NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. 203 



which to deposit their eggs, for one I took early in May between 

 twelve and one o'clock, in very perfect condition, laid a large batch of 

 eggs within an hour or two, on being placed in a large chip box 

 covered with muslin. I do not remember seeing this habit of the 

 female noticed, as the insects are usually supposed to fly at dusk. I 

 have bred two Ephyra omicronaria from an ordinary marked female, in 

 which the usual wing marking, a central spot, is obsolete. Is this a 

 common variety elsewhere? I netted one here last spring in a wood, 

 in which it is very indistinct — only just visible, but I have never 

 before come across specimens in which it was absent. 



Leucophasia sinapis is supposed to be a wood insect, but both last 

 year and this I have taken it flying along the hedges of the lanes far 

 away from any woods or copses. Its smaller size and fluttering slow 

 flight easily distinguish it at a distance. I killed two with ammonia, 

 but find they are permanently damaged by it, as the yellow colour 

 induced does not pass off. Can anyone tell me, from their experience, 

 whether the vapour of vinegar or some mild acid would restore the 

 original pure white colour ? My son took a specimen in very fair 

 condition, as late as the beginning of the present month. — W. J. 

 Riding, Buckerell Lodge, Honiton. June 2\st, 1892. 



Essex Marshes. — I found Dichrorhainpha phcinbagana, D. plumbana 

 and Psyche radiella, on the 6th of May, at Benfleet ; Stenopteryx 

 noctuella (common), Heliodes arbuli, Eupcccilia affinifana, Argyrolepia 

 ceneana (one only), Spilosoma mendica, and larvae of Eriogaster lanesiris 

 on the 29th of May, near Benfleet; Sericoris littorana, Agdistis bejinetii, 

 Funiea reiicella, at Shoeburyness, on the 6th June, but not a single 

 larva of Bombyx castrensis was seen on this occasion, although many 

 well advanced larvae were found a fortnight later. Coleophora salmella 

 and C. artemisicolella were taken on the loth June at Benfleet, and a 

 pair of Eupithecia subutnbrata netted, in the middle of June, at 

 Shoeburyness. Tortrix costana occurred, on the 24th of June, in the 

 same locality, whilst Leucania phragmitidis, Dichrorhainpha polita/ia, 

 Ephippiphora trigejuinafia, Catoptria hyperica?ia, Ho/nceosotna blncBvella 

 and Craiiibus selasellus were taken on the 15th of July at Benfleet. On 

 the iSth of July, Catoptria scopoliana and Euchelia jacobcece. were on 

 the wing, the latter in fair condition, whilst larvte of the same species — 

 adult and young — were on the foodplant. S. noctuella, Cynthia 

 tardui and Plusia gamma were common on the Essex marshes in May. 

 I was particularly pleased to take Fumea reticella. It occurred so 

 freely that, in a short visit, I was able to take thirty-one specimens. — 

 F. G. Whittle. July 25//?, 1892. 



Isle of Wight. — Since my note of August ist {ante., p. 181) we have 

 here had some very fine sunny weather, and bearing in mind the old 

 adage of " making your hay while the sun shines," I have " made hay " 

 to a considerable, although not literal, extent amongst our welcome 

 immigrant, C. edusa, recollecting that it is fifteen years since we all had 

 a similar opportunity. My friend, Mr. Abbott, joined us on the iSth, 

 and our united captures since edusa appeared (July 21st) have resulted 

 in filling up a very long series of picked forms, including no less than 

 twenty-one var. helice, among which are two very fine forms, inter- 

 mediate between the var. and the type, in which the usual white or 

 very pale shade of helice is replaced by shades of very pale yellow 



