NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. 41 



Cidaria russata, and Thera variata. The moths seemed quite as stupe- 

 fied by the flowers of this plant as by ivy bloom, and were boxed 

 quite as easily. — J. Mason, Clevedon Court Lodge, Somerset. 



NoTODONTA CARMELiTA AT READING. — I was fortunate enough on 

 April 25th to find four N^otodonta carjneh'ta at rest on birch trunks. 

 This is the first recorded occurrence of the insect in this neighbourhood. 

 — W. Holland, hi, Southampton Street, Reading. 



[This species has been very rare of late years, and the record of its 

 occurrence is most interesting. — Ed.] 



Time of appearance of Agrotis obelisca. — One possible reason 

 for the uncertainty which seems to attend records of captures of this 

 undoubtedly distinct species is not only its great superficial resemblance 

 to certain vars. of A. tritici, but also in my opinion that it is not 

 generally worked for at the right time of the year. My experience in 

 the Isle of Wight during the autumn of i88g, in which season all the 

 Agrotidce were unusually early, shows that quite the end of August is 

 the very earliest date at which it is possible to secure this species, which 

 I then captured sparingly until the middle of September ; but in the 

 previous autumn when I was delayed during the first two weeks of 

 September, I found it in about the same numbers and in good condition 

 on the 17th, and took it for about a week from that date, when the 

 early cold weather set in and effectually rendered sugaring useless. — 

 Albert J. Hodges, 2, Highbury Place, N. 



[These dates are most useful, and will help our readers to form a 

 general opinion on any suspicious specimens taken. A. iritici '\% most 

 abundant during July and the first fortnight in August, good specimens 

 are rarely taken later in normal years. — J. W. T.] 



Killing Lepidoptera. — Year by year, as England grows more 

 populous and the desire for higher education spreads, our favourite 

 science of Entomology gains more and more recruits. The Entom- 

 ologist's green net, which used to be a sort of " red rag " to the whole 

 country-side, attracts but little more attention than a passing railway 

 train; yet prejudice in this, as in many other matters, is apt to die very 

 hard. It is no doubt owing to the popular writings of such authors as 

 the Rev. J. G. Wood and Mr. A. R. Wallace, that the world in general 

 looks less askance at the pursuit of some special branch of Natural 

 History, such as that which it is the object of this magazine to promote. 



Now there are various considerations which induce people to take up 

 the study of some particular science, but it is no doubt the surpassing 

 beauty of the world of butterflies and moths that first attracts the notice 

 of the outsider. Perhaps on some fine afternoon in May he happens 

 to be strolling in a country lane, and having a smattering of 

 knowledge about plants, he gathers a piece of water-betony that the 

 aroma may once more salute his sense of smell. Imagine his surprise 

 when on the underside of a leaf of this Scrophularia, he sees a large 

 chestnut brown insect, pendent with folded wings. His natural curiosity 

 prompts him to examine it more closely ; its hinder wings expand and 

 display their beauteous rosy tint, edged with a peacock's eye. For his 

 treasure is none other than the Eyed Hawk-Modi, Smerinthus ocellatus! 

 He is wrapt in admiration (as indeed who would not be ?) until his 

 ardent gaze is diverted to a lovely butterfly, with wings orange-tipped 



C 



