THE WEEKLY ENTOMOLOGIST. 
123 
OBSERVATIONS. 
Lepidoptera. 
Aleucis Pictaria. — This insect 
ought not to be scarce in England. I 
have observed its habits carefully, 
and cannot see why it should be 
confined to one locality. Its favourite 
position is one of complete repose 
on the lower twigs of stunted black- 
thorn. It is very sluggish, and is 
hardly ever to be found on nights 
following a very wet day. Where- 
ever there is any extent of low 
blackthorn bushes it ought to occur. 
M. Guenee, I believe, has found it 
partial to the flowers of blackthorn, 
at dusk, over which he has seen it 
flying’. I have generally found it 
far too sluggish to fly at all. It is, 
I should think, likely to occur some- 
where in the north, if well looked 
for. — J. B. Blackburn. 
TTnJcnown Larva .- — The larva des- 
cribed by the Rev. Percy Andrews, 
in to-day’s “ Weekly Entomologist,” 
is undoubtedly Miselia Oxycanthce . — 
William Buckler, Lumley Cottage, 
JEmsworth , Hants, May 23, 1863. 
Spring Collecting at West Wick- 
ham. — Although this excellent 
locality is perfectly well-known, from 
its accessibility to the London Lepi- 
dopterists, some account of it may 
not be altogether uninteresting to 
those who live in the “ provinces.” 
The village lies three or four miles 
south of Beckenham, Kent, and as 
one entrance to the wood is not far 
distant, when first I began to visit 
it, I used to take a long and most 
dreary walk, by a dusty high road, 
from that half rural, half suburban, 
little town, occasionally, perhaps, 
taking Anticlea Derivata, or Xylo- 
campa Lithorhiza, on the palings, 
which skirt the road throughout. 
Eupithecia Vulgata was also sure to 
be well represented, and I once took 
Assimilata among its “vulgar ” con- 
geners. In the Tineoe, Cemiostorma 
Ldburnella was in great plenty, to- 
gether with a miscellaneous assem- 
blage of Litlio colletes. Arrived in 
the wood, we pass, on our right, a 
wood clearing, where is, however, a 
goodly array of oaks, but Acidalia 
Bemutata is about, the best thing I 
ever took off them. If we examine 
the piled-up birch faggots, we are 
sure to see some ^active, very small 
moths ; these are Tinagma Sericiella. 
The other side of the path is occupied 
by a dense thicket of birches, from 
which, I believe, I have taken all the 
spring Mycropteryges freely, though 
M. Suhpurpurella is attached rather 
to oaks. Keeping the path to the 
left we arrive at an avenue of fir 
trees, which, with the neighbouring 
oaks, beeches, &c., will well repay a 
search ; Cidaria Silaceata is a con- 
spicuous object at rest on their 
trunks. The fine-grown birches 
also give rest to the handsome 
Ephyra Pendularia, and Pliloeodes 
