NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. 
211 
Epione vespertaria. — Whilst out collecting on Strensall Common 
last Thursday evening with my friends, Messrs. Walker and Dutton, I 
obtained two female specimens of Epione vespertaria at rest on dwarf 
sallow (which is the foodplant of the larvae). They were both in fine 
condition, and evidently just emerged. One of them before dying 
laid 37 eggs, the other 8. The eggs when first laid are white, 
and in the course of a day or two change to a beautiful coral-pink 
colour. The above mentioned date is unusually late for this species to 
be on the wing, and is, I believe, the latest on record, August loth 
being about the latest date on which it had been previously taken here. 
The usual date of emergence is from the 6th to the loth of July. The 
earliest date on which I have known the imago to be taken is June 30th, 
on which date I have taken a few specimens. Its time of flight is just 
about dusk, and is continued until late into the night. It also flies (and 
much more commonly) on warm sunny mornings about 6 a.m., although 
its appearance is sometimes retarded until about 9 a.m., this of course 
depending upon the amount of sunshine. It appears particularly averse 
to cloudy and windy mornings, the passing of a large cloud across the 
sun being sufficient to cause it to cease flying. Its flight in the morning 
usually lasts about an hour, although odd specimens may be seen for a 
longer period. The specimens taken at night are usually finer and 
richer in colour than those taken in the morning. I have noticed that 
after it has been out some time it generally flies earlier in the morning 
than when first emerged, the reason for which seems to be that it is 
then somewhat worn, and more susceptible to the rays of the sun. 
[How ? — Ed.] Varieties sometimes occur, but are rare. I have 
one of a deep brick-red colour, and there are others thinly scattered 
about in collections. Another form, which sometimes occurs is that in 
which the border is deepened. The female is very rarely indeed taken 
in the morning, but almost always at night at rest on the dwarf sallow, 
and requires careful search. It is very sluggish, and is seldom taken 
on the wing. Occasionally varieties of the female occur in which the 
border, instead of narrowing off at the tip of the wings, is continued 
right through. The larvae are obtained by sweeping the dwarf sallow 
about the middle of June, and are not difficult to rear. The female 
larvae are larger and stouter than those of the male. Singularly enough, 
the proportion of female larvae swept generally exceeds that of the male. 
— William Hewett, 12, Howard Street, Fulford Road, York. Septem- 
ber i^th^ 1891. 
CosMiA PYRALiNA AT Chichester. — Two fine specimens of this 
rather local moth were taken in a garden at Whyke, close to this city : 
one on July 30th, the other in the second week in August. Both 
insects came to sugar. — Joseph Anderson, Jun., Chichester. 
Notes on Cossus ligniperda. — For some years I had been accus- 
tomed to take five or six imagines of ligniperda^ with an occasional 
larva. In 1889, when with my friend, Mr. Culpin, searching for Cato- 
cala nupta^ we discovered how to take the fall-fed larvae of Cossus in 
considerable numbers. In September the larvae walk around to find a 
suitable place for their winter cocoons, and we discovered that they can 
be found plentifully in the stumps of willow trees that have been cut 
down. It is necessary to first rip off the bark of stumps, under which 
will be found a number of cocoons ; then, if the wood is at all rotten. 
