NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC 83 



of potassium. The ovum when newly laid is nearly white ; after a few 

 hours it becomes light straw colour. C. perlelhis var. loarringtonellus 

 abounded on the Culbin Sands at Forres. C. tristeUus and culmellus were 

 abundant everywhere, the former flying at dusk, and the other liy day. 

 C hortneUus was rather rare, or ])rol)ably did not come under my notice. 

 Several sj^ecimens of the genus Ph//cis were knocked out of the heather. 

 One Dioryctria ahietella was caught at Forres last year. I bred several 

 from fir cones, old ref^inana exudations, and rotten branches ; the ima- 

 gines visit ragwort flowers at dusk. Aphomia socieUa was flying about 

 everywhere near Pitcaple at dusk. Several of the common Tortkices 

 were excessively abundant, and among others I noticed the following : — 

 One Sarrothripa revayana at Pitcaple ; this is a rare insect in the Nortli, 

 and as yet, I have only seen a very small number, and never more tlian 

 one at a time. Tortrix corylana was flying in the Blackwood at 

 Rannoch ; it did not appear to be plentiful. T. viburniana occx;rs on all 

 the liills and moors ; it is always a common species, and the present 

 season was no exception to the rule. T. ministrana was swarming in 

 the Altyre Wood at Forres. My friend, Mr. Milne, happened to visit 

 Forres with me, while this s})ecies was on the wing, and one night, we 

 worked for about an hour in one of the rides, trying to get a few of the 

 dark variety, but in spite of all our exertions, and the fact tliat the 

 insects were flying in clouds, we did not find anything of im})ortance. 

 Peronea mixtana literally swarmed on the moors in April. I only saw 

 three or four in the autumn. 1\ lijjsiana was occasionally taken, l)ut 

 all were in bad condition. P. comparana was common in the autumn, 

 flying among heath in the afternoon sunshine. P. caledoniana was much 

 scarcer than usual, all I found were sitting on bracken. While work- 

 ing on a hill near Glen Shee, I accidentally came across P. maccana ; 

 they were very rare, and required a lot of searching. I only found 

 three specimens ; perhaps they might have been more abundant later ; 

 I was rather early in the season for them. Leptogramma scotana was 

 found on the birch trunks in spring ; by sleeving the $ on birch trees 

 at liome, I managed to breed a nice long series. I left the larva? to 

 spin up in the sleeve ; this was a mistake, as a number spun up on the 

 muslin, and as they are long in turning, the ichneumon flies stung them 

 through the meshes. Teras contnminana is local in the North, but 

 swarms wliere it occurs. I noticed the hawthorn hedges in several 

 places stripped by the larvae. Dictyopteryx hergmanniana was swarming 

 among wild rose ; Penthma hetulcetana was not uncommon in birch 

 woods, and P. dmidiana occurred occasionally among Myrica gale at 

 dusk ; the larva? were not rare in the autumn on the same plant. 

 P. staintoniana seems to be common on the Glas Maol among Vaccinimn 

 myrtiUus at 3,0UU feet. I picked up several fair specimens, l)ut the 

 majority were worn. All the Scotch Sericoridce were noticed. On 

 sunny afternoons, Sericoris daleana was not uncommon in the Black- 

 wood at Kannoch, flying among Vacdnmrii. S. irngnana was very com- 

 mon on all the mountains Ijetween Braemar and Glen Shee, at a high 

 elevation. They frequent Vacc/iu'nin and AlcheniiUa alpma-co\eved 

 slopes, and flutter about in the sunshine. It is a curious fact that I have 

 never seen the $ on the wing ; on the other hand the J s of daleana 

 are as plentiful as the 3^ . A splendid locality for irriguana, is tlie 

 western slope of the hill at the back of the Hotel at Glen Shee ; it is 

 also common on several of the mountains near Loch Laggan. One 

 is never sure where they may come across Mixodia schuhtana. I liave 



