NOTES ON COLLECTING. 269 



first two minutef? were all on the move, and, being of extra length, they 

 come in contact with the wings directly expansion takes place, when 

 there is a violent movement of the wings in order to get the wings 

 free from the legs, the expansion taking place from the lower parts of 

 the hindwings first. Thus, I noted that, by 10.57 p.m., the wings 

 were half expanded, by 11 p.m. they were fully expanded, and by 

 ll.lp.m.''= they were stretched outtodry, and remained so till 11.19 p.m., 

 when the wings were half opened, and kept so until 11.40 p.m., when 

 they were gradually closed, another ten minutes being taken to 

 complete the process. The moth now assumed its natural position, after 

 taking exactly one hour for expansion. A word concerning its natural 

 position of rest, which is very curious, may prove interesting. The 

 wings are folded very flatly, the front pair of legs are stretched fully 

 out, and just clasp a dry Dcljtliinium leaf, the head being quite -Sin. 

 away from the leaf. The hindmost pair of legs are kept perfectly flat 

 against the body, and just clasp the leaf, the end of the wings and 

 body touching the leaf. The central pair of legs are drawn in against 

 the body. In this position the moth is remarkably like the dried twisted 

 ends of the lower leaves, which are of a yellowish-brown colour, the 

 legs representing the dried twisted spikes of a Th'lphinium leaf. The 

 hair on the thorax during expansion is flat, but gradually dries, 

 forming a beautiful hood with side frills, and takes some ten minutes to 

 attain its natural shape. If the imago be touched it will fall to the 

 ground and feign death, but if touched again it is up immediately. — 

 C. P. Pickett. 



Lepidoptera at Dover and Folkestone in August and early 

 September, 1903. — The August of 1903 will long be remembered by 

 British lepidopterists for its extraordinarily wet and windy weather. 

 During the last ten years there has been no August approaching it, 

 and although such insects as were seen were out earlier than in 

 August, 1902, their numbers were amazingly small. Such species as 

 Hijijiarehia snnele, \lelanarijia (jalathea, and Paran/e tnegaera, which 

 usually absolutely swarm in the district in their chosen localities, 

 were few and far between. The commonest insect certainly was 

 Kpinephele janira, of which several nice bleached specimens were 

 captured, whilst towards mid-August Pieris rapac and P. brassH-ac 

 became very common. No Ciiliaa hyalr occurred, although one would 

 have expected it after several captures in early June, and one suspects 

 that the wet and dull weather was the cause of its failure. The 

 following diary notes will show how bad things were: — Dover: 

 All;/ list Int. — Wet, and too windy for anything to be on the wing; a 

 few J'oli/oimiiatiis cori/don seen, evidently just emerging ; Kpinfphde 

 janira, in fine condition ; searched closely, and found three with white 

 patches. The undersides of the specimens observed were particularly 

 well marked. An'iiist 2n(l. — Remained dull and windy, and I obtained 

 only a few 7','. janira, which I kept for their striking undersides. 

 Towards evening it began to rain, but not enough to keep me indoors. 

 Searched two hours for larvji" of Therctra porcelhis, but got nothing. 

 Auffiixt Srd. — A terrible storm of wind and rain from 2 a.m. to 



* At this point the middle and hind legs were brought into use to hold the leaf 

 firmly, the body was drawn up so as to ha\e a slightly aiehed appearance, it 

 remained so for about two minutes, when the body was thrust straight out, and 

 remained so, in the case under observation, till ll.l'J p.m. — C.P.P. 



