NOTES ON COLLECTING.. lOlT 



:jg»^OTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



West of England Lepidopterologicai^ Notes. — The following 

 notes on the past summer from West Cornwall may, perhaps, be of 

 interest as supplementing those oi last year. It was unfortunate that 

 the cold summer had put everything back po much, as when I arrived 

 at Carbis Bay, on July 12th, things were just about as forward as they 

 had been at the beginning of the month in 1901. For the most part, 

 therefore, although a fortnight later, I was going over the same ground 

 as last year. The Diurni, in fact, were scarcely as forward, neither 

 Argynnis aglaia, nor Plebeiiis aegon being really well out when I left. 

 Agrotids, on the other hand, were about normal, Agroth vcstigialis and 

 A. corticea getting well over, and one worn A. ripae being the only ex- 

 ample of that species seen. Among the Diurni two fresh species turned 

 up in Pararge egeria and Brenthis selene. The former was just coming 

 out at the end of the visit, and the latter occurred in a marsh near 

 Halse Town. Fresh Pi/ranwis rardui did not appear until the 29th, 

 although worn specimens were still flying up till and even beyond that 

 date. Fresh Pyrameis atalanta appeared about the same time, and the 

 larvas on the nettles promised a big lot of Vanessa la later on. Hip- 

 parchia semcle was about from the first, becoming much commoner 

 day by day, until, at the end, it was second only, in pomtof numbers, to 

 Epinephele tithonns, but Cyaniris argiolua, well out last year on the 18th, 

 did not appear at all. Sugar on the sandhills was disappointing, 

 owing to its similarity to last year. Summer Agrotids, as I men- 

 tioned, were getting over, and Agrotis tritici was only just starting. 

 Leucania littoralis was always abundant, warm or cold, and a fresh lot 

 seemed to be coming out on the last few nights. Mamestra albicolon 

 occurred as before, one or two a night, and again an occasional t'hari- 

 clea umbra, but there was this year no sign of Agrotiti hungera, nMhowgh. 

 I specially worked for it on the cliffs. New species were found in 

 Neuria reticulata (one or two only) and Caradrina ambigua, four of 

 which were taken on the last two evenings. Treacle on posts in and 

 about the village produced Thyatira batis, Gonophora deTaaa, and other 

 common things, but nothing good. On the sandhills atmospherical 

 conditions seemed to have no bearing upon the results at sugar, the 

 numbers being very constant, whatever the temperature or wind. 

 Dusking over the bugloss and other flowers was equally unafitected by 

 weather, a good many of the regular sugar visitors turning up nightly. 

 A week before I arrived, also, one or two Diantltoecia carpophaga and 

 Theretra porcellus were taken thus by Mr. Geldart, of Oxford. With 

 the exception of these two species and one Antidea rubidata, which 

 he beat in the lanes, Mr. Geldart's captures and my own, up till the 

 time he left, were almost identical. With one or two exceptions, day 

 work was confined to casual wall- and rock-searching. This resulted 

 in a long series of AridaUa marginepunctata, many Scoparias (which I 

 have yet to determine), and, towards the end, a vei-y variable lot of 

 Brynphila niKraUs. These latter daily became more common, and 

 were probably abundant after I left. Hecatera serena and a dingy 

 form of Gnnphos obf^ciirata also occurred sparingly. An occasional 

 CucuUia twibrat.icawa^s picked off a post, and once a tine Sphinxligmtri. 

 Another specimen of this species was seen under a glass in a cottage. 

 It was in fine condition but much exhausted, in spite of its having 



