NOTES ON COLLECTING. 135 



of Stilbia anowala was taken near the shore. Cidan'a tnoirata was 

 abundant and exceedingly variable on the hills, along with (.'. tcatata, 

 Hyp^ipctcK furcata, and Larontia didi/iiiata. Melantliia bicolorata and 

 Larentia olirata were both about past, only a few being taken. 

 I'rambua i/cnirnlciis was abundant on the shore, along with commoner 

 members of the same genus. My brother brought a specimen of Xeuronia 

 /Hiinilan's from Btrani-aer, taken about the middle of August, with 

 a few other things. On September 8th Hijilroccia nictitans var. 

 liiccufi was abundant on thistles on the Kilsyth Hills, with Pliisia 

 (jamwa, equally abundant ; Taiiinostola fulva was also common, and a 

 few each of i'claoui Jiairovthii ?i,u(\ J'olia rA/ were obtained, but not a 

 vestige of Phibalajitcii/.r lapidata. Pi/raiiicis atalanta has again been 

 very prolific this year, I saw it in abundance at Kilkerran on Sep- 

 tember 15th, and a few at Gourock on the 23rd, Otujyia antujtta being 

 also taken at both these places, and a few specimens of ('hnii^nphaniix 

 phlacas at the latter. Cnlias cdiim has been reported from Lendalfoot, 

 Ayrshire, there, also, Mr. Thos. Wilson took larva and pupa of Acherontia 

 atropos, and an imago of this species, which was taken in York Street, 

 Glasgow, on September 20th, was handed to me alive, and in fine con- 

 dition, {A)ni. Scot. Nat. His., p. 250). A fair specimen of Chwrocaiiipa 

 nerii was captured at Darrhead about the end of September, and is 

 now in the collection of Mr. Thos. Grant, of Glasgow. — And. Adie 

 Dalglish, iMriiibn- IGth, 1900. 



Lepidoptera in the Western Highlands. — The following notes 

 refer to the lepidoptera observed on a visit to Argyleshire, Inverness- 

 shire, and the island of Skye during the last week in June and the 

 first two weeks in July last. No systematic collecting was done, and 

 my efforts in this direction were limited almost entirely to taking 

 apparatus with me during each day's excursion and netting any 

 insects that Avere observed. A)ttliroa'ra minos had apparently been 

 common in the locality near Oban, where I took it two years pre- 

 viously, but the weather was not sunny when I could visit the spot, 

 and thus a very short series only was collected. Probably one of the 

 best localities in this district is Glen Nant, near Taynuilt, which is 

 well wooded, and appears to contain an extensive insect fauna. 

 Melitaca anyinia was here very common ; the specimens were all much 

 worn, but had a greater resemblance to southern types than to the 

 Scotch form. Larvte of Tacnioranipa f/racilu were extremely common 

 in the spun-up shoots of Myrica (jale, and I may here mention that 

 this larva was to be found in every district in which I examined this 

 plant, in the Highlands, and also in Skye. Geometrids were very 

 common flying in the sun, or beaten out, amongst others being — 

 t 'idaria silareata, ^Idanippi' hastata, M. tn'sfata, M. suciata, AfttJunia 

 liiti'dta, Coremia dexiipiata, and Ariilalia J'lniiata. Pluda r-ainriini was 

 also netted by my son. A climb up Ben Cruachan resulted in a fine series 

 of Miiaiiipias rjiiidinni being taken, with numerous Parcntia salicata, 

 this species seems to occur from sea-level to the tops of the highest 

 mountains, several specimens were seen well over 3,500ft. j\Iy son 

 netted on this mountain, at about 3,000ft., a specimen of Xoiii'dji/iila 

 plantaijiiiis, with the superior wings ab. hospita, and the inferior 

 Avings typical. On the extreme peak a series of Crambu.'i fitrcattllus 

 was netted. A week's stay at Fort William did not greatly add to the 

 number of species observed, but on Ben Nevis I made my first acquaint- 



