346 THE entomologist's record. 



us it is so. What we apparently wish is a perfectly uniformly set 

 collection. This can never be obtained with the convexed method, as 

 hardly two boards are curved alike. Flat boards cannot differ, and the 

 insects set thereon must be uniform. Curved boards generally render 

 many insects, especially Geometers, too curved. Flat boards render 

 this practically imperceptible and improve the appearance rather than 

 otherwise. Everyone sets to please himself. I know many strongly 

 object to using flat boards. For myself, I should prefer to have all 

 my insects set with exactly the same curve, but, as I could not arrive 

 at that degree of perfection, I commenced with the flat ones, and I 

 find them to be (he only ones from which I can get really satisfactory 

 results, especially with the Eupithecicc, etc., which are apt to give to an 

 alarming extent. By the by, in nature, do the Eiipithecice "sit" with 

 their wings curved ? I believe they expand them quite flatly as I set 

 them. Re the boards themselves, flat as well as oval ones are ob- 

 tainable from all dealers, who will persist in making the groove for the 

 body not deep enough, and not in two degrees of width. I quite agree 

 with Mr. Fenn with regard to the sizes he gives for pins. I always 

 prefer black enamelled pins, but of course, everyone to his own taste. 

 — A. E. Hall, Norbury, Sheffield. December, 1890. 



Trichiura cRATiEGL — I was surprised to see in the January number 

 of the Record, a note from my friend, Mr, Hewett, stating that he beat 

 eight larvffi of this species at Lyndhurst in the middle of September. 

 If he has the opportunity of referring to the Entomologist of October, 

 1874, he will find on pp. 228, 229, some notes on this species. It is 

 an insect, so far as my experience and information go, of undeviatingly 

 regular habits. The moth emerges towards the end of August or 

 beginning of September. The eggs are deposited immediately, and do 

 not hatch till the whitethorn bourgeons in the following March. What 

 the larvae were that Mr. Hewett beat off sallow, I can only guess. The 

 choice seems to lie between Liparis aurifliia and Lasiocampa quercifolia; 

 but I feel sure they cannot be T. cratcegi. — Gilbert H. Raynor, 

 Victoria House, Brentwood. January igi/i, 1891. 



Apamea ophiogramma. — I took six specimens of this moth in my 

 garden last summer. I have collected here intermittently for the past 

 five years, but have not seen it before. Plusia chrysitis and P. iota 

 have appeared freely this year. I took them specially at valerian and 

 sweetwilliam blossom. — J. E. K. Cutts, Bushey, Herts. 



Note on Viminia myric^. — I was out one day last week searching 

 for V. myriccc pupre, and was very successful, taking as many as two or 

 three on one stone, but after two hours' work, I gave it up for the day, 

 as it was so cold. This species is distributed over all the lowland 

 districts of Aberdeen and Kincardine (I have seen the larvre below 

 high-water mark at Muchalls), but in Perthshire it is almost confined to 

 the mountains. It has the reputation of being difficult to rear from 

 ova, but, if fed entirely on birch, there is no difficulty. The ? deposits 

 ova naturally upon clods and stones, more rarely on the food-plant, and 

 if one ovum be got, more can always be obtained, as they are generally 

 laid in batches of threes or fours, and they are very easily seen from 

 their bright red colour. — W. Reid, Pitcaple. December, 1890. 



Time of Appearance of Miana strigilis and M. fasciuncula. — 

 I see {ante, pp. 243, 244) a note by Mr. Porritt, in which he mentions 



