NOTKS ON COLLECTING, ETC. 37 



On June 2nd of the same year I journrycd to P'arnham with the 

 view of continuing operations at the hawthorn. 'I'he season had now 

 advanced considerably, and the bloom being fully expanded was not 

 so attractive to the insects. Nevertheless, besides meeting with many 

 species previously mentioned, I obtained several specimens of Pachyta 

 collaris, a species generally to be found in hop gardens, its habitat 

 being in the hop-poles. Owing to a slight argument with the game- 

 keeper at the Old Park, I made my way towards Moor Park, and 

 by beating the broom growing on the hillside of Moor Park House I 

 procured Balanifuis tessidatus, Gonioctena litura (commonly), and 

 Asclera canilea (this latter is likewise to be found on the trunks of 

 poplar trees). Proceeding onward, I ascended Crooksbury Hill, and 

 again insects were plentiful ; the most noticeable being Luperus 

 flavipes, which seemed attached to the young oaks. The water plants 

 were showing vigorous signs of life, and DonacicB were disporting 

 themselves in the sun, but this interesting genus deserves a separate 

 paper, therefore I will for the present defer any remarks on them. — 

 G. A. Lewcock, 73, Oxford Road, Islington. 



Captures at "Sallows. — There is only one small clump of sallow 

 in Portland, which was in full bloom by March 13th, and was passe a 

 fortnight afterwards. At this I only meet with TaiiiGcanipa gothica, 

 stabilis, rubricosa, and Xylocampa areola. — E. \V. Brown, Portland. 



On favourable evenings during the last fortnight moths have been 

 most abundant at sallow in some districts. Dr. Chapman at Hereford 

 has found them especially abundant in the Hereford district, and I now 

 have — thanks to him — long series of Tceniocampa leucographa, T. miniosa, 

 T. riibricosa, T. insfabilis, T. stabilis, T. cruda, T. gothica, and T. miinda, 

 on my setting boards, together with a few specimens of T. popideti and 

 T. gracilis, and one specimen of Ptcrophorns luotiodactylus. These were 

 all obtained during the latter fortnight in March. When the wind 

 changed to the north and north-east on March 31st the moths suddenly 

 became rare. This shows how a north or east wind influences the 

 activity of night-flying lepidoptera. — J. W. Tutt. April, 1890. 



My experience of sallow this year has been an almost total failure. 

 I have just returned (April loth) from a three days' expedition in 

 search of Dasycampa rubiginea and the Tceniocampidce, my bag being 

 two TcBuiocanipa rubricosa and one Xylocampa lithoriza (areola), 

 whereas, last year, in the same place, I took four rubiginea and dozens 

 Q>i gracilis, mbricosa, lithoriza, and a few 'Irachea pi^iiptrda ; whilst the 

 year before I took seven rubiginea, and from ova which I obtained 

 from these I afterwards bred a beautiful series. Perhai^s the cold wind 

 accompanied by rain prevented their appearance. — R. B, Robertson, 

 Calcot, Reading. 



Doubtless many of us were agreeably surprised this spring at the 

 unusual abundance of the Tceniocampidce, but as business engagements 

 and other arrangements prevent many from engaging in active collecting 

 so early in the season, I do not doubt that a few notes upon my ex- 

 perience a few weeks ago at Hereford will be read with interest. I 

 was induced to make so long a journey through hearing of the special 

 abundance of one or two of the more local species there obtained, and 

 further by the remarkably warm and favourable evenings, for the time of 

 year, which we were then, during the last week of March, experiencing. 



