42 
[July, 
Carabus clathratus, Spc., in Ireland. — It is well known that this grand Carabus 
is no rarity in some parts of Ireland, though it is certainly not a species of common 
occurrence in England (judging from the few specimens I have seen in collections). 
At Teelin Bay, Co. Donegal, I took more than 40 examples, in less than an hour’s 
work, on the evening of April 28th. They occurred under loose stones on the tops 
of turf walls, in a rather boggy place of very limited extent. With them and in 
the immediate neighbourhood of their locality I found Carabus granulatus (abundant), 
violaceus (a few), Calathus melanocephalus var. nubigena (less than 100 feet above 
the sea level), Staphglinus erythropterus (in numbers), Silpha subrotundata (13), 
Crypiohypnus riparius (common), &c. 
C. clathratus has also occurred to me at Dinish Island (Co. Galway) and near 
Westport, but very sparingly in both these localities. — James J. Walker, H.M.S. 
“ Hawk,” Galway : May 20th, 1880. 
Lithocharis castanea, Or., near Wimbledon. — A single specimen of this rare 
beetle was captured by me at the roots of heather near Caesar’s Camp, W imbledon, 
at the end of last March. I have since then visited the same place several times in 
hopes of finding another, but hitherto without success. — W. J. Saunders, Wray 
House, Wimbledon : June, 1880. 
[The late Mr. Keeley took this species in the road leading from Wimbledon 
Common to Wandsworth. — E. C. R.J. 
Occurrence of Tachinus rufipennis, Orav.,near Barnstaple. — I found a specimen 
of the above beetle at Filleigh, near Barnstaple, by shaking roadside rubbish over 
paper in February last ; the weather was very cold and wet, or I might possibly 
have found more. Its shining red elytra with black tips distinguish it easily from 
any of the other species of the genus. I believe it has only been taken twice or 
three times in England before. — Edward Saunders, Holmesdale, Upper Tooting: 
June, 1880. 
Is the number of moults of Lepidopterous larva constant in the same species ? — 
I have been impressed lately with the uncertainty that seems to exist as to the 
number of times Lepidopterous larvae moult in the course of their growth, and have 
been considering whence this uncertainty springs. Does it arise from the difficulty 
of watching each individual, when one is rearing a brood from the egg ? For though 
all the larvae may be hatched on the same day, some are sure to outstrip the rest in 
growth, and so one is apt to get confused in the reckoning. Or is it quite certain, 
as many certainly think, that the number of moults varies in the same species ? 
Boisduval in his Introduction to Tome 1 of Lepidopteres (Suites a Buffon) says 
“ Le nombre des mues varie pcu dans unc meme espece, et peut-etre meme dans 
“ l’etat sauvage est-il toujours constant. Mais cliez quelques chenilles velues, que 
“l’on el&ve en captivite, il peut-etre augmente ou diminue par une nourriture plus 
“ ou moins abondante : ” this passage is the plainest assertion I can find of this 
variation in the number of moults, and the writer gives a reason for it, but I have 
also noticed that other writers state that they thought (they do not speak positively) 
there was no constancy in the number of moults undergone by the individuals of the 
same brood — reared altogether under the same conditions ; but I do not myself like 
to agree to this view 7 until I can have some good proof of it. 
I know 7 that the number of moults certainly varies in different species ; I have 
