806 THE entomologist's RECORD. 



numerous other species, many of which have been exceedingly abun- 

 dant. It would be interesting to know if this failure among the 

 common species has been noted in other parts of the country too. 



III. Appeal to all Entomologists. — Under this heading, in the 

 June number of the magazine, some gentlemen, on behalf of the 8wiss 

 Entomological Association, made an appeal for the protection of certain 

 local species of Swiss butterflies and moths. 



While greatly admiring the endeavour to protect these species, one 

 cannot but think that there are others in very much greater need of 

 protection. That such a species as Krehia cluiul could be in any 

 danger of extermination seems nnpossible ; as Mr. Wheeler pointed 

 out, in a footnote to the article, the greater part of its haunts, on the 

 mountain side, between the Laquin Tal and the Laquin Alp are 

 wholly inaccessible. 



The case of Li/caena iolaa, however, is very different. If the Swiss 

 Entomological Association would turn their attention towards pre- 

 venting the complete destruction of the bushes of Colutea arboirscens 

 in the Rhone valley they would be doing a good deed. 



I am told that the old headquarters of L. iolas at Follaterre have 

 been entirely destroyed, and, from what I saw at Sierre, I can quite 

 believe it. One day in the early spring, at Sierre, I came on numbers 

 of bushes of C'. arborescens hacked to pieces, many of them being cut 

 off about a foot above the ground. Endeavouring to find out the cause 

 of this, I Avas told that C. arborescens is used as a substitute for 

 senna ! 



I know it is said that the bushes, which mostly grow singly, are so 

 scattered through the Rhone valley that there is no fear of their being 

 totally destroyed ; but, on the other hand, when in full bloom in June 

 they are visible a long way off and very conspicuous, and a keen -eyed 

 native, who knew he could make something out of it, would have no 

 difficulty in marking the spot and returning to it in the winter, or late 

 autumn, which is the time when the bushes are cut. 



At present L. iolas is moderately plentiful at Sierre, but unless 

 something is done to preserve its foodplant, at no very distant time it 

 will cease to exist as a Swiss species, and will disappear from the 

 higher stretches of the Rhone valley, as it has from Follaterre. 



Entomology at the British Association. 



The Eighty-third Annual Meeting of the British Association for 

 the Advancement of Science was held at Birmingham in the middle 

 of September of the present year, under the Presidency of Sir Oliver 

 Lodge, who took the place of the late Sir William White, the original 

 president for the year. 



On the Committee of the Section dealing with Zoology we note 

 the following names of those who are more or less interested in 

 Entomology. The President of the Section was Dr. H. F. Gadow, 

 F.R.S. Among the Vice-presidents, we find Mr. G. T. Bethune-Baker, 

 F.Z.S., Dr. F. A. Dixey, F.R.S., and Dr. P. Chalmers Mitchell, F.R.S., 

 and on the Committee were Prof. W. Bateson, F.R.S. , Dr. G. D. H. 

 Carpenter, Prof. G. H. Carpenter, Dr. S. F. Harmer, F.R.S., Prof. E. 

 B. Poulton, F.R.S., Messrs. R. S. Bagnall, Leonard Doncaster, Wilfred 

 Mark Webb, Rev. T. R. R. Stebbing, etc. 



