CURRENT NOTES. 193 



down to the gi-oand, and do not affoi'd stems on which to place the 

 bags. So I select southernwood, of which suitahle branches are 

 abundant, and have the great advantage of afitbrding some, if little, 

 foliage during the winter months, when protected by the bag. In this 

 way I successfully hybernate every larva without loss. I will not give 

 statistics, but have satisfied myself that this spring I have found in 

 my bags, a few more individuals than I counted into them in the 

 autumn. — -(Rev.) C. R. N. Burrows, Mucking Vicarage. May 3rd, 

 1902. 



Sesia stellatarum in April. — A worn specimen of Sesia stellatanim 

 was observed at flowers of Arabis on April 16th, 1902, at Reigate. — 

 R. M. Prideaux, Reigate Hill. Mai/ 12th, 1902. 



HippoTioN celerio in THE IsLE OF Man. — Several specimens of 

 JHippatidii cclerin were again seen on the evening of May 25th, hovering 

 over flowers of Silciic iiiaritiina on the Douglas coast. — H. Shortridge 

 Clarke, F.E.S., Douglas, Isle of Man. May 31st, 1902. 



Agrius convolvuli at Boxworth. — I took the larv* of Ai/rias con- 

 vulndi here from August 19th to September -Ith, 1901, nearly fullfed. 

 These pupated in due course but only two emerged — forced. I captured 

 imagines, however, at tobacco plants from September 23rd to October 

 1st. — E. H. Thornhill, Boxworth, Cambridge. Mai/ 23/v/, 1902. 



PRESER^^NG rare insects. — I have a tint/ wood and rough piece of 

 ground, in which I am growing plants and trees in a perfectly wild 

 state that belong to this country, and I want to make it a habitat of a 

 few rare or uncommon indigenous creatures, moths, butterflies, beetles, 

 spiders, or anything^especially anything that is likely to become 

 exterminated. I am putting in Hdi.f pomatia and Cycloatuma 

 eleyans. The soil is on chalk and very dry. I would plant there any 

 tree ov plant as food. Can you (or any of the readers of the Record) 

 suggest one or two likely creatures, especially in the way of insects, 

 which would be likely to succeed ? If so, I should be greatly obliged. 

 It is almost too small to hope to get any particular kind of bird or 

 mammal. — (Rev.) H. A, Soames, The Hawthorns, Otford, Kent. May 

 loth, 1902. [We know that many of our readers have tried similar 

 experiments. Perhaps they will communicate with Mr. Soames.] 



Abundance of Larv/E of Nudaria mundana. — Seen more commonly 

 than usual this spring in dry weather under (and just before rain, 

 moving on the upper surface of the) stones of Oolitic freestone dry 

 walls (built without mortar, hence, called " dry walling ") of our 

 Cotteswold hills. I saw from between 30 and 40 of these larvte singly 

 on walls near here within half an hour the other evening. They 

 are not easily seen unless looked for, as their protective colours 

 resemble the lichen -blotches so numerous on the weathered surfaces 

 of our local limestones. Mr. W. B. Davis of Stroud remarks of this 

 species (in his excellent local list sent to me): "I have generally 

 beaten these larvfe from blackthorn and also observed them on stone- 

 walls." — C. J. Watkins, F.E.S., Kingsmill House, Painswick, 

 Gloucestershire. June Qth, 1902. 



@^URRENT NOTES. 



At the Royal Society's Conversazione at Burlington House, held on 

 May 14th, some of the exhibits of interest were : — Mr. F. Enock, 



