gregson, 
Edge Lane , Old Swan , Liverpool ; April 
17, 1856. 
I have captured at the “ Brushes,” last 
week, Heusimene fimbriana, Amphysa 
prodromana and Gclechia celhiops. — S. 
Carter, 20, Lower Mosley Street, Man- 
chester ; April 20, 1856. 
The Spider, Theridion variegatum . — 
On the 13th inst. I found, under the bark 
of an old hornbeam at Hainault Forest, 
a little spider’s nest, about the size of a 
pea, shaped like a balloon, covered with 
flossy silk of a fine red-brown colour, 
and containing seven round pellets, which 
had free motion. It was supported on a 
flexible foot-stalk, being altogether nearly 
half an inch in length, and formed one 
of the prettiest objects imaginable. I 
thought it might interest Mr. Meade, of 
Bradford, and sent it to him ; and, with 
his usual kindness, that gentleman has 
given me the following information, which 
I communicate for the benefit of all that 
it may concern: — “This pretty little 
spider’s nest is constructed hy the Theri- 
dion variegatum, Walck., a species which 
has been described by Blackwall, in the 
4 Linnean Transactions,’ vol. xviii. p. 627, 
under the name of Theridion callens. It 
is not a common spider, but appears to 
be generally distributed, as Mr. Blackwall 
has found it in Wales. I have also met 
with it occasionally in this neighbourhood 
and in Norfolk, and Mr Stainton sent me 
a specimen of the cocoon last year from 
