132 THE entomologist's record. 



Variation. 



Capi'Ure of Agrotis obscura and its vars. in Cambridgeshire. — 

 Some years ago this species was not uncommon in one or two restricted 

 localities in England. Of late years, however, it has become exceedingly 

 rare and is now probably the rarest British member of the genus 

 Agrotis. It was therefore with great pleasure that I noticed on the 

 night of August ist, a specimen on the suuar in Wicken Fen. Since then 

 Mr. A. Houghton and myself have worked most assiduously for the species 

 and have during the last night or two been reinforced by Mr. G. T. Porritt, 

 but our combined efforts up to date are not altogether satisfactory from 

 a numerical point of view, most evenings producing but three or four 

 specimens between us. However, the specimens are still in fine con- 

 dition and I have no doubt Mr. Houghton will render a good account 

 of the species before it disappears for the season. At any rate it is 

 certainly interesting to know that the species is still among us, and 

 likely to find its way into our cabinets more frequently than it has of late. 



The forms of ohsaira which we have taken are as follows: — (i). 

 Costa red, inner margin <gxt^-\ixo\sn = obscura, Bork. (2). Costa red, 

 inner margin grey-brown, space between reniform and orbicular, dark 

 = var. ravida, Hb. (3). Grey-brown = var. ohdiicta, Esp. (4). Grey- 

 brown, space between reniform and orbicular, dark = var. bigramma, 

 Esp. We have also an odd specimen or so each of the following 

 vars.: — (5). Reddish-brown = var. ruja. (6). Reddish, space between 

 reniform and orbicular, dark = var, austera, Esp. (7). Greyish-black, 

 unicolorous = var. suffusa. 



It is worthy of remark thai those specimens of this species which 

 were captured some years ago in East Yorkshire appear to show a more 

 general tendency to a red coloration, whilst those which were taken in 

 the well known locality in North Kent were more variable in colour, 

 like the specimens now being taken in this neighbourhood. — J. W. 

 TuTT, Wicken. August, 1891. 



,^^,j,OTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



Notes of the Season (Lepidoptera). — Tewkesbury. — The season is 

 a fairly good one. With regard to sugar, trees that have been done 

 night after night have produced for the last three weeks common things 

 in abundance, but our better things have been scarce. Sugaring just 

 for one night in distant localities has produced but little. Flowers have 

 attracted nothing this season, it was just the same last year. Graiinnesia 

 t/ili?Ha and Agrotis exdamationis have been unusually abundant ; it is 

 iuleresting to note how insects seem to have their special season. Miaua 

 furuiicula has been plentiful, also M. strigilis ; I do not remember 

 ever having noticed the former insect here before.— E. C Dobr6e Fox. 



Somerset. — The season has been much against entomological work, 

 and cold east and north-east winds still prevail, with hail, snow and 

 sleet. Such fine days as we have had seem to show that the severe 

 winter will not make lepido])tera scarce. Whites have been very 

 abundant, and Anthocaris cardaniines was frequent on May 12th. 

 Cidaria suffuinata has been out in its usual abundance. On such nights 



