THE WEEKLY ENTOMOLOGIST. 
219 
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QBSEEVATIONS, 
Lepidopteea. 
Insects Bred, etc. — This has been 
a very peculiar season here — -all the 
vegetation short, and burnt up with 
the heat and the continued dry 
weather. Yet many species have 
recurred here which have not been 
seen for 30 or 40 years, such as B. 
Cay a, dominvla (in plenty in one 
wood), pot oioria (in larva perfect 
cannibals, and not one bred, but one 
taken on the wing), H. Huviuli, &c, 
&c. These are all reckoned com- 
mon ; but not one of them has been 
seen by me for very many years. 
My son, E. R. Dale, has just bred 
G. Obscuraria, from larva found near 
Bridleigh Salterton, and he bred 
G. Promutata, some time ago, from 
the same place. 
I have seen no specimens this 
year of the following butterflies, 
which, formerly, were not very rare 
with us : — P. Machaon, P. Graiaiji, 
P. Sinapis, G. Jdliamni (except a few 
in April), C. Bdusa , II Galathea, 
H. Semele, H. Panvphilus (except 
two or three in the next parish), 
V. Car dui, V. Polychloros, ( V . Io 
only two or three, ditto V. Atalanta ) 
V. C-album, (A. Aglaia, never saw 
but one or two, previously saw 
some with A. Adippe) M. Selene, 
Artemis, H. Lucina, T. Betulce , 
T. Quercus (only one this year), 
T. Bubi, L. Pldeas (only three 
or four this year), P. Corydon (only 
one in the parish), P. Alexis (none 
since the beginning of June), P. 
Agestis , P. Acis, P. Argiolus, H. 
Alveolus, H. Pages, H. Linea; in all 
30 butterflies ! — J. 0. Dale, Gian 
Wootton, Sherborne, Dorset, 10 th 
August , JL863. 
B. Cinctaria. — At pages 187 and 
195 of the 2nd vol. of the “Ento- 
mologist,” Mr. Gibson and Dr 
Knaggs have told us how the larva, 
of this species behaved with them. 
Perhaps I may be allowed to add 
my experience also. 
When the larvae hatched from the 
eggs kindly sent me by Dr. Knaggs, 
I gave them their choice of several 
kinds of food — both trees and low 
plants, and they seemed to prefer 
b irch, at the same time nibbling a little 
oah ■ and on the leaves of these, two 
trees the greater part of my larvae 
fed up vei’y satisfactorily. Two of 
them, however, lagged behind the 
rest, and remained quite small ; till 
one day I accidently put some 
barberry leaves near them, when one 
of them immediately began to eat 
this new food with great eagerness, 
and soon fed up on the same to his 
