I 



NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. 291 



found from the last week of August to the end of September. It is not 

 to be wondered at that the moth is rarely caught, since it is such a 

 sluggish species, requiring careful searching even in the breeding pots. 

 Agroiis ravida seems very erratic. Mr. Tutt found it at Wicken in the 

 beginning of August, and Mr. Jones took three specimens here in the 

 middle of September in very decent condition. I was pleased to come 

 across B. pinicolclla here this June. It was fairly plentiful in bright 

 sunshine among some small firs.— W. Farren. October ']th, 1892. 



Clevedoii. — I only noticed three specimens of Sphinx convolvuli this 

 season, and they were much later than usual. I had a fine healthy 

 pupa of Aclierontia atropos brought me about a month since from a 

 friend's garden, which I at once placed in a small breeding-cage, laying 

 it in about 2 inches of very damp moss, and covering it with about an 

 inch of the same material ; the cage was then placed in a shady corner 

 of a small humid plant stove in a temperature ranging from 65° to 80° 

 Fahr. ; the moss covering the pupce was sprinkled with water every 

 other day, and at the end of the third week I was delighted to find that 

 a fine male had emerged in splendid condition. — J. Mason, Clevedon. 

 October 21st, 1892. 



Swansea. — Light and sugar are beginning to pay a little now, for the 

 past three weeks they have been useless. About a month ago Neurojiia 

 papillaris came freely to the moth trap with a few Liiperina cespitis, the 

 latter does not come to light now, strangely enough, but I have taken 

 three during the last two days at sugar within twenty or thirty yards of 

 the trap. Agrotis suffusa is common now at sugar, with an occasional 

 Anchocelis liinosa, Agrotis saiicia and Asphalia diluta ; lunosa also 

 comes to light. Mr. Holland was staying with me the last fortnight in 

 July, and we did fairly well at sugar. GonopJwra derasa, Thyafyra batis, 

 Xylophasia hepatica, X. rurea and Aplecta ?iebulosa being common, and 

 we turned up some things new to the Swansea district, such as Dyschorista 

 suspecta, Ciiarceas graminis, Hypcnodes costcestrigalis, X. scotopacina 

 Leucania turca ; but what we were particularly keen on was Calymnia 

 pyralina, of which we generally took two or three of a night, our best 

 night totalling fourteen pyralina between us. My moth-trap during 

 July and August produced such good species as Noctua ditrapezium, 

 Camptogramma fluviata, Plusia orichalcea, C. pyralina, Geonietra papili- 

 onaria, Cilix spinula, Luperina cespitis, Ennomos erosaria and Plastcnis 

 retusa. On 21st July Mr. Holland took at sugar a beautiful variety of 

 Triplia;na pronuba, the fore-wings being nearly pure white, the hind 

 ones being a cream colour with a pink tint. — R. B. Robertson, Sketty 

 Park, Swansea. September i^th, 1892. 



Bakezvell. — I have noticed a striking abundance of Polia chi in this 

 district during the last three weeks sitting on numerous stone walls 

 about here : they seem to take up their position quite indifferently in 

 the sun and out of it, as well as upon the limestone walls and on those 

 built of millstone grit ; on the latter of which they are, of course, very 

 conspicuous. I mention this as a noteworthy fact in connection with 

 the question of "mimicry." I used to take this species on Cannock 

 Chase early in August, and was surprised to find it so much later here, 

 only a few miles further north. Can any one suggest a reason ? — C. F. 

 Thornewill, Bakewell. September 2ot/i, 1892. 



Sligo. — Folia chi has been very abundant here this season, and any 



