NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. 



183 



Loth species. — Albekt J. Hodges. 2. Highbury Place, N. Jnne 8th ^ 

 1893. 



Hotvth. — I was at Howth with Mr. Harker at Easter in splendid 

 Aveather, though rather too dry and clear for larva? hunting. We found 

 Epunda lichenea fairly numerous, but little else except Nocttta 

 xanthographa and IViphcena orhona. Stilhia anomala was scarce; only 

 three specimens were taken owing to the very dry state of the ground. 

 Satyrns semele larva? were fairly common in little tufts of Aira cespifosa. 

 We saw a few Pieris raixe and Vanessa vrficce flying about in the hot 

 sunshine, and we obtained a few pupa? of Hypsipetes imphviata, and a 

 few Nocture at the roots of alder and birch. — H. Bickekton Jones. 

 AprR nth, 1893. 



Reading and Sicansea. — This long spell of sunshine has been 

 favourable for day collecting, but most of the night work has been bad 

 Endromis versicolor turned up well for a few days. Leucophasia sinapis 

 was wonderfully common, but Nemeobins Incina rare ; something did 

 not suit it. Larv<^e of Toxocampa 2}astinuvi proved much harder to 

 obtain in spring than they were last autumn. I have not been able to 

 look them uji myself since winter, but my brother went to the locality 

 twice, and got about 50 after long search. Last autumn when I was 

 there I gathered them at the rate of 150 per hour. I was at Swansea 

 just in time for the beautiful black form of Tephrosia hinndalaria, which 

 appears much more common there than the ordinary pale form. I got 

 a grand series. It was a new experience, too, for me to catch Macro- 

 (jlossa 6om%Z//or//;/s without having to pick them out hom. M. fnciformis, 

 but the latter, it seems, does not occur there. MeliUva artemis is having 

 a good time this year ; it is everywhere in swarms at Swansea. Larv^,. 

 too, are uncommonly abundant. Just now, in some of the woods near 

 Swansea, the trees are almost defoliated, and it is the same about 

 Keading. I found several Stauropus fagi near Swansea, but can only 

 hear of two or three having been taken at Heading while I Avas away. 

 In my pupa boxes, however, they have been emerging well, better 

 than ever before. — W. Holland, Eeading. May lG//«, 1893. 



Enniskillen. — Nocture seem very plentiful on the wing, but do not 

 appear to come to sugar in a satisfactory manner. I have tried it three 

 times. The first night was blank ; the second night,. 1 Viminia rnmicis 

 Avas attracted; third night, 1 V. rumicis and 1 Xylophasia rurea. Thorn 

 bloom is, however, abundant everyAvhere, Avhich may be a counter 

 attraction. E. W. Brown. May 26th, 1893. 



Neio Forest. — I have been aAvay for a trip to the Xcav Forest, and 

 can record a pretty successful Aveck's Avork, tliough most of my captures 

 Avere larA^aj. The princijial imagos captured Avere Macaria alternata 

 (fcAv), Hypsipetes impluviata (common, but some much worn), Tephrosia 

 roboraria (a nice series), Limenitis sibyJIa (just out on June 1st, three 

 Aveeks earlier than usual), Gnophria ridmcollis (a few). I did not see 

 Moma orion. Of larA'a? I took Macroglossa bombyJiformis (a fcAv) 

 Asp)halia ridens (in great numbers, I stopped taking them), Antphidasys 

 prodromaria (common), Eupithecia irrignata (fair numbers), Notodonfa 

 chaonia (about a score), Ennomos erosaria (a fcAv), Selenia illustraria (one 

 or two), Ennomos angularia (a fcAv), Notodonta trepida (a fcAV A'ery 

 small), Bombyx trifolii (a few), Liparis monacha (several), Demas coryU 

 (a few). — A. Robinson, 14, Eossetti Mansions, Chelsea, S.W. June 9th^ 

 1893. 



