52 [February, 1899. 



nymphs, for which I was not prepared at the end of August and 

 beginning of September, and this was the more extraordinary, as the 

 wheat crops were, in some places at least, rather early. By this time 

 the drizzle had developed into a downpour. The mist had become 

 thicker and thicker, white wreaths descending the indistinct outlines 

 of the mountains. Nevertheless, I collected some two and a half 

 hours at the Loch, in the hope of better things, and for half an hour 

 I hunted Salda, but only secured two ; I was struck by the number 

 of Telia currenn under stones, often two or three yards away from the 

 water. The shores of Loch Callatar have large collections of stones 

 and small rocks in places, possibly a good hunt in better weather 

 would yield rare or new Saldce. I essayed to ascend Loch na Gair, 

 as near the summit a laochan or small loch, which gives the mountain 

 its name, lies concealed, where I had hoped to find plenty of Corixa 

 cavifrons, cnrinata, Germari, and, perhaps, caledonica {cocjnatd) ; but, 

 as by the time I had ascended some fifty yards or so up the mountain 

 path, I could not see the bottom, much less the top, and as the mist 

 was increasing, I retraced my steps to Inverey, the rain — and the 

 Diptera — accompanying me the best part of the way. 



On the 27th I returned down Glen Tilt, rain again being the 

 order of the day. I was imprudent enough to say in the " Entomolo- 

 gist " (August, 1898), that weather should make little difference to 

 the collector of aquatic Bhynchota, and, of course, had to put my 

 assertion to the test, collecting in every pool and ditch through an 

 almost incessant rain. The ubiquitous {in the Highlands) Gerris 

 Costce was almost the only insect at large, though I obtained a few 

 CorixcB, mostly immature, at Loch Tilt ; after collecting for an hour 

 and a half, in stinging hail at this Loch, I was compelled to retreat, 

 and I arrived in a very damp condition at the cottage of one of the 

 Duke of Atholl's keepers, who very kindly put me up till Monday 

 morning. Sunday was a day of showers, and with the exception of a 

 couple of hours in the afternoon, 1 rested from my labours. On 

 Monday I walked to Blair Athol, and trained thence to Kingusie, 

 where 1 visited Loch Guineach, but, as before, nearly all the Corixa, 

 representatives of the only genus of water-bugs I saw, were immature, 

 and, as before, showers were prevalent. 



From Inverness I walked to Cullodeu Muir, and on to the fine 

 " circles " of Clava, but found nothing entomological of note. In one 

 small clachan near, however, nothing but Gaelic was spoken. I stayed 

 near Forres three days, enjoying the hospitality of Mr. James Beattie, 

 of Earlsmill, but was again, for the usual reasons, disappointed : there 



