NOTES OX COLLECTING IN 1900. 11 



{afijon): Latiorina orbitulitf (1); Aricia astrarche ; Pobjottnnatiis eras, 

 P. tear us (rare), /'. ('f«:/u'i-i, J'. In/las ; Afpiades bellarfpia, A. coridon ; 

 <}i/amris aemiariina and var. viontana (L.); Lycaena avion (1); Aijlais 

 nrticae ; Va7iessa io : Melitaea cynthia (1 2 ^^orxi), M. phnebe, M. didyma, 

 M. dicti/nna (rare), M. deione, M. parthenieveir. varia (scarce and worn); 

 Brenthis ]>ales, \evj light colour, emerging, B. r«o, just emerging 800ft. 

 above the village of la Grave on July 31st; hsoria lat/i(»iia: Aryyunis 

 aylaio, scarce and poor, A. niobe var. eris, only two, August 1st, 

 remarkably scarce ; Mrlavaryia yalathea : Mclanipicoi epiphron, M. 

 tiK'laiiipits (L), M. jiharte : Krebia veto, one worn (L), K. oeine (L), one 

 worn, /','. >ifyyne, tine, K. tyndariis, fine, both at le Lautai'et and la 

 Grave, often ab. droiiinn: ilipparchin alcyone ; Satyrus rardida : 

 I'ararye inoera : Epinrplude lycaon, males only , Cocmouympha iphis, C. 

 .satyriou, <'. pcnnp/iiliis (L); Krynvu alceae (L); l^rhicola cmiiuia : 

 Ailopaca llava : I'oirelUa sao : Hesperia alveiis. 



Some notes on collecting Lepidoptera in 1909. 



By C. W. SPERRING. 

 Without doubt, the year 1909 opened very satisfactorily for lepi- 

 dopterists, the mild nights of March and April producing a good 

 number of insects. The district lamps were, as usual, well patronised 

 by Auisopteryx aesciilaria (Kidbroolve, Elthain, and Chislehurst), while 

 Pnlyplora flai-icomis was similarly attracted by light on the borders of 

 the oak-wood running along the main road over Shooters Hill. 

 Ijybeniia viaryinaria 3 s were captured sitting on the bushes at Petts 

 Wood, Chislehurst, and males of Anipliidasys strataria were attracted 

 in plenty by means of virgin females secured in muslin-covered boxes 

 affixed to the tree-trunks. The latter are very sluggish, and, when 

 released from captivity and placed on the tree-trunk, sit very still. 

 Sallow-beating also proved very remunerative, the following turning 

 up in the beating-tray in considerable numbers, viz., Tamiocampa yothica, 

 T. piilrfnilcnta, T. >itabilis, T. yiacilix, T. vunida, and Faclmobia nibricosa, 

 all at Chislehurst, with a few hybernated (Jrrhodia racriuii, which were 

 also found in great abundance on the sallows on the railway-bank at 

 Crown Woods, Eltbam, being more common there than any of the 

 other species. The appearance of a 2 T. pulverulcnta in the beating- 

 tray, was the cause of a great deal of excitement on the part of at 

 least half-a-dozen males, which buffeted and whirled one over the other 

 in an attempt to secure the female, until the boxing of the latter put 

 an end to an extremely lively and interesting interlude. During the 

 early part of April, lirephos partlieniaa turned up at Chislehurst in 

 considerable numbers as usual, and were frequently disturbed from 

 the heather on which they rested, only to immediately flutter off' to 

 the tops of the birches. Many specimens were also found on the 

 sallow- blooms, but required very careful stalking to get within striking 

 distance. 



Perhaps the two most noticeable features of the early part of 1909 

 (from a lepidopterists' point of view) were the wonderful abundance 

 of spring larva^ with consequent damage to enormous numbers of 

 trees, and the wide difference between the dates usually accepted as 

 normal for the appearance of insects and the actual appearance of 

 the same. 



