NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC, 181» 



to use a pin of moderate length in proportion to the insect to be set, 

 and strong. If I were limited to 4 sizes for macros my verdict would 

 be without hesitation for Nos. 4, 8, 9 and 10,— T. Maddison, South 

 Bailey, Durham. 



I have come to the conclusion that although Tayler's undoubtedly 

 have the best points, Kirby Beard's are most satisfactory as regards 

 sizes and as having smaller heads. The sizes I use are No. 2 for the 

 larger, and No. 4 for the smaller species of"' Hawks" and Bombyces ; 

 No. 8 for the largest butterflies, small Bombyces, and largest 

 NocTUiE ; No. 9 for most Noctu^ and several small Bombyces and 

 medium size butterflies, and the few largest Geometr.e; No. 10 for the 

 few smallest Noctu.e, a good many butterflies, and most Geometr.^ ; 

 No. 17 for nearly all Tortrices and I'ineina; No. 19 for smallest 

 TrxEiNA. I use more No. 9, 10 and 17 than any; No. 18 I consider too 

 thin for Tortrices and Tineina. No. 17 serving for nearly all these, 

 and I never use anything finer than No. 17 in black; the very thin 

 pins seem to be rendered useless by the enamelling. For the smaller 

 LithocoUetes and all Nepiiailcc I have lately adopted the Minatin 

 Nadein Vienna pins, and it yet remains to be proved as to whether the 

 sieel or silver ones are the best. I fear the steel will rust, otherwise 

 they seem perfection itself, and supply the hitherto much-wanted 

 " perfect pin for Neps." — Wm. Farren, Union Road, Cambridge. 



Although other entomologists claim to have been the first to use 

 the black pins, I think Meek would say that both Mr. Howard 

 Vaughan and myself had persuaded him for some years to get some 

 made; for Mr. Edleston first started enamelled pins in 1846 for his 

 own and Mr. Sidebotham's private use. They were reported to be a 

 success, and we did not know then that they had been afterwards 

 repudiated as useless and dropped altogether. I have never used the 

 black ones and refused a testimonial in their favour. They were, and 

 are, as is in fact known, not suited for anything but just to be put in 

 position and never moved again. In 1879, acting upon my advice, 

 the late John Sang had some silver ones made, having seen my 

 Dicroramphs ungreened after three years, he liked them very much ; 

 but it is difficult to get them made very thin. Rapid desiccation is, 

 after all, the best means to keep off for a time evil consequences. I 

 used, after setting my Tortrices, to place them in the sun, throwing 

 a newspaper over them, tent-like, for a few hours ; if this be done, 

 series will be in good order, unsprung and ungreen, when others not so 

 "cooked" will be spoilt ; and as black enamelled pins certainly stand 

 longer than plain white, perhaps this method might be tried with them 

 with even more success. — Sydney Webb, Dover. 



DiPTERA IN Somersetshire. — Whilst collecting in the west of 

 England last summer, I made an effort to obtain a few GastropJiihis 

 (Diptera) larvK, and in the horse-dropi)ings of two fields ne;ir 

 Wellington, Somerset, I found 14, from which I bred 11 flies; 7 were 

 G. etjui, the others were G. nasalis. Six of the equi were females, but 

 the se.Kes of nasalis were equal. In one of the males of the latter \.\vt 

 pubescence is of a bright golden colour, except that on the basal 

 segment of the abdomen, which is of an ashy colour. 'I'he eggs of 

 these flies are deposited in the autumn on the horse, chiefly the front 

 legs, from which they are licked by the horse and swallowed ; and on 



