282 THE entomologist's record. 



single specimen could be kicked up. We drove down to Toblach 

 and took train to Innsbruck, where it was still raining and where the 

 hay still lay sodden and brown in the meadows. 



With pleasant memories of Weesen we broke the journey there, and 

 tried the marsh for a belated Lycainia arcctfi, f.. eii/ilioinis, or C. tiphon, 

 but not a sign of any of them could be seen, though we took a feAV 

 quite freshly emerged (i. rlianmi. 



A long walk to the top of Speer produced nothing better than 

 Krehia lii/ca, and we took the train home wondering what had become 

 of the butterflies, as during all our trip even the commonest insects 

 were distinctly scarce, and nothing could be said to have swarmed. 



As a set oft' to the lack of insects the flowers were beautiful, and 

 over twenty species were found which we had not seen in Switzerland, 

 including Rliododendron chamaecistits, Putentilla nitida, Diont/ius vkjhs- 

 pessulajiaa, Aqmle;/ia thalictrifulia, Primula minima; 8axifra(ja caenia, 

 etc. May 1914 give us better hunting ! 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 



Gnophos obscuraria and rabbit-burrows.- — I am wondering if Mr. 

 Colthrup's remarks re Gnophos obscuraria and rabbit-burrows in the 

 current number of the Ent. Record (page 250), covers a case of associa- 

 tion that has hitherto escaped notice. I have frequently noticed the 

 partiality of this species for hare soil in chalk districts, but the sug- 

 gested restriction to rabbi t-Avarrens is ovitside my experience. Possibly 

 the habit is a local one and limited to the dark form alone.- — A. Bacot 

 (F.E.S.), 19, York Hill, Loughton. 



With regard to Mr. Bacot's query re G. obscuraria, I may say that 

 on a slope of the Downs at Eastbourne, where there are no rabbit- 

 burrows, this insect rests on the bare soil, etc. (as indicated in my note 

 on "Protective Resemblance" in the May, 1912, number of the 

 FjUtomologist's Record, p. 125), but on other parts of the South Downs 

 where there are rabbit-burrows, it rests in them. It is possible some 

 may be found outside, but I have not done so. 



The method employed by the New Forest collectors to get the 

 insect (which I have worked well elsewhere) is to take a "swish "made 

 of one or two long twigs, rattle them at the mouth of the burrow, and 

 net the insects as they fly out. 



After all, this habit of hiding away in dark places is not so unusual 

 with moths as is generally supposed, and I feel pretty sure that those 

 found on fences and tree trunks are in most cases the exceptions. 



On the Crumbles, at Eastbourne, a large expanse of bare shingle 

 with only a few wooden posts, Xylopha!<ia )iiono(/lijpha [polydon) some- 

 times swarms at sugar, yet if you examine these posts the next day 

 you Avill be lucky if you find a single specimen of A', iiionoi/li/pha at 

 rest on them, yet they would harmonize very well with the old wood. 

 Where do they go ? I believe down in the shingle. 



At the beginning of last July in a small outhouse in our garden, a 

 specimen of Mania viaiira was found at rest, and day by day the 

 number increased till one morning there were seventeen. The moths 

 went out for their flight at night, and returned through five triangular 

 openings at the top of the door, the base of the triangles being only 

 three inches. Individual moths could be recognised by certain marks. 



