come under the denomination of P. Metra, scales in general similarly formed; whilst on the more dusky specimens (evident female examples of P. Rape) I have as yet discovered none at all which assume this peculiar character. The fact above recorded, namely, the production of examples of P. Rapæ and Metra from caterpillars resembling one another in every respect, together with the corresponding form of the scales of the wings (with two female exceptions), would seem to establish their identity, as mere varieties of the same insect. Perhaps some of your more experienced readers may feel sufficient interest in the subject to make further experiments, and I shall myself be happy to furnish any further information that may be desired.—J. F. Dawson ; Ventnor, I. of Wight.

Enquiry respecting Colias Edusa and C. Hyale. Have these butterflies been observed during the present autumn ? The septennial theory regarding Hyale, and the quadrennial one regarding Edusa, require that neither should appear in 1844, except accidentally and sparingly.-Edward Newman.

Note on a supposed new British Butterfly. I learn from Mr. H. Doubleday, that Mr. Weaver supposes he has taken a butterfly new to this country. It is described by Mr. Weaver as being an Hipparchia, and intermediate in size between H. Blandina and H. Cassiope. Eight specimens only have been captured, the wind being rough, and causing much difficulty in securing them. The locality is at a considerable elevation on one of the Scotch mountains. It may be observed that no entomologist is more thoroughly acquainted with our British butterflies than Mr. Weaver, and therefore he is not likely to be mistaken as to its being a novelty. I hope before the appearance of the October number to have obtained further particulars, and to be able to publish a figure. —Id.

Enquiry respecting Polyommatus Artaxerxes. I have today met with a friend, who, about a month since, captured about twenty specimens of this butterfly upon Arthur's Seat, near Edinburgh. All of them possess the white spot in the centre of the upper wing, and all agree in having the eyelets underneath obscured. I possess specimens of Salmacis from Castle Eden Dean, which entirely want these distinguishing characters; and also a single specimen from the same locality, captured by a friend, who resides near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, which possesses them. Why should these insects be considered mere varieties ? I have heard it advanced that Agestis, Salmacis and Artaxerxes are one and the same insect. James B. Hodgkinson; 12, Friday St.,

Preston.

[The idea of combining these species originated with myself, as will appear by the following extract from the Entomological Magazine,' ii. 515. "From examining specimens of Polyommatus Agestis from different localities, I have arrived at a conclusion which will not, I fear, be coincided with by many of our Lepidopterists. On the South Downs of Sussex and Kent, Agestis assumes what may be called its typical form. I have taken it at Ramsgate, Dover, Hythe, Hastings, Rye, Brighton, Worthing, Little Hampton, Chichester, Portsmouth, Isle of Wight, Dorsetshire, Somersetshire; and throughout this range it is very similar: then, going upwards, I have met with it at Worcester, Birmingham, Shrewsbury; and here an evident change has taken place, the band of rust-coloured spots has become less bright; at Manchester these spots have left the upper wing almost entirely; at Castle Eden Dean they are scarcely to be traced, and a black spot in the centre of the upper wing becomes fringed with white; the butterfly then changes its name to Salmacis. We proceed further northwards, and the black pupil leaves the eyes on the under side, until at Edinburgh they

are quite gone; it is then called Artaxerxes.

The conclusion I arrive at is this, that

Agestis, Salmacis, and Artaxerxes, are but one species."-Edward Newman].

Note on a Variety of Pamphila linea. On the 22nd of July I took a delicate buff variety of Pamphila linea. It was the only one I could find out of many hundreds of specimens I saw that day on the wing. The decided black margin, contrasting with the pale ground colour of the wings, makes it a very pretty insect.-H. W. Bates ; Leicester, August 15, 1844.

Note on the occurrence of clear-winged Sphingidæ near Leicester. We have taken in our neighbourhood the two species of Egeria, the Trochilia, tipuliforme and formicaforme, and Sesia fuciformis. The differences between the two Egeriæ I think are but obscurely known. I took Lewin's crabroniformis in a damp oak wood, flying in July, horizontally over a row of tall Umbelliferous flowers, and the other species has been taken by Mr. Plant in June, on the stems of osiers. Sesia fuciformis (the narrow border) I took twice in May, from the flowers of the common bugle, growing in grassy pathways in old woods: and Trochilium formicæ forme has been added to our list by Mr. Plant, who took it in July from Umbelliferæ, in the snipe-grounds of Grooby-pool.-Id.

Note on the capture of Trochilium Ichneumoniforme. A short time since, in an entomological ramble, I took a specimen of Trochilium Ichneumoniforme, which I believe is a very rare moth. It proved to be a female, and during her captivity she laid a little batch of eggs. These I am anxious to hatch, and rear the larvæ. Can you inform me on what they feed? Westwood does not mention the food of the caterpillars. If you are not acquainted with what they eat, would you be kind enough to make the enquiry in 'The Zoologist,' as doubtless some of your readers will know,— John Pemberton Bartlett; Kingston, near Canterbury.

