284 THE entomologist's record. 



appears rather to have missed the point of these characters. The 

 distinction lies in the state of the extreme apices of the elytra, whether 

 those parts are shining or dull, quite outside any question of punctua- 

 tion ; there is no need for the employment of a strong magnifying 

 power. I have added the characters derived from the oedeagus, 

 although these are a little more troublesome to observe, because they 

 are not mere ditterences of degree, but, on the other hand, such as 

 experience warrants one in accepting as evidence of the present 

 distinctness of two species. 



Explanation of Plate YII. 

 IEdeagus of Aphodius. 



I. A. funetariiis. II. A.foetena. 



(a) Dorsal aspect. (b) Lateral aspect. 



British Lepidoptera in 1902. 



By (Eev.) C. R. N. burrows. 



Entomologists, in London at least, are asking one another, I find, 

 how they have got on during the season of 1902, and also whether it 

 has not been about the worst year for collecting which even middle-aged 

 enthusiasts remember ; so I may, perhaps, be allowed to place on 

 record my experience, which possesses, as its chief claim to notice, the 

 fact that I always keep at it all the year round, which many ardent 

 collectors are not able to do. 



First as to " sugar," which is my chief amusement. I find from 

 my diary that I commenced in my garden on May 24th with two 

 (ionoptcra Uhatvix and one Tat'niocawpa (jraeilis. I appear to have 

 taken so little up to June 11th that I have no record from that date 

 until June 16th, when Mr. ]Mera and I went for a week to Wicken. I 

 am not writing about Mucking alone so I may be allowed to remark 

 that, well as I know the Fen, 1 have never before realised what it can 

 be during a wet time. We got quite wet through night after night, 

 and took nothing of note until the last night, when we got Marroi/anter 

 arintiliiiis and Mdiana Jiannnra. I would that I had influence with 

 the editor, suflicient to persuade him to print in the largest type — 

 Arirr vixit ]]"ivl:i'ti irit/ioiit imders. This advice was given to me before 

 I started, but 1 took no notice. Yes, we got wet! and neither in 

 Soham nor Ely could we purchase anything better than hob-nai!ed 

 boots, which kept us pretty dry, but hurt "awful." Sport was so poor 

 on my return that I find no record of note until July 10th, when I had a 

 really good night, but on the 14th I find the sad record "sugar useless." 

 Here and there only have I a record of a good night, until the begin- 

 ning of September, when insects began to arrive in more normal 

 quantity. 1 find we are inclined to speak of insects generally as being 

 more or less late this year. I have made a few extracts to show that 

 they are not so much behind time as one is tempted to think. I take 

 them "haphazard "' from different parts of the year: — HiUophnhns jiupu- 

 laris, first taken in 1902 on September 1st, in 1901 on August 25th. 

 Afirotis tn'tici, in 1902 on August 5th, in 1901 on July 16th. Apaniea 

 (lulyina {oculea),ixi 1902 on July 17th, in 1901 on June 29th. Hadena 

 iienistac, in 1902 on June 4th, in 1901 on May 25th. Aciilalia trif/cwi- 

 nota, in 1902 on June 80th, in 1901 on May 30th. Miami hiniUnia, 

 in 1902 on July 5th, in 1901 on June 20th. Xctirunia reticulata, in 



