The Scottish Naturalist. 213 



The first species to appear is usually A. tritici, or L. testacea, while a tremen- 

 dous thump on the window caused by A. Caja may usually be taken as the 

 signal to go to bed, as nothing more will appear for that night, at least I have 

 found it to be so. 



The greatest number of species for any one night is twenty- five, of which six- 

 teen were Noctuse, no great number certainly, but good as compared with the 

 results of sugaring, besides being so easily obtained. 



During the month of August, from the 5th to the 17th. there came to light the 

 following species of moths : — A. Caja, S. meuthastri, B. perla scarce, L. pattens 

 and L. impura common, L. conigera scarce. H. micacea swarming and variable, 

 X. rurea, X. polyodon, L. testacea in swarms, M. brassicce scarce, A. oculea 

 common, M.fasciuncula ; C. alsi?ies, or C. blanda, severai specimens of one of 

 these species came, but I am not certain which they belong to ; C. orbicularis, 

 Agrotis valligera common, A. segetum, A. exclamationis, both these species 

 were scarce, though a month or two previously they were very numerous ; A. 

 cursotia common, A. nigricans, A. tritici in swarms, A. prcecox twice, A. 

 pyrophila once, T. orbona, T. pronuba, N. augur common, but rubbed, 

 N. /estiva, N. baja, P. iota scarcer, and P. gamma. Of Geometrae there 

 came, — C. elinguaria, H. wavaria, II. clutata, M. fluctuata, C. prunata, and 

 C. py rati at a. 



In addition to the species enumerated above, I have previously taken at the 

 same window, N./ulva, A. basilinea, A. gemina, M. litcrosa, C. morpheas, 

 T. ianthina, N. C-nigritm, N. brunnca, N. umbrosa, N. xanthographa, 

 T. instabilis, T. got/iica, T. rubricosa, A. litura, E. nigra, D. te'mpli, Ph. 

 meticulosa , H . adusta, II. dent in a, II. oleracca, and A. urticce; as well as 

 R. cratcegata, O. bidentata, A. aversata, C. pusaria, E. vulgata, M. ocellatc, 

 M. subtristata, M. montanaia, C. munitata, C. populata, C. fu/vata, and 

 C. spartiata,— -making up the list of Nocture to forty-nine, and of Geometrce to 

 eighteen species. 



Of other moths but few species come, chiefly Scoparia muralis and S. amli- 

 gualis, Crambus pratcllus and C. tristcllus in swarms, Aphomia sociella, and a 

 few species of Tortrices and Tineina. 



My success was greatest as a rule, of course, on dark warm cloudy, or evtn 

 misty, evenings ; but on various occasions I have found that moths swarmed to 

 the light even when rain was falling in torrents, when the evening was warm 

 and calm. Sometimes, also, a few moths have put in an appearance on moon- 

 light nights, but this is very exceptional.— J. W. H. Traill, Aberdeen. 



Note on the sound made by Ilylophila prasinana.— In the "Entomo- 

 logist's Annual" for 1871, Dr. Knaggs mentions (with evident incredulity) that 

 it had been recorded during the past year (where, is not stated, but I imagine 

 in " Newman's Entomologist,") that Ilylophila prasinana had been observed 

 " uttering a shrill and peculiar sound at quick intervals." Subsequently Mr. A. 

 H. Swinton, in the " Ent. Monthly Mag." for March, 1871, states his belief 

 that the moth in question produced a ' ' strange twittering " noise, but the editors 

 of the Magazine urge the advisability of further observations and dissections be- 

 fore the question could be set at rest. Another note from Mr. Swinton appears 

 in the August (1871) number of the same periodical, in which he gives the re- 

 sult of his observations on H. quercana, the other British species of the genus. 

 In this note he states that the moth produces a " membranous sound," which 

 he thinks is caused by the inner margin of the fore-wing catching a little horny 

 lateral thoracic plate when in the act of expanding. 