[A great number of the same species has been taken by sweeping the herbage about the pit at Charlton, a very celebrated entomological locality. Messrs. Douglas, Stevens, Ingall and Bedell, have been the fortunate captors. Mr. Ingall observes that it principally frequents the devil's bit scabious, (Scabiosa succisa).-E. Newman].

Note on the hatching of the Eggs of the Orgyia antiqua which had never been impregnated. Last summer I found a chrysalis of this moth, which I placed in a large pill-box, with a few pin-holes pierced in the top. In due time a female moth appeared, which was never taken out of the box, yet laid a plentiful supply of eggs. I frequently said that the eggs might be thrown away, but it was never done; and much to my astonishment, on opening the box when I returned home a few days since, I found several small caterpillars had already made their appearance, others are still coming out, and all of them are now enjoying themselves with a few rose-leaves with which I supply them.-J. B. Harrison; Barham, near Canterbury.

[I shall be very glad to hear whether these caterpillars ever arrive at maturity. — E. Newman].

Note on the capture of Lasiocampa Trifolii and Agrotis annexa. Mr. Gregson, of Liverpool, captured a male specimen of the former insect on the wing, at New Brighton, in August last and about the same time he got a shattered specimen of Agrotis annexa, in a fisherman's cabin at the rabbit-warren, New Brighton. Both these specimens he liberally added to my collection. - R. S. Edleston; Manchester, April 11, 1844.

Note on the capture of Mamestra suasa, Ochs. (Dens canis, Haw.) I possess a female specimen of this rare moth, captured under a grass sod, on the 31st of May, 1842,

midway between Cottrell-wood and Altringham. Collectors residing in a favourable situation, would do well to examine the sods that cover bricks when drying, as many species of moths that are rarely met with in any other situation, secrete themselves underneath. Hadena adusta is very partial to them, and Actebia præcox, Agrotis Tritici, Mamestra Persicariæ &c. have also been taken.—Id.

Note on Nyssia zonaria. This insect has been very scarce this season. After a diligent search for some hours on the 15th of March, we captured eighteen males and five females; since then other collectors have been down to Liverpool in quest of them, but without success. Some years they appear in great abundance.-Id.

Note on captures in Dunham-park, &c. On the 11th of March I captured in this locality, Phigalia pilosaria (male and female), Achatia piniperda, Cheimatobia rupicapraria, Oporabia nubilea, and Anisopteryx leucophearia, very scarce, I have not heard of a female captured this year, the males are generally in great abundance; Nyssia hispidaria, not a specimen found, although abundant last year. On the 5th and 8th instant some fine specimens of Biston Prodromaria; the best time of the day to capture this insect, is about 4, P.M. Larentia multistrigaria, Orthosia munda, O. stabilis and O. cruda, on the oak. On the horse-chesnut some very fine specimens of Anisopteryx Æscularia, male, and a single female; the latter sex is excessively rare with us, I am not aware of its capture down here before. I also beat out of the young firs, Gracillaria hemidactylella, and an Argyromyges, which appears to be a new species.-Id.

Note on captures of Moths in one night and the following morning at New Brighton, near Liverpool. Having just received a copy of 'The Entomologist,' together with the 1st volume of 'The Zoologist,' I am highly gratified with the information I have derived from them, in fact they have come like bright gleams of sunshine, dispelling many a cloudy point which I was vainly endeavouring to comprehend or define. You must know that I am isolated from all personal intercourse with other entomologists; simply because I am located in a town, where, although there is ample scope for the most sanguine naturalist, yet I am sorry to say I cannot find one practical entomologist within thirty miles. I therefore hail the appearance of 'The Zoologist' with unexpected pleasure; and as I find its pages are open to authentic notices from practical knights of the net, I shall embrace the opportunity to let others know what is taken in this locality, and commence my contributions with a list of the captures in one night, at New Brighton, near the Black rock, Cheshire, August 12, 1843, commencing at half past 8 o'clock, and concluding about a quarter to 10. Agrotis valligera. Twelve males and one

female, the only one I ever took, although I generally take about ten or twelve males each night from the 9th to the 18th, at which time they are beginning to fade.

cursoria. Three specimens. exclamationis. One only. aquilina, Tritici, vitta, or by whatever name different persons may call it. Forty-six specimens, from which a species-manufacturer might have had a treat, as there was every variety in size, from about 11 to 17 lines in expansion

of wing, and in colour from a light ash to an almost white ground, marked with beautiful black arrows. I might have taken a hundred if I had wished. Charaas Graminis. One specimen, very large and black.

