NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. 255 



sparingly since I was last there, but I was again doomed to be dis- 

 appointed. This time it was certainly not the fault of the weather^ 

 My first night was warm, dark and moist, a slight south-west wind and 

 a few drops of rain, but hardly an insect came to light, A'ery few to 

 sugar in the fen, and sugar in the lane was useless. In the fen we 

 have taken A. fibrosa, C. i^hragmltidls, one N. rtibi and one A. trago- 

 poginis. At dusk I have netted E. apic/aria (a new brood), Coremia 

 imidentaria, Cidaria testata, and Hypsipetes elutata, and one C. riifa. I 

 have actually seen one V. veuoxn on the sheet I 



I may add that both Mr. Houghton and Mr. Solomon Bailey look 

 upon the season as one of the very worst they have known. 



Naturally one wonders what is the cause of this gi-eat scarcity of 

 moths. During my first three visits it is true that the wind was easterly, 

 but there was very little of it, and it was not cold ; but during my last 

 visit the wind has been soutlierly and south-westerly. The night of 

 August 1st was almost an ideal night, but practically nothing came 

 either to light or to sugar. Where are the Bombyces which usually 

 swarm at light at this time of the year? Where are the common 

 Agrotidce and Xoctu.=e ? The failure of sugar in the woods this year 

 lias been ascribed to the prevalence of honeydew, an opinion Avhich the 

 greater success of sugar on the downs and the affection of Argynnis 

 papkia and L/'menitis sibyUa for the trees go far to endorse, but that will 

 not account for the comparative failure of sugar and light in the fens