256 f^""'' 
Captures of Lepidoptera in Galway. — In Noveinber last, Mr. Smith (known to 
Mr. Birchall) brought to be named a box of insects, most of which were taken by 
his cousin, Miss Niagent, in Galway. Among them were Pyrgus malvce* (new to the 
Irish list), Triphatna subseq^ca, and Halias quercana (inserted doubtfully in Mr. 
Birchall's List). Of the last named we have an old specimen in the Society's 
collection, from the late Mr. Furlong's collection ; but, being without a label, it is 
impossible to say if it were taken in Ireland or not. — W. F. Kirbv, Dublin. 
Hote on the economy, ^c, 0/ Eupcecilia suhroseana. — I am rather puzzled about 
the economy of Eupcecilia suhroseana. The 'Manual' gives as its localities 
" Ambleside and near Airthrey, in heathy places." 
Now I find it in this neighbourhood in certain low-lying and warm copses 
where the underwood is of two or three years growth, and in the open places and 
paths. Here it occurs — rarely to be sure, for I never took a dozen in a season— at 
intervals all the summer. Its times of appearance seem to be, middle to end of 
May and beginning of June, end of June and beginning of July, beginning and end 
of August and beginning of September. 
Whether there are three or four broods, or only one appearing at long intervals 
seems hard to say, and equally so to guess at its food plant, for if it has a pre- 
ference it seems to be for oak bushes. Altogether these habits seem singular for a 
northern heath insect. Of heath there are hundreds of acres in this neighbour- 
hood, and I have worked them carefully, but never met with suhroseana on or 
near them, and although there are here and there in the woods in which it is found 
small patches of heath, it seems most sedulously to avoid them. 
I find I am not alone in the difficulty about this species, for one friend was in- 
clined to unite it with roseana, and another doubted its distinctness from ruficiliana, 
of which two species the food plants do not grow in the woods where suhroseana 
is found. 
I shall therefore feel much obliged if any one who has taken suhroseana among 
heath will kindly send some notice of its habits either to me or to the Magazine, 
and still more so if he will kindly favour me with one or more specimens for 
comparison.— Chas. G. Bakeett, Haslemere, 25th January, 1868. 
Nyssia hispidaria at Manchester. — Some ova I had of this species hatched on 
the 29th April last year. The larvae fed up rapidly on oak, all having changed to 
pupro by the 27th of May ; the images appeared fi-om the 14th February to the 4th 
of the present month, and are very fine specimens.— C. Campbell, 14, Blackburn 
Street, Hulme, Manchester, 11th March, 1868. 
Observations on the British species of Heterothops. — This genus (the members 
of which can be at once distinguished from those of Quedius or Philonthus by the 
subulate apical joints of their palpi) contains four European species {H. prcBvius, 
Er., binotatus, Steph., dissimilis, Grav., and quadnripunctulus, Grav.), superficially 
resembhng certain small Quedii, and not exceeding 2i lin. in length. These four 
species are recorded as inhabiting this country, but seem for the most part to be of 
considerable rarity, and not easily distinguishable inter se by beginners ; on which 
account I propose to give short characters for the insects which I refer to them. 
Commonly linown as S. alceolus. — Eds. 
