9 
was inclined to think that sordida should be removed from the genus 
Mamestra and placed before Apamea gemma, A. unanimis and A. basi- 
linea, as in Kirby’s “European Butterflies and Moths,” with which 
insects he considered it had more affinities than with the genus Mamestra. 
Mr. Bacot; ova of Nyssia hispidavia, laid in captivity. Dr. Buckell 
remarked that they very much resembled those of its ally Amphidasys 
betularia. 
Mr. Bayne, who exhibited a good series of the insect, which included 
brown, greenish, light grey, melanic and white-margined forms of the 
$ and green and brown forms of the 2 > then read the following 
paper :— 
NOTES ON NYSSIA HISPIDABIA. 
On February 1st, 1893, two apterous 2 s emerged in my breeding 
cage from pupas dug in Epping Forest in the late autumn of 1892. The 
preceding week or ten days had been very mild for the time of year. 
Phigalia pedaria ( pilosaria ) had been observed in the open on January 
22nd and eight Hybernia defoliaria had been bred indoors between the 
25th and 29th of that month. Of course, as these 2 s were certainly 
not P. pedaria, they were at once noted as Nyssia hispidaria and Feb. 
5th being fine and bright, was devoted to searching for this species, the 
said search being rewarded, after five hours, by a single taken on a 
“ spear ” oak. Hybernia marginaria (progemmaria ), both sexes, and 
Anisopteryx aescidaria put in a first appearance on the same day. The 
emergence of two s and a 2 N. hispidaria during the night of Feb. 
7th, which was warm, gave the impression that there was a possibility 
that the species might be found more commonly than is usual in the 
Forest, where three years’ searching had resulted in the discovery of 
about *75 of a male. The next expedition, on the 12th of the same 
month, was, however, hardly a success; the wind was fresh, in fact 
blew a gale from the N.W., the weather was dull with passing showers 
of hail and rain, and the shade temperature ranged (in London) from 
44° to 34°. Only one crippled $ and a 2 with five legs turned up, 
and Lepidoptera generally were very scarce. The morning of Feb. 19th 
however, had a very different aspect; the wind was S.E., light, and 
during the day the temperature ranged from 59° to 46°; a shower fell 
about 9 a.m.; the weather was splendid for February—mild with bright 
sunshine, and the clan turned out in force for a grand effort. The 
first hispidaria was quickly found, and before many trees had been 
searched, it became evident that the moth was in overwhelming abun¬ 
dance. At 10.30 many were seen drying their wings and some with 
wings quite unexpanded. The general time for emergence seems to be 
from early morning to about 2 p.m. The height at which they usually 
sat was four to five feet, but a fair proportion were very much higher. 
Some were running rapidly up the trunks, while one or two were rest¬ 
ing, apparently unconcernedly, with the sun shining brightly upon them. 
They press themselves very closely into crevices in the bark and are 
not by any means easy to find. Individuals were noticed on hornbeam, 
beech, &c. as well as on oak, and even on trailing creepers. Very few 
cripples were met with. The species must, so one would expect from 
the apterous condition of the $ and the structure of the antennas in 
the A > assemble, and it was remarked that where a 2 was discovered, 
one male, if not more, was practically certain to be on the same trunk. 
o 
