NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. 21 



specimens! — W. Holland, hi, Southampton Street, Reading. March 

 Ml, 1890. 



Notes from Suffolk. — During last July I spent a fortnight at 

 Aldeburgh, and although not much regular collecting was done, I 

 casually came across a number of species. Larvse of Leucvma salicis 

 and Dicranura vinula were very common on their usual foodplants; 

 apparently Trochiliiim apiformis and T. crabroniformis occur abun- 

 dantly, for I found a fine female of the former on a tree trunk, and a 

 large number of empty pupa cases sticking out of the roots of poplar 

 trees, imagines of the latter species vvere here and there picked up in the 

 neighbourhood of sallows. Melanippe unangulata, Emmelesia dccolorata, 

 and Rivula siricealis were of general occurrence; the insect that 

 occurred in the greatest numbers was Eupithecia pumilata. This simply 

 swarmed on the trunks of trees, in the neighbourhood of the furze-clad 

 common, which stretch inland. I counted over 20 specimens on one 

 trunk, they were of course the second brood, and were a very fine 

 form, some of the females looking like small E. togata. Perhaps the 

 most unexpected catch was Acidalia emutaria, which was flying in small 

 numbers over some marshy ditches; they were, however, worn to shreds 

 Specimens of Myelophila cribriim occurred amongst thistles, on which 

 also the larvae of Vanessa cardui were common. Bryophila perla was 

 plentiful on walls, but no varieties worth speaking of occurred. Sugar, 

 and also the heads of marram grass were very unproductive ; the only 

 insect other than the commonest, that I took, was a very melanic speci- 

 men of Hadeiia dissimilis. I could hear of several larvte of Ac/ierontia 

 atropos being destroyed by potato diggers, and after my return home 

 had two sent me. Of course I made a special search for Sphinx piiia'i/?-i, 

 but without success. — W. G. Sheldon, 15, Alexandra Road, Croydon. 

 March 12 th, 1890. 



Entomology in Suffolk, 1889. — From the 3rd to the 15th of 

 August I was collecting at Brantham a village on the southern border 

 of Suffolk, about midway between Colchester and Ipswich, and 

 immediately opposite on the other side of the estuary of the Stour, to 

 the town of Manningtree. The place is on an old river bank, and the 

 geological formation, London Clay, overlaid by a cap of sand and gravel. 



There are no woods in the immediate vicinity, and the locality is 

 almost entirely agricultural. 



The w^eather was fitful and uncertain, and not favourable to the 

 successful pursuit of butterflies of which 17 kinds were captured, 

 including Colias edusa, 5 specimens, all taken in one field — none seen 

 elsewhere ; Vanessa polychloros, a single specimen ; Pararge megcera, 

 very abundant and in fine condition. Of Bombyces, 3 species only 

 were seen, viz. : Lithosia lurideola, Lasiocavipa qtiercifolia and Cilix 

 glaitcata, all taken at dusk. Of Nocture 30 species were obtained, 

 mostly at sugar on the evenings of the 3rd, 7th and 13th, The most 

 notable were : Acrcnycta riimtcis, 8 specimens in very fine condition ; 

 Leucania comma and Calamia phragmitidis, flying among reeds at dusk ; 

 Hydrcecia nictifans both the dark and pale forms (paii/dis), but all with 

 ora. ge reniform ; Mamestra abjecfa, 3 specimens; Apamea didyma, a 

 perfect pest and in endless variety; Agrotis piita, i specimen; A. iriiici, 

 2 specimens of the ordinary type, and i of the pale form labelled as 



