306 THE entomologist's RECORD. 



fell victim, to the tune of fifty to one net, between July Srd and 12th. 

 A few F^itraneKsa autiopa have been observed on the wing at Folkestone, 

 near Sandwich, Woodbridge, Harrow, London and Norwich; Catocala 

 fra.rini is recorded as taken at Flixton, and larvte of Drepana harpai/ula 

 [sicula) in Leigh woods. But more important, from the scientific 

 point of view, than the capture of boxes full of antiopa und fra.rini, 

 are the discovery by Mr. Sich of the eggs and early larval history of 

 O.ryptiltis parvidactyla, the working out of the life-history of the delicate 

 Bnckleria pallidum by Dr. Chapman, the discovery of the pupa of 

 Lycaena avion, and obtaining photographs of the remarkable eggs 

 of Thywelicns acteon and Adopaea linenla. In certain directions our 

 more scientific collectors have been moving things. We may here 

 express our hearty disapproval of the attempt to prevent "sugaring" 

 in the New Forest. The frosts of October and early November have 

 rendered ivy largely unproductive. 



Among the more useful papers published by our entomologists who 

 are biologically inclined, are the " Life-history of Leiwania faricolor''' 

 (Mathew, Ent. Mo. May.) ; " Life-history of LapJiyynia exiyua " 

 (Mathew, Ent. Record) ; " Sculpturing of the pupa of t'hrysojihanus 

 phlaeas, 0. dispar and Thestor halltts'' (Chapman, Ent. Record); " Geoiuetra 

 papilionaria," etc. (Burrows, Ent. Record) ; " Some observations on 

 Hastula hyerana'' (Chapman, Ent. Mo. May.); "Early stages of 

 Daphiiis nerii'' (Powell, Ent. Rec); "Earlier stages of Cataclysta 

 lenmata" (Chapman, Entom.). Lord Walsingham has published 

 "Descriptions of Algerian Micro-lepidoptera " {Ent. Mo. May.), and 

 we ourselves have made suggestions as to a " New Grouping of the 

 British plumes," and given "A list of the known recorded hybrid 

 Lepidoptera " {Ent. Record). As bearing on the biological side, Mr. 

 Tonge's paper on the "Method of Photographing Lepidopterous 

 Eggs" {Ent. Record) is noteworthy. We would point out here in 

 regard to Mr. South's paper, " Stephens' types of certain Tor- 

 tricina" {Entovt. ), th&t lepidopterists would be well advised if they 

 refuse to place the slightest reliance on the so-called Stephen- 

 sian (or other) types in this collection in the British Museum. 

 The treatment these have received since their deposition in the Museum 

 is little short of a public scandal. We had occasion to refer to the 

 plumes. Numbers of Stephens' species were apparently non-existent 

 in the collection, examination, however, proved their presence, jumbled 

 here, there and everywhere, and when we state that in a series of 

 some dozen specimens of '■'■ piloselUe" there were '■'■ diMans, pihmilae, 

 heterodactyla {tencrii) and piinctidactyla," that in the series of three 

 osteodactyla, there was one '■'■ oateodactyla , one tetradactyla, and one J 

 (white) baliodactyla," one will understand their value ; one knows 

 what Stephens wrote because it is printed and unalterable — one has no 

 knowledge of what he called the insects in his collection because they 

 have been moved and bear now anything but the names he called them. 

 We are inclined to curse most heartily the ignorant people responsible 

 for interfering with the work of capable and better men than them- 

 selves. Another note to which we would call attention is that 

 relating to Haworth's type of Ayrotis " stibfuscits,'' which was bought 

 and presented to the British Museum by Mr. Bankes. This specimen 

 was referred as an aberrational form to Ayrotis corticea, at least, 

 thirteen years ago (see Varieties Brit. Noctiiae, ii., p. 63, sect. B). 



