NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. 161 



anomola. I don't know whether this is a new locality.^ — Geo. A. 

 Harker, Liverpool. August d>(h, 1890. 



Portland. — Since the beginning of July, sugar has been almost 

 useless here, and this is always so every year, whilst the wild sage 

 (which grows all over the island) is in bloom, these flowers being the 

 great attraction for Nocture and for some geometers and micros, 

 Agrotis pyrophila has occurred here plentifully this season, an(i 

 between the 2:)d and 26th July I obtained a nice series, all taken at 

 the wild sage flowers. I do not think A. pyrophila is attracted by 

 sugar as a rule, though I fancy I took one m 1888 by that mean>, 

 the only one I obtained that year, and did not see it all last season. 

 I am informed that it only occurs here in any numbers at intervals 

 of four or five years. Agrotis lunigera and A. lucernea were both 

 out as early as July 2nd, and were both also taken at the wild sage. 

 The locality is very rough and rocky, and as I did not take a net 

 with me when working it (preferring a stout stick) I had to neglect a 

 number of other things in order to get the three named insects. — 

 E. W. Brown, Portland. August nth, 1890. 



IVarrington. — I seem to have done nothing with sugar lately, 

 although I have tried repeatedly at Rixton Moss to allure Orthosia 

 suspecta, but in vain, and am beginning to think I shall not get it at 

 all this year. Matters are not much better nearer home, the Noctu^ 

 taking to honey-dewed sallow leaves and deserting the sugar altogether. 

 On August 1 2th I bred two splendid Agrotis agat/iina from larvje, of 

 which I collected a good number in May, but, owing to parasites and 

 my inexperience with these difficult larvae, I lost all but a very few. 

 I shall shortly visit their haunt, when I trust I shall be more 

 successful. I should be most thankful for any advice as to how 10 

 treat these larvce. — J. Collins, Warrington. August i8t/i, 1890. 



Gloucestershire. — I am glad to see that Lycccna arion still exists 

 on the Cotswolds ; I took three very fine specimens this year. 

 Sesia formicaformis came out in the few sunny days we had about the 

 middle of June, though not in great numbers. — M. Stanger Higgs, 

 Upton St. Leonard's, Gloucestershire, yuly 30///, 1890. 



London District. — I have found sugaring most unproductive here 

 this season ; usually I take a number of common Nocture in my 

 garden, but this year I have seen next to nothing. Among the least 

 common that I occasionally take are Apdmea una/iittiis, A. gemina, 

 Miami literosa and Dipierygia pinastri. — A, W. Mera, Forest Gate, 

 E. August i^th, 1890. 



Clevedon. — So far, I consider this the least satisfactory of any season 

 since I commenced collecting ; with a few exceptions, insects have 

 been unusually scarce, and it is quite disheartening that night afier 

 night one's exertions should meet with so little success. Of good 

 things two of the most abundant species have been Nudaria senex and 

 Asthena blomeri ; in a low damp meadow near here, which, I believe, 

 is the only locality in the Bristol district where N. senex occurs, it 

 literally swarmed during one particular evening in July, the day had 

 been hot and fine, and immediately the dew began to be deposited 

 (about 7 p.m.) N. senex began to fly by scores, the grass and rushes 

 ' I believe this was recorded by Messrs. Birchall an<l C. G. Barrett. — Ed. 



