76
NOTES ON BRITISH
LEPIDOPTERA
nenrica, Hßbn. by the 18th. It was found in several new marshy localities in Suffolk. Further west in Wiltshire, the Downland Wainscot (Oria musculosa, Linn.) was well out by the middle of the month in exceptional numbers. T h e Notched Emerald (Thalera fimbrialis, Scop.) was numerous during the last fortnight of July in its restricted haunts. T h e early part of August brought the first unsettled period of the summer, but it did not deter the Crimson Underwings from patronising the sugar patch in the New Forest. Both species were quite plentiful with a predominance of Catocala sponsa, Linn. Another new arrival, the Banded Carpet (Euphyia luctuata, Schiff.), reappeared in the south-east as also did another newcomer, Calophasia lutiula, Hufn., of which a single specimen was taken in Kent. Among the Blues, the Chalk-hill (Lysandra coridon, Pod.) was in good numbers in most areas. It was out early in July and almost over by mid-August. At least four examples of the Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus, Linn.) were recorded from Bristol (Entom., 1952, 85, p. 204), Sussex and Surrey. It was subsequently bred from a capture made in the latter county. A specimen of the Short-tailed Blue (Everes argiades, Pall.) was taken in Hampshire (Ent. Record, 1952, 44, p. 255), the first in this country since 1945. August was a good month for many species of moths in Scotland, in particular the Piain Clay (Amathes depuncta, Linn.), while the recently discovered noctuid, Luceria virens, Linn., was again seen plentifully in Western Eire. T h e late summer proved somewhat disappointing for butterflies in general, doubtless caused by the very cold snap in early September. Among the regulär migrants, hardly any Painted Ladies were to be seen, and the Clouded Yellow (Colias crocens, Fourc.) was very scarce in the south-east, though more numerous in some of our south-western counties. There have been no reports of the Pale and the New Clouded Yellow (Colias hyale, Linn, and C. australis, Verity). Among the migrant Hawk-moths there was a fair influx of the Convolvulus (Herse convolvuli, Linn.) in late August, though not in any way exceptional. A few further Striped Hawks (Celerio livornica, Esp.) were taken, one in London and another as far north as Lerwick in the Shetlands. A lucky capture was a female Bedstraw (Celerio galii, Rott.) in Hampshire, which produced a large batch of ova from which larvae were bred to the pupal State. Hardly any larvae of the Death's Head (Acherontia atropos, Linn.) were forthcoming during the potato harvest. On the whole, 1952 can be said to have been quite a good season for lepidoptera in general and will be remembered for the remarkable immigration during its early months. Three Oaks, Shore's Road, Woking. 30th September, 1952.