Lytæa umbrosa. Five good specimens.
Mythimna conigera. One only.
Segetia xanthographa. It is almost as trou-

blesome to keep this species out of the
net, as to get some others into it.
Pyrophila Tragopogonis. One specimen.
Heliophobus Popularis.
Apamea oculea. Very black; common.

Miana literosa. Five specimens, very fine. humeralis. Captured four specimens and saw a hundred or more. -Actebia

to a certainty. They do not fall, as is generally supposed; but they follow the smaller branches until they come to the main stem, down which they run with a rapidity truly astonishing. have spent several nights in ascertaining this curious fact.

I

præcox. Five specimens, sitting on the flowers of the ragwort (Senecio Jacobea). I take them with the forceps; approaching them very carefully I snap quick, enclosing flower and fly, otherwise they drop down and are lost I was out again between 3 and 4 o'clock in the morning, and took the following species before 6.

Ennychia cingulata. Plentiful. It is double-brooded with us, appearing in May and June, and again at the end of July and beginning of August.

Leucania pygmæa. Two specimens.
Eupithecia centaureata. Four specimens.

C. S. Gregson; 60, Mill St., Toxteth Park, Liverpool, June 7, 1844.

Note on Captures of Lepidopterous Insects at Preston, in Lancashire. Having just had the pleasure of seeing, for the first time, the 1st volume of 'The Zoologist,' I find that work contains a fund of general information respecting captures in different parts of the kingdom. I beg leave to hand you for its pages a list of the rarer Lepidoptera that have been taken by my brother and myself in the neighbourhood of Preston: its insertion will greatly oblige me. I beg also to state, that having duplicates of most of the insects enumerated, I shall be glad to exchange with entomologists in other parts of the kingdom.

Hercyna clathrata
Hyria auroraria

Fidonia ericetaria

Drepana falcataria

Hym. hybridalis

Margaritia Verbascalis

Scopula Prunalis
Nola strigulalis

Deilephila celerio and Porcellus, Sphinx Convolvuli, Acherontia Atropos and Vanessa Polychloros have been taken here by other parties.

While in Cumberland I took Hipparchia Cassiope on the 18th of June, at Styehead tarn, and Cidaria latentaria, Emmelesia trigonata, and what I suppose to be E. bifasciata in Borrowdale. I beat out of a hazel bush near Rosthwaite, a specimen of Mamestra splendens; it is a very different insect from M. Pisi. I was shown a specimen of Calocampa vetusta, and another of Lophopteryx carmelita, both taken near Keswick. On arranging our series of Lepidoptera, I find we possess some which are quite new, at least they are not figured or described in any work on British Lepidoptera. A friend of mine who lately visited the Isle of Skye, observed a great number of the larva of a Geometra, very similar to those of Abraxas grossulariata: they were feeding on the burdock, on the summit of Ben Beckley, where he shot a rock dove (Columba Livia), the crop of which was completely gorged with them. A few of these larvæ have since changed into pupæ. Jas. B. Hodgkinson; 12, Friday St., Preston,

July 28, 1844.

Note of Captures in the New Forest, Hampshire, and Darenth-wood, Kent. On the 4th of June, Mr. Haggar and myself went to the first of the above-named localities, full of hope and preparation to do a great deal in making captures of Lepidoptera and their larvæ ; but though we worked hard day and night, the result of our labours was

very scanty, as the list will show. For many of the caterpillars we were too late, for

others too soon; and moreover, we had to glean after the rooks, which, with their young around them clamorously appealing to their parental feelings, searched every large tree, and the young plantations too, for larvæ. These, I suspect, constituted the chief food of old and young, for the ground was baked hard with the long drought, and could not yield the usual supply of worms &c., so that we beat and beat again, and still found nothing new. At night we put sugar on the trees, in what we considered to be the best places, but nothing but a few common Noctuæ came. lowing is a list of the best of our captures.

The fol

Anchylopera diminutana siculana

obtusana

Roxana arcuana

Pseudotomia puncticostana

Lampronia rupella

Anacampsis dodocella
Adela Sulzella

And a few others, of the names of which 1 am not certain; together with larvæ of Thecla Betula and Quercûs, Psilura monacha, Petasia cassinea, Lithosia quadra, Miselia Oxyacanthæ and Aprilina, Catocala sponsa, C. promissa, Ceratopacha ridens, Biston Prodromarius, Alcis roboraria, and some others, mostly common.

Disappointed with the produce of the New Forest, we retraced our steps, and on the 10th went to Darenth wood, where we found the Lepidoptera abundant. In one

* The larvæ were also found, about half grown.