I02 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



persons. It is perhaps, however, unnecessary and 

 unadvisable to say anything farther on the subject, 

 except to add that good work may be done without 

 in any way becoming liable to the operation of 

 the law of trespass. 



A small pathway by the side of the branch railway 

 to the Alexandra Palace (to the left of the bridge over 

 which the Muswell Hill Road passes) is a very pro- 

 ductive locality, and "sugar" is, as a rule, very suc- 

 cessful there. The broad rails and posts dividing the 

 path from the wood could not have been rendered more 

 suitable for the proper exhibition of the entomologists' 

 sweets had they been specially constructed for that 

 purpose. 



The following species of Noctuce may be taken in 

 and on the borders of all the woods in the neigh- 

 bourhtod : — Gonophora derasa, Thyatira halts, Cy- 

 matophora diiplaris, Bryophila perla, Xylophasia 

 liihoxylea, X. hepatica, X. scolopacina, Dipterygia 

 pinastri, Heliophohis popularis, Miajia stri^ilis, M. 

 fasciuiicida, Cranimcsia triliiwa, Riisina tcnebrosa, 

 Agrotis suff'usa, Tryplucua inntkina, T. fimbria, 

 T, Orbona, Noctua plecta, triangulum, brunnea, 

 /estiva, Jiubi and baja ; Tainiocampa Gothica, and 

 T. cruda ; Cerastis spadicea, Connia diffiuis, Aliselia 

 oxyacanthcE, PhlogopJiora mctiailosa, Euplexia luci- 

 fara, Apleda ncbulosa, Hadena frotc7is, H. okracea, 

 Plusia chrysitis, Gonoptera libatrix, Amphipyra 

 pyramidea, A. Tragopogonis, Na:nia typica. Mania 

 maiira, Catocala 7iupta, and almost all the common 

 English Noctuse, the larvae of which may, as a rule, 

 also be found by carefully searching their respective 

 food plants at the proper seasons. 



Students of the Hymenoptera and Diptera will 

 find ample scope for work in and near the woods at 

 Highgateand in the lanes which abound in the locaUty. 

 The lower wood is especially productive of Ten- 

 thredinidae (saw-flies) and it is best to collect them 

 while in the larval state both by "beating" and 

 "sweeping." I have noticed that when using the 

 sweeping net on a warm evening during the spring, 

 the larvae of the saw-flies are very abundant, although 

 they can be obtained at all times throughout the spring 

 and summer months, and in considerable numbers. 



The gall-flies (Cynipsidae) are also abundant in this 

 neighbourhood, and the perfect insects may, as a rule, 

 be easily bred, by simply placing the galls in gallipots 

 covered with a piece of glass. The tops of the 

 gallipots should be ground on a piece of flat stone in 

 order to make them perfectly level, as l)y this means 

 the glass fits more accurately and the damp galls are 

 not so liable to be dried by evaporation. 



The galls of Cynips qiicrcus baccariim and Cyitips 

 qtiercus folii will be found by the collector without 

 any difficulty on the oaks, as also will the galls of 

 Cynips tcrmiiialis on the oak twigs. These should 

 be slightly damped from time to time, if the collector 

 desires to breed the perfect insects. The common 

 spangle galls {Newoterus Icnticularis) are of course 



also common on the oak leaves, and the perfect 

 insects may be bred without difficulty by the method 

 before suggested. 



The coleopterist will also find a ramble in this 

 locality productive of many interesting species, and 

 among other common beetles to be taken here may 

 be mentioned, Carabus violacens, Ocypus olens, 

 Necrophorus vespillo, Cefonia aurata, Lttcamcs cervus 

 and Gcotrupes stcrcorarius ; the common cockchafer 

 {Meloluntha vulgaris), often becoming a perfect pest. 

 By beating along the hedgerows and in the woods 

 the collector may easily obtain large numbers of 

 weevils, and "sweeping" on the low lying portions 

 of the woods will be found to well repay the collector 

 for his labour. 



The Neuroptera are not very well represented at 

 Highgate. Most of the species of this order require a 

 very considerable amount of moisture, and Highgate 

 being located on high ground is not particularly 

 favoured in this respect. 



The neuropterist will however meet with some old 

 friends, especially among the dragon-flies, which are 

 common near the few ponds in the neighbourhood. 



Libellula dcpressa is perhaps the commonest species 

 here, and specimens of this beautiful insect may 

 occasionally be found drying their wings on the 

 bushes near the ditches, at the borders of the woods. 



The Dipterous fauna of Highgate appears to be large 

 and comprehensive, perhaps even more so than is the 

 case with the Lepidoptera, so that the collector of this 

 extensive, but generally neglected, order, need have no 

 fear that he will have to return with empty boxes. 



There are, of course, many insects commonly taken 

 at Highgate and in the vicinity which have been 

 omitted from the foregoing lists, as anything like a 

 complete catalogue would require an organised inves- 

 tigation, involving great labour and extending over a 

 number of years. It will also be obvious to the 

 reader that a large number of species of Lepidoptera 

 which I have referred to as coming to the lamps, &c., 

 may be taken in a variety of ways, such as "dusk- 

 ing " and " sugaring." 



Coldford Wood is probably the best collecting 

 ground at Highgate, but it is rigorously preserved, 

 and unfortunately entomologists are not tolerated 

 within its boundaries. 



Commencing from Highgate Station on the Great 

 Northern Railway, the gas lamps referred to in these 

 notes extend along MusvvcU Hill Road, Tatterdown 

 Lane, Fortis-green Road, St. James's Lane, Muswell 

 Hill, Spaniards' Lane (leading to Hampstead Heath), 

 and in fact all the lanes and roads in the immediate 

 neighbourhood. 



Highgate is easily and rapidly reached from all 

 parts of London by means of the Great Northern 

 Railway, and the tramway to the Archway Tavern, 

 near Highgate Archway ; and this short paper may, for 

 that reason, be useful to entomologists to whom such 

 a locality may be a desideratum. 



