NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. 43 



This no doubt is a serious drawback ; but the Entumolugist must be a 

 man of method in arranging his times, and should not endeavour to set 

 more specimens than he absolutely requires. Many collectors of the 

 Micro-Lepidoptera chloroform their specimens as brought home in pill 

 boxes, turn them out directly, pin and set them at once. Many even 

 of the smallest insects come to life again on the boards if they are 

 treated thus, and give a just handle for complaint to those who 

 object to Natural History on the ground that its votaries are cruel. 

 Chloroform is also very useful for killing green or delicately coloured 

 insects which it is not advisable to subject to cyanide of potassium. 

 The rigor morlis occurs at once (as in the case of cyanide) but passes 

 off in about half the time, i.e., 24 hours for an ordinary insect; but 

 under this system the wings are very apt to cockle, especially if the 

 weather happens to be warm. 



(4). With regard to ammonia — by the way I know a celebrated but 

 illiterate collector who invariably calls it " harmonium " — I have had 

 but little personal experience, and, as I thoroughly believe in the 

 aphorism, expcrto c?-edc, I trust that some among your numerous readers 

 will step forth and champion its merits.— Rev. G. H. Raynor, M.A., 

 Victoria House, Brentwood, Essex. 



[I always use ammonia for killing all my specimens.— Ed.] 



Local Natural History Collections. — These are without doubt 

 of the utmost educational value, when looked after by capable persons, 

 but when they are carelessly made up, wrongly named, etc., they 

 become positively harmful from an educative point of view. Folkestone, 

 the home of so many first-class lepidopterists, boasts a fine museum. 

 A small cabinet contains the butterflies (to illustrate the fauna of the 

 district). In it we find Papilio podalii-ius, Parnassius apol/o, Jrgynnis 

 niobe, Polyommatus chryseis, etc. ; in fact, all the species which are not 

 found in Britain, but which we ridiculously retain in our British lists. 

 Melitcua athalia is called M. didynia, and a long series of M. didyma is 

 called M. aihalia. Female specimens of icarus figure as bellargus, and so 

 on, ad nauseam. Surely the Folkestone lepidopterists can name the 

 butterflies in their own district ! — J. W. Tutt, Westcombe Hill, S.E. 



Notes on Heliophobus hispidus, with a Description of its 

 Larva. — Never having seen the life-history of the local Heliophobus 

 hispidus described, I venture to send a few notes on this insect as 

 observed at Portland. 



The imago is found from the beginning of August until early in 

 October, being most common during the first half of September. It is 

 generally distributed over the island, but is plentiful in only some half 

 dozen localities — occurring singly elsewhere. These localities are steep 

 slopes, covered by long grass, and the insect is found at night sitting 

 on the stems of the grass. It is very quiet and lethargic, allowing itself 

 to be boxed off the grass and remaining motionless on the side of the 

 box. I have never seen them on the wing except when excited by the 

 lamp, and then they generally fly straight to it and settle on the glass. 

 I have never taken them at sugar, or in any other manner than by 

 boxing them off the grass, but I know they have been captured at 

 light in some plenty. I bred two in 1889 — one emerged on 26th and 

 the other on 30th August. 



From a ? taken on 2nd Sept, 1889, I obtained some 200 ova — 



