250 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



especially has this been the case in the larger gardens, where 

 extensive beds and borders of flowers in bloom were available on 

 which to flaunt their splendid colours. In one such garden, a large 

 walled enclosure not far from Southerness, I counted on a recent 

 occasion over 200 of these beautiful creatures. The sight was a 

 particularly gorgeous one, and of sufficient rarity in the northern 

 regions to be worthy of record. Sirex juvencu's has again been much 

 in evidence. A number of specimens were sent me from a place 

 near Lockerbie, where they were emerging from the flooring of an 

 outhouse. The timber had been cut from an adjoining estate. 

 I got it from three or four other localities also. From near 

 Mofifat Sirex gigas was sent. A number of larch posts erected as 

 gateways on a sheep farm had been almost destroyed by its borings. 

 This species also has been taken all over the area of Solway 

 this season. A small Culex, familiar to me for a long time past as 

 a not uncommon insect, has this autumn become most conspicu- 

 ously abundant. Some of the evenings at the end of August it was 

 in perfect clouds. Seen against the sunset glow the distinguishing 

 frontal appendages on the two sexes were easily noted. But it was 

 not always easy to keep a single individual in one's eye amidst the 

 gyrations of the dancing myriads. They are now very much scarcer 

 with the advent of colder weather. No doubt the unusual warmth 

 and moisture of the past summer favoured an abnormal increase. 

 I do not venture on to the thin ice of dipteric identification, and so 

 forward a few living examples of this Culex for inspection. ROBERT 

 SERVICE, Maxwelltown, Dumfries. 

 [The specimens submitted are Culex nemorosus, Mg. P. H. G.] 



Aeherontia atropos, L., in Glasgow and Kilmarnoek. I had a 



specimen of this Hawk-moth handed to me on 2oth September, which 

 was taken in York Street. Its capture was effected by our Bond- 

 keeper, Mr. Allan Livingstone, whose attention was attracted by a 

 gentleman probing at something on the street with his umbrella. 

 It was still alive when I received it, and, irrespective of the rather 

 rough usage it had received, is in fine condition. 



In a letter I received from Mr. George Rose of Kilmarnoek, he 

 mentioned that a live specimen of this insect had been given to him, 

 which was found beneath the outside cover of a bar-frame hive on 

 the loth July last. ANDREW ADIE DALGLISH, Glasgow. 



Cleora glabraria in Roxburghshire. On the 25th and 2yth 

 of July last I took eight specimens of Cleora glabraria, t\vo $ and 

 six , all apparently freshly emerged. Mr. C. G. Barrett has seen 

 all these, and he says : " There is not a shadow of a doubt about 

 your Cleora glabraria : they are correct, and very beautiful and 

 perfect specimens. The transverse lines upon their fore wings are 

 unusually well defined and distinct." I took all the moths at rest 

 on the trunks of Scotch fir trees. They are very lethargic in habit, 



