A HISTORY OF CORNWALL Diacrisia mendica is found sparingly in the east and middle of the county, but is only occasionally taken west of Truro. D. menthastri and D. luhrlcipeda are everywhere abundant. At Tresco the larvae of the latter feed regularly on mesembryanthemum. D. russula is scarce and local in the southern half of the county, but common in some of the moorland districts. Arctia plantaginis has been taken by Marquand about Penzance, and lately above Trebartha. A. caja and A. villica are very general in their distribution. The latter is in places somewhat scarce, and has not been recorded from Scilly. Callimorpha bera is reported to have been once taken near Saltash. C. dominula is occasionally obtained in the east and about Launceston. Two specimens were cap- tured in 1904 near St. Cleer. CARADRINIDAE Cucullla abiinthii is rare, but has been taken at Looe, and at long intervals in the middle and west of the county. Reading says the larvae of C. chamomillae are found abundantly on Matri- caria inodora and maritima on the semi-marine shores and wastes bordering Plymouth Sound and the estuaries of the Tamar and Lynher. It has been obtained in the west by A. H. Jenkin. C. umbratica occurs all along the south and in some years is locally remarkably abundant. C. scrophu- lariae is not uncommon locally in the larval state, but is not often taken on the wing. The larvae of C. verbasci are at times abundant locally. The insect occurs all over the county and at Scilly. Polia exoleta and P. vetusta are for the most part confined to the east of the county. P. solidaginis has been taken near Liskeard, and a single example of P. semibrunnea has been sent in from Laun- ceston. P. soda and P. ornithopus are very local, occurring, however, both in the east and in the west of the county. P. lambda has been recorded from Falmouth, but probably in error. P. areola is plentiful in most localities in March and April. P. viminalis is occasionally taken near the Tamar. P. lichenea is irregularly distributed along the south, and apparently rare in the north. It has been taken at Scilly. P. protea and P. aprilina are thinly spread through the county, especially in oak coppices. P. chi and P. flavlcmcta occur not infrequently in the east and about Liskeard, and are on rare occasions taken further west. The first example of P. xanthomista taken in the British Isles was captured by Mrs. Fisher near Padstow. It has also been obtained by H. W. Vivian at Bosahan. Dasy folia temp/i was recorded by Reading as not uncommon near Plymouth, and was taken by Baily near Penzance. Miselia oxyacanthae is by no means uncommon in damp wooded localities throughout the county, and at times is very plentiful. Diloba coeruleocephala has been twice obtained near Launceston, and has been reported from St. Germans. The sluggish Asteroscopus sphinx occurs sparingly as far west as Lostwithiel, but its habits and colouring cause it to be over- looked. Aporophyla australis is very local and probably rare, but was recorded from the west by A. H. Jenkin, and has been taken lately at Mount Edgcumbe. A. lutulenta and A. nigra have been taken by the estuaries of the Tamar and Lynher, and the latter is not uncommon at Godol- phin. A. lunosa is generally distributed, but is not common. Heliophobus hispidus has been occasionally captured in the Saltash district. Two specimens of Orthosia xerampellna were taken in 1902 near Launceston, and one was captured by Spiller at Godolphin in 1898. 0. croceago was bred by Marshall at Botus-Fleming, and has been taken several times lately in the east and south-east of the county. 0. citrago and O. aurago are both rare. The former has been obtained near Looe and the latter at Caerhayes. Q.fla-uago was taken by Vivian at Bosahan, and three were found near Newquay in 1899. One specimen of 0. fiilvago was captured near Liskeard, and one was taken by Adkin at Scilly. 0. circellaris is generally distributed along the south, but is not common. 0. helvola and 0. litura are of frequent occurrence in the east. 0. pistacina, 0. madlenta, and 0. lota come freely to sugar in most parts of the county in September. 0. ypsilon seems to be Kmited to the south- eastern district, where it is scarce. 0. satellltia in the late autumn is one of the most abundant moths at sugar about Callington and Liskeard, but is seldom taken in the middle and west. Conistra ligula and C. vacdnii are widespread and often plentiful at sallows in spring, and on ivy in November. Leucania turca has only been recorded from Werrington Park, Launceston, and by Marquand from about Penzance, but L. lithargyrea is everywhere abundant. In September, 1901, two examples of the rare L. albipuncta were captured by Tregelles at Falmouth. L. littoralls is irregularly distributed among the sandhills round the coast and at Scilly, and is very common about Bude. L. conigera is widespread and plentiful, but somewhat local. The rare L. vitellina and the still rarer L. unipuncta were taken at Scilly by Adkin in 1893. L. comma has been captured in the Lynher Valley, and is uncommon about Penzance. A single female of L. putrescens was captured near Looe on 22 July, 1902, and a male of L. impudent at Marazion in 1904. L. straminea is occasionally taken at Bodmin and has been recorded by Marquand from Penzance. L. impura is general and L. pollens abundant all over the county. Momma incerta is locally very plentiful. M. gracilis and M. stabilis are widely diffused on sallows in the spring. The former is apparently nowhere common, the latter is often abundant. A solitary specimen of M. populeti 208
