290 
THE entomologist’s RECORD. 
first time in this neighbourhood Plusia festuccR. I saw a moth sitting 
on a blade of Poa aquafica, evidently just emerged, and, on hunting 
about, soon found half-a-dozen empiy cocoons and then one full one 
which emerged soon after. The larva seems to bend down a blade of 
the grass, and to spin across the angle a thin white cocoon, which is 
very conspicuous. — E. Buckell, Romsey, Hants. October ist, 1891. 
King's Lynn . — I have nothing worth noting concerning my captures 
this month, save, perhaps, the appearance of Eupithecia pygjnceata^ of 
which species I took four specimens (two of them in fine condition) on 
September 6th. This sun-loving species occurred here as usual about 
the middle of June this year. Turning to my notes, I find that on 
June 15th I captured a dozen specimens, about half of them in good 
condition. My experience of E. pyomeata this season points to the 
existence of a second brood. Cerastium glomeratum (mouse-ear chick 
weed) is, I believe, the principal food of its larvse here, for although I 
have so far found but one larva, the capsules of this plant have been 
freely patronised by larvae on the ground where I take the perfect 
insect. — E. A. Atmore, King’s Lynn. September 2,0th, 1891. 
Canterbury. — I have taken this autumn Orthosia madlenta, 0 . lota, 
Anchocelis rufina, Xanthia cerago, X. silago, X. aurago, Hoporina 
croceago, Anchocelis litura, A. pistacina, Hadena proteus, Miselia 
oxyacanthce, Agriopis aprilina, Xylina se?nibrimnea, and one Orrhodia 
erythrocephala var. glabra on October 31st. — J. Parry, t. Church 
Street, Canterbury. 
Culleenamore. — Ivy is now nearly over, and owing to bad weather it 
has not been very productive. Calocampa vetusta and Phlogophora 
meticulosa were fairly abundant. Orthosia lota, O. madlenta, Orrhodia 
vaccinii diW(\ O. spadicea were rare, and the usually abundant Xylina petrifi- 
cata entirely absent. The season, though, altogether has been a good 
one. — P. Russ, Culleenamore, Sligo. 
Soiith Devon. — Here, in South Devon, the season has been very unsatis- 
factory, sugaring almost a failure, I cannot count more than half a dozen 
fair nights, on each of them there was considerable wind. Frequently on 
warm, cloudy nights with a westerly wind, no insects have turned up. 
Light in August and September (I did not try it earlier) was more suc- 
cessful, and different species seemed to have their own special nights 
for flight, e.g., Neiiria pofularis, Cleora lichenaria, Cidaria silaceata. 
Larvae have been fairly abundant, but decidedly below rather than 
above the average. It seems to me the unusually severe and protracted 
winter (worse in Devon and Cornwall than elsewhere) destroyed many 
pupae and hybernating larvae. Lyccena cegon is very abundant on the 
downs, all over the Lizard promontory, much more so than the common 
Lyccena icarus. I took the larvae of Hecatera serc 7 ia in 1890, at Mullion, 
in abundance. It was feeding on Crepis virens, and in no instance did 
I find it on either of the sow-thistles, though they were very abundant. 
The larvce feed at night on the inside of the flowers, but are easily taken 
during the day by gently shaking the plant into a net. They seemed 
difficult to rear, as many died away when nearly full-fed (I tried change 
of diet to the sow-thistles, but it was refused), and a few were ichneumoned. 
Out of more than 100 larvae I succeeded in rearing only 18. Some 
dozen or so of these died in the pupal stage. — W. S. Ridixg, Honiton, 
Devon. October, 1891. 
