NOTES ON COLLECTING. 263 



well as some larvfe of /.. telicanus. — T. A. Chapman. October 13th, 

 1907. 



Ovum of Char^as graminis. — Eggs of C. graminis deposited August 

 15th, 1907, by a female taken in the Roseg Valley were laid loosely ; 

 at first of a pale yellow colour, they turned somewhat orange two days 

 later. The shell looks absolutely smooth under a lens of low power, 

 but under a higher appears to be minutely pitted or covered with a 

 whitish reticulation (? obsolete ribs). The egg is rounded in outline, 

 little flattened at the micropylar area, but much depressed at its nadir, 

 which gives it a safe bottom on which to rest. In the centre of the 

 micropylar area, is a rather dark micropylar point, but the structure is 

 most difficult to make out with a hand lens. In two days more the 

 eggs become slightly reddish-brown, getting deeper in tint until they 

 become quite red-brown. — J. W. Tutt. 



Egglaying of Epinephele janira. — I have lately been watching 

 females of E}>inepliele ja nira ovipositing in a field of rough pasture. 

 These butterflies lay their eggs amongst coarse grass, selecting spots 

 where the grass has grown in, or been formed accidentally into, small 

 hollows. Settled on the grass within one of these hollows, with 

 wings closed above their back, the ? stretches its abdomen down as far 

 as it can and deposits one egg, choosing for this purpose fine grass 

 growing well down below the coarse, the ovum being attached to the 

 underside of the blade. Well-grown and sturdy grasses, with broad 

 blades, are avoided. Only one egg is laid on a blade, and I think it is 

 usual for the ? s to take short flights between the laying of each, but 

 they will sometimes lay two or three within a few inches of one another. 

 One female I was watching on August 22nd, settled on a concave patch 

 of bare earth, where the working of a mole had sunk ; here it ap- 

 parently laid two eggs, as I at first thought on the soil itself, but 

 after it had flown away I could only find one, and that was attached 

 to the lower side of a rootlet of grass, which protruded half-an inch 

 from the earth. After laying two or three eggs, the $ s fly a little way 

 and then settle to bask in the sunshine, with wings outspread and 

 with abdomen slightly raised, frequently remaining in one spot for as 

 long as ten minutes. — J. F. Bird, "The Nurtons," Tintern, Mon- 

 mouth. September 2nd, 1907. 



^OTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



Thymelicus acteon in Mid- August. — It may be worth noting that 

 I captured some very good couples of Thymelicus acteon at Lulworth, 

 during the third week of August. — H. G. Gregory, Westleigh, Salisbury. 

 October 10th, 1907. 



Late appearances of Lepidoptera. — On October 5th, I noticed 

 several specimens of Ooenonympha pamphilus, Epinephele ianira, and 

 ['ten's rapae, on the wing, on the downs round Jevington. These 

 appear to be very late dates for these species. — Raleigh S. Kmallman, 

 Wressil Lodge, Wimbledon Common. October 8th, 1907. 



Unusual habit of Catocala nupta. — I do not know whether the 

 habit here noticed is really unusual, but at any rate it was quite so 

 to me. On the hot sunny afternoon of September 28th, about 2.30 

 p.m., I turned from the High Road, Lee, into Eastdown Park, and 

 was much astonished a short distance up to see what, at first, I thought 



