NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. 231 



Pitcaple. — Insects are still very scarce, and treacle is of no use, but 

 larvae are more abundant than usual. The following, among others, 

 are my captures for the last fortnight : — Smerinthus populi, abundant ; 

 Ardia fuliginosa, common ; A. inendica I turned up for the first time 

 a few days ago, and in a short time picked up a large number ; Orgyia 

 fascelina, a few, larvae of this species are excessively late this year ; 

 Demas coryli, a few ; Boinbyx rubi, not uncommon ; B. cailunc^, three. 

 I have searched the hills for miles upon miles, and have only taken the 

 above; a few years ago it would have been quite possible to have 

 taken them in cartloads ; Saiurnia carpini, rather scarce ; Dicranura 

 fiirada, plentiful ; Z>. vinula, very common ; Notodonta camelina, 

 common ; N. didcea, a few; N. didceoides, under a dozen ; N. drome- 

 dariiis, a few dozens (I have not had time to work up the larv^ of this 

 species yet) ; N. ziczac, fairly plentiful ; Thyatira batis, scarce, only a 

 few ; Cymatophora fiuduosa and C. or, both rather scarce ; Acronyda 

 ( Viminia) menyanthidis in large numbers. I have now searched a wide 

 district for this species with splendid results. A. {V.) myricce, fairly 

 plentiful ; Dianthceda capsincola, a very few ; D. conspersa, not a great 

 number; Hadena adusta, abundant; H. pisi, common; H. redilinea, 

 rare ; Habrostola urticce, common. — W. Reid, Pitcaple. September 

 \^th, 1 89 1. 



Kingstown, Ireland. — I have had a little leisure, only a few days at a 

 time, for entomology, but have been rather unfortunate in my captures. 

 On the coast I have taken a few Agrotis where I expected swarms, a 

 io."^ cursoria, tritid, and valligera. The latter, however, seem to me 

 rather remarkable, tending to have the white markings brown, and, in 

 two instances, this variation is strongly marked. Two or three Helo- 

 tropha leucostigina and \-\x. fibrosa have turned up, and one fine Lupe- 

 rina cespitis $ . The scarcity of moths is well shown in my captures of 

 only 5 Miana fitruncida and 2 M. liierosa ! On ragwort among the 

 sandhills, scarcely anything to be seen except some Hydrceda niditans, 

 some of which, however, are very good forms. Naming them from Mr. 

 Tutt's British Nodiice and their Varieties, they appertain to the niditans 

 type, being somewhat small, deep red coloured, sometimes blackish, 

 with white stigmata. But a few var. erythrostignia are among them, 

 and also a few griseafiavo, which is the first time I have met this 

 variety. The district was a pecufiar one — a narrow line of sandhills, 

 with a fen running for miles parallel to it. I certainly expected better 

 luck, but hope to try a few days more, when these high winds have 

 subsided. I took a good series of pups of No7iagria typhce in the stems 

 of Typha latifoiia, and found 2 on the 15th, which were already empty, 

 and 2 more have emerged since from those I collected. This insect 

 must have an extended emergence, for I took several larvae, one of 

 which was only half grown at the time I met with the empty pupa 

 cases, I notice that the larvae of Smerinthus ocellatus straggle on 

 through the season in a similar way. I have now 12 almost full-fed 

 and 2 about half an inch long. Also some of the same batch of ova 

 were still green and plump a fortnight ago ; but an accident has pre- 

 vented my learning whether they were fertile and would hatch out. — 

 W. F. V. DE Kane, Sloperton Lodge, Kingstown. September 22nd, 

 1891. 



Epping Forest. — When beating for larva I generally use a sheet, at 



