NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. Ill 



beaten out of the heath, and as they ascend must be caught with a 

 swift stroke of the net, as it appears impossible to see where they fly to, 

 appearing to pass clean out of sight, something after the manner of 

 Bombyx riihi. I fortunately succeeded in getting ova, which were, 

 when magnified, exactly of the appearance and colour of shot. The 

 young larvae have just hatched, but do not appear to take to the 

 lichen at all. I am afraid it is a mistake to say this is the foodplant. 



I sugared in the New Forest, but the result was nil ; neither were 

 any larvae to be beaten, e.xcept those of Trachea piniperda.—\W. 

 Dannatt, Westcombe Park. June, 1890. 



[See Mr. Tugwell's remarks on this species in the " Practical Hints " 

 for this month. The Rev. J. Seymour S. John gives heath, tiot lichen, 

 as the foodplant. — Ed.] 



Retinia resinana in Aberdeen. — I notice that Mr. Home {a>ite, 

 p. 64) records the capture of this species some miles out of Aberdeen, 

 and that "the species does not appear to be found in the immediate 

 vicinity of Aberdeen." I captured the species in Aberdeen last year. — 

 L. G. EssoN, Aberdeen, N.B. 



Peach and Nectarine Blight. — A well-known naturalist writes 

 privately to me : — " It is scarcely possible to decide, without seeing 

 specimens, the nature of the peach-leaf blight mentioned by Mr. J. 

 Anderson at p. 66 of the Entomologisf s Record. As he cannot detect 

 any insects at work it is possibly the work of a fungus, Ascoiiiyces 

 dejfbrmajis, B., which causes injury by blistering the leaves" ihi litt.) — 

 J. W. TuTT. Jime, 1890. 



Killing Lepidoptera. — I have tried almost every method known, 

 and probably some not often used, for killing insects, but never found 

 anything so effectual and pleasant to use as ammonia. It kills the 

 insects without damage, renders them delightfully flexible for setting, 

 and does not damage the colour of the greenest,^ or other tinted 

 insect, provided the proper ammonia be used, which should be the 

 best and strongest procurable. The be.st for the purpose is Am/iionia 

 Hydrate NH4HO. 



I open the lids slightly of the boxes, arrange them round a small 

 vessel containing the ammonia, place a suitable cover over them, such 

 as a glass shade for ferns, or a wash basin, and leave for half-an-hour, 

 when they will be found quite dead and perfectly fresh and pliable. 

 In fact, this extreme pliability in setting after being killed with 

 ammonia is the greatest argument in its favour. 



When necessary to kill specimens late at night, arrange the boxes 

 containing the insects and cover them as described above, then place 

 a damp towel around the junction of the cover with the table, thus 

 renderincr it perfectly air tight, and leave until morning, when the 

 insects will be found dead, and delightfully fresh and easy to set. 



I trust whoever may be tempted to try this method, will find it as 

 successful as I have done, and I doubt if anyone, having given this 

 a fair trial, will adopt any other plan. 



They can be killed in the field, when necessary, with an ordinary 

 cyanide bottle, a sponge soaked in ammonia taking the place of 



' But it does, though some greens arc V2ry little affected. Try it on 

 prasinana. — Ed. 



