136 
THE NATURALISTS’ JOURNAL. 
Inter-l >7 eeding of house sparrow with tree sparrow .—In answer to “Ram¬ 
bler’s ” query I do not know of any authentic account of the inter-breeding of 
these species, though both are common in this district. It is very probable 
such instances have occurred, and “ Rambler” cannot do better than ask the 
question in the “ Zoologist.”—E. VV. Swanton, Bratton St. Maur. 
INSECTS. 
P. rapes in January .—An unusual occurance of the small cabbage white 
happened here on January the 23rd, when one which had evidently been hvber- 
nating took advantage of the few hours’ sunshine to expand its wings again.— 
A. L. Clarke, Gloucester. 
Early records froTn Readmg. —On January 13th, I took Hybernia rupi- 
capraria, and on the 21st H. leucophearia, and Phigalia pedaria (pilosaria ). 
My earliest records previously were :— Rupicap?-aria Jan. 10th, 1890; 
Leucophearia Feb. 1st, 1889 ; Pedaria (Pilosaria) Jan. 24th, 1892.—W. E. 
Butler, Hayling House, Oxford Rd, Reading. 
Insects and te?nperature cha?iges .—I should like to report that on January 
24th, after two sharp frosts and with the ground quite hard, my father found 
the following lepidoptera on the “Bishop’s Palings”: —Pterophorus monod- 
actylus, Hybernia defoliaria, H. rupicapraria, H. leucophearia, and Chei- 
matobia brumata. All but the H. leucophearia were worn, and had stood the 
frosts, but this species had evidently emerged the same day as taken. Now, 
during the day, the wind shifted from n.n.w. to S.W., and it turned much 
milder, and thus is giyen a very good illustration of how sensitive the develo¬ 
ped pupa in the ground must be to the slightest changes of temperature, so 
that sometimes I am inclined to think they even anticipate the favourable 
opportunity for emergence—H. J. Turner, 13, Drakefell Road, Hatcham, S.e. 
Coleoptera- Notes fro 7 n Reading .—The following beetles I have taken here last 
season: —Callidium variabile, Anchomenus piceus , Bruchus rufiinanus; 
Oncomera fe 7 norata turned up well at sugar, I took twenty-five one night ; I 
also took Sphodrus leucophalmus , and Pristonychus subcya 7 ieus in my own 
cellar.—W. E. Butler, Hayling House, Reading. 
Coleoptera at Deal in September , 1893.—While staying a fortnight at the 
above locality, I took the following beetles :— Masoreus wetterhali , Calathus 
flavipes, Harpalus serious , H. anxius (common), Demetrias monostigma , 
(common), Philonthus lepidus, Ocypus simills, Aphodius porcus (on a'stone 
wall near the sea), Hype?a fasciculata , Otiorhynchus atroapterus, Heliopathes 
gibbus (abundant) and many others. All the above were taken at roots of grass 
and in the moss on sandhills.—H. Ford, Junr., Berkshire Villa, Crowhurst 
Road, Brixton S. W. 
Coleoptera in the Eastbourne district— The following are the names of a 
few of the coleoptera I obtained in the Eastbourne district during the interval 
between Christmas and the middle of January :— Philhydrus marginellus, P. 
ovalis, Philonthus thermarum, Lathrobium longulum , Sunius intermedins : 
all taken in the neighbourhood of Polegate, along with a host of less note¬ 
worthy species, as Philo??thus cupreus, P. sangumole?itus , A?iaccsna limbata , 
A. variabilis, A. bipustulata, Bryaxis fosculata, B. juncorum, Rhagium in¬ 
quisitor , Be??ibidium guttula, B. nnamerheimi, B. ebtusum , Tachypoi'us 
hu?nerosus, T. pusillns, etc. On the chalk hills my only capture ot note was 
Haltica co?tsobrma. I may add three of my summer captures : Cvmindis 
axillaris , Licmus depressus, and Phlceotoza stephe?isi. Among diptera, too, 
I took, Eristalis libatrix and Tachina nigilcans, the latter probably new to 
Britain, according to Dr. Meade—W. W. Esam. 
A Note on the Lepidoptera of Blundell Sa?ids. —Having met with an acci¬ 
dent in July 1892, I was at home for a few weeks during which time my sons 
brought in any amount of larvae of the different species. On August 2*1, one 
