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ENTOMOLOGY. 



minute,) and then pierce them under the thorax with a steel pen dipped in 

 a strong solution of oxalic acid. The ammonia must be kept in a tightly- 

 stoppered bottle, as in hot weather it is very restless, and does its best to 

 drive the stopper out. When travelling tie a piece of wash-leather over the 

 stopper, unless you wish your clothes to be saturated. Ammonia is very 

 useful in [removing mildew, — soak a camel's-hair brush in it, and gently 

 brush the mildewed insect. Oxalic acid is a deadly poison, and ammonia ia 

 not very] agreeable to smell, so it is just as well to label both bottles 

 '"Poison." — H. Habpue Ceewe, Stowmarket, September 26th., 1858. 



Notodonta dictaoides. — I wish to warn my brother entomologists that this 

 insect will not bear relaxing. The other day I put a very fine-bred, but 

 rather ill-set specimen into the relaxing pot, and left it, as I usually do the 

 larger moths, for twenty-four hours. To my horror and disgust, upon taking 

 it out, I found it completely ruined. All the beautiful clear white was turned 

 dirty brown, and the purple gloss utterly gone. The relaxing apparatus was 

 a jam-pot half full of wet sand, and cork on the top. — Idem. 



Catocalia nvpta. — I was not aware till this year that this insect ever flew 

 in the day-time, but during the last month I have seen no less than four 

 specimens disporting themselves at mid-day with apparently quite as much 

 enjoyment as V. atalanta or Jo. — Idem. 



A. atropos and S. ligustri. — During the months of August and September 

 four or five larva? of 8. ligustri and an equal number of A. atropos were 

 found in the Rectory-grounds at Breadsall, near Derby. Neither insect has 

 been seen in 'the parish before, and I can testify that it has been pretty 

 diligently worked. I once had an old specimen of S. ligustri, which was 

 said to have been taken in the outskirts of Derby, but I never myself, till 

 now, saw or heard of the insect being taken in the county. A. atropos is 

 also extremely rare. — Idem. 



A. atropos. — A larva brought me full-fed July 15th. produced the perfect 

 insect, a splendid male, September 22nd. I did not attempt to force the 

 pupa, but left it entirely to itself, only occasionally moistening the moss with 

 which it was covered. — Idem. 



Are Grasshoppers Carnivorous? — I always understood Grasshoppers to be 

 entirely herbivorous; however on Thursday I captured a froe female specimen 

 of Gryllus viridissimus, in a field near Margate, and when I came home, 

 put it into a large glass case, containing several larva? of Pontia brassicce. 

 It seized one of them, and immediately devoured him. There were many 

 leaves in the cage, and some grass was afterwards put in, but the Grasshopper 

 seemed to prefer the caterpillars, and eat one or two more of them.. — W. F. 

 Hxtntee, Cecil Square, Margate, September 4th., 1858. 



Colias edusa and hyale. — I caught a specimen of Colias hyale here August 

 20th., and saw several others. I caught C. edusa as early as the middle of 

 July. — Idem. 



