298 THK entomologist's kecord. 



identical with a var. of cnifntn:^ I took at Torquay on February 10th, 

 1896. ^Ir, Halbert referred me to Ganglbauer (Die Kafer mn Mittel 

 Europa, ii., p. 899), who describes the var. riroix, Rottenberw, as 

 follows : — " l*>ei var. nrens sind die Fliigeldecken schwarz, oft mit 

 griinlichen schimnier, ander naht und oft auch an den seiten rothlich." 

 This is a very distinct form, and reminds one, superficially, of QiiefHiifi 

 impri'ssiiis, Pz. I note Mr. Tomlin records it in the Irish Xatnralht 

 (1902, p. 62) from Ballycastle. This is one of the many cases where 

 the " Irish List " proves, and will prove to be most valuable to coleop- 

 terists in this country. — Horace Donisthorpe, 58, Kensington Man- 

 sions, Octohn- \st, 1902. 



:i^OTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



Lepipoptera at ]>ur(;ess Htll in 1902. — The late Season. — The 

 months of August and September, of 1902, will surely carry a record 

 for low temperature and broken weather. At least, this was certainly 

 the case in Sussex, and, in the vicinity of the Downs, the continuous 

 bad weather bid fair to spoil the entomological season altogether. Had 

 it been a hot season, or even one blessed with the average amount of 

 sunshine, the local butterflies around the neighbourhood of Burgess 

 Hill would have made a great display. Even as matters were they 

 made a game fight for it, and after a week's boisterous cold weather, 

 would make another start and again be flying strongly, when the next 

 visitation of storm would come and destroy them. The Vanessids were 

 well to the fore, as were the larger fritillaries. The " whites" showed 

 in abundance, and latterly the strong touch of positive colour, afforded 

 by (jiJiu'ptfi-i/.c r/iaiiini, was visible with almost every burst of sunshine. 

 The Coliads did not appear at all in the locality this year, nor among 

 the " blues " was Poli/onnnatns bellan/iis to be seen, and only one 

 solitary example of P. astrarrhe. ( 'hri/sojilianiis p/ilaeas, Kpincjiliiic 

 janira, K. tithnnus. hjiKulia hi/jicrantliits, and Cocudnijmplta junajjltibis 

 were all exceedingly common, and, in a retired quarter of the Downs, a 

 surprise awaited one in the discovery of Mclanan/ia i/alatea, which was 

 evidently fairly numerous. This is one of those instances of the 

 " laying down " of a species, however, for I remember meeting a 

 brother of the net in the vicinity some three years ago, who informed 

 me that, the year preceding, he had thrown down a few eggs, which a 

 boxed 2 of M. (jalatea had laid, and that he had seen a few specimens 

 of the insect near where he had sowed the eggs, during the year he 

 was speaking to me. I have also heard of the appearance of this 

 species on the Downs at another part, so possibl}' it has drifted 

 along the slopes of the hills, east and west, to stop and breed in the 

 countless grassy hollows of their formation. The locality seems to 

 agree with the insect for those I saw were finely marked and large in 

 size. The pursuit of " sugaring " cannot be said to have been a 

 success. What the conditions are that make a favourable evening at 

 sugar we are always guessing at, without result, and it might perhaps 

 be a better plan to make a note of Avhat elements are dominant on 

 unfavourable occasions. On these lines the past season must certainly 

 demonstrate that a low temperature is absolutely fatal to success. 

 During these two months there were scarcely half a dozen evenings 

 when the temperature was not chilly, immediately after sunset. Only 



