NOTES ON COLLECTINO. 49 



no other intlividual of this species was observed by me until May 25th. 

 — Ibid. 



Pakasite enteking a ureeding-house. — -From time to time one sees 

 theories put forward to account for the scarcity of some species of 

 butterfly, where, perhaps it has been plentiful in former years. An 

 experiment I made last year has shown one possible cause of temporary 

 scarcity. I made a breeding-house 70ft. by 20ft., covered with a netting 

 large enough for very small insects to pass through. Among other 

 things I introduced five nests of Ai/lais niticae, in the spring, with 

 a very good result in imagines. From this first lot larvie were obtained 

 in great numbers, so that the pup;e were all over the place. Only a 

 few imagines appeared in the autunm of which I am doubtful whether 

 any are hybernating. The great majority of the pupie contain a 

 number of small grubs each. By the way, I might mention that the 

 intention of the house is to breed species which are not found in this 

 neighbourhood and introduce them. I should be glad to hear the 

 experiences of anyone making similar attempts, whether they be 

 failures or successes. — E. E. Bentall, The Towers, Heybridge, Essex. 

 Januarij 28/'/, 1905. 



Bkeeding Hybernia defoliaria. — I should like to know what 

 treatment has proved successful in breeding Hybernia defoliaria. I 

 ask because I am always unsuccessful with it ; I do not get 5 per 

 cent, of moths from my larvse, and I collect every year a good 

 many. I give plenty of depth of soil, have varied it by keeping it 

 moist, and sometimes dry, but always with the same result. 1 do not 

 appear to get ichneumons, so conclude I never get the larvte to pupate, 

 although 1 have seen fullfed larvie entering the soil. The moth was 

 in great variety early in November, where I collect most of my 

 larv.e. — 8. Walker, 15, Queen Anne's Road, York. Jaiuiari/ dtli, 1905. 



Winter brood of Cidaria russata. — During November and Decem- 

 ber (1901) 1 reared a small brood (about a dozen examples) of Cidaria 

 russata, the larvie of which I induced to feed up by giving them young 

 strawberry leaves. For the three or four preceding years I have 

 tried them on whitethorn, sleeving them out all the winter ; but they 

 have all disappeared by spring, so I suppose the earwigs have got 

 them. Those bred are all very black, but not much darker than the 

 mother. — H. B. Robertson. Januari/ 'drd, 1905. 



Lh;iaDOPTEROLO(iICAL NOTES FROM CaNNOCK ChASE FOR 1901. A 



thoroughly bad season has been that of 1901. Early spring insects 

 such as As/dialia jlarinirnis and JUeii/ios /lart/ioiias wvi'c scarcer than 

 usual, and, although < 'allnphri/s riibi and I ladnia //Z(m/(7(, being commoner 

 than I have seen them for some time, gave promise of better things, 

 cold nights in June made sugar a total failure. On one night 1 got a 

 few Ihnliua i/laaca, II. cimtitiiia, II. adasta and Acnnu/cta iiieiu/aiitliidis, 

 but for the rest of the season on no one night did I get more than 

 three takeable insects. The long drought and abundance of honeydew 

 in July and cold east winds in August being no doubt answerable. I 

 got a few Stilhia awnnala during the first fortnight in August, but 

 only three Xartna rastanra. Of this latter insect the red form 

 invarial)ly occurs. They are the most vinous-red forms I have seen. I 

 have only oljserved one in any way ai)|)roaching ab. ncylerta, and that was 

 taken l)y Mr. Wooilforde when sugaring witii me about live years ago. 

 It was olive-ochreous iu colour and had red fringes. It was sold with 



