258 THE entomologist's record. 



to most of the travellers, were the Forth and Tay Bridges, but 

 hardly compatible with the record of an entomological tour. At 

 Aberdeen station we were met by our friend Mr. Arthur Home, 

 and conducted by him to a very substantial breakfast, he, at the 

 same time, giving such glowing descriptions of our probable captures 

 and eventual rendezvous, that we were all eager for the fray, and so 

 we again wended our way to the station, and accomplished another 

 twenty miles, probably the most tedious part of our journey, for the 

 Scotch local trains are not famed for express speed. Through the 

 kindness of Sir Arthur Grant, Bart., we were allowed carte blanche, 

 to his extensive estate of Monymusk, there to revel on mountain 

 and in valley in our favourite pursuit. Mr. Home joined us 

 on Friday, August 5th ; and as I was allowed to relinquish the 

 responsibility of both husband and father during his stay, I can assure 

 you we did not allow the grass to grow under our feet. Mr. Home 

 was most desirous to complete his promise, that, had it not been for 

 his affable companionship, I should have been tempted to cry " dead 

 beat; " however, he had his desire nearly fulfilled, with only one exception. 



August 5th, after dinner, we went in search of good "sugaring" 

 ground, and on the way netted the following imagines : — Larentia 

 ccesiata, some nice banded forms ; L. didymata, swarms (not taken) ; 

 Thera variata ; Cidaria populata, common ; C. itnmanata, very 

 variable; L. viridaria, common; Miana fascmncida,dX rest on thistles; 

 Epinephele hyperanthus, worn, but some without any markings on under- 

 side and much smaller than the southern form ; E. janira, worn ; 

 Ccenonympha pamphilus, common ; Scoparia ambigiialis, very common ; 

 Etipcecilia angustana, common ; Padisca solandriana and Scapula 

 hitealis, both very common. Amongst larv£e were the following : — 

 Notodonta dromedarius, N. ziczac, JDicranura fiiraila, D. vmula, 

 Asphalia flavicor?iis, Demas coryli, TcBuiocatupa gothica. Home for 

 tea at 6 o'clock ; started at 6.30 for "sugaring" ground, and although a 

 distance of three miles from our lodgings, we contented ourselves with 

 just sufficient " mountain dew " to ward off the evil effects of the 

 " Scotch mist," and then resorted to our pipes. Our "sweets" being 

 laid on, we mounted our " flags " in readiness for Geometers and 

 Micros. The following were caught : — Cidaria dotata, C. populaia, 

 C. immanata, Larentia ccesiata, L. olivata, Metrocampa inargaritaria ; 

 and at honeysuckle, Cucullia titnbratica and Plusia pulchrina. At the 

 same blossom my friend secured a fine specimen of Cramhiis myelins. 

 At sugar were the following: — Noctua sobrina (14); N. neglecta (2); 

 N. tnnbrosa (2) ; Aplecfa prasina (i) ; Triphcena orbo?ia var. curtisii (i) 

 (also the red form and the type) ; Noctua baja and N. brunnea, very 

 common ; Xylophasia polyodon, from type to jet black ; Triphxna 

 pronuba, Leucania impura, Apamea oculea, Noctua xanthographa, 

 N. /estiva, all very common and variable ; Graphiphora augur, worn ; 

 Apamea gemina, worn ; Boarmia repandata var. sodorensium} We then 

 went home very satisfied with our first day's work. I may mention 

 that some of the above species preferred various flower blooms to sugar. 

 On August 6th, the captures by day new to the former list were : — Tanagra 

 atrata, Coremia mu7iitata, Hepialus hectus, Ellopia prosapiaria ; at sugar 

 N. sobrina (10), Xylophasia rurea, Leucania conigera and Miana arcuosa. 



^ Is our correspondent quite sure that this variety was the one captured ? — Ed. 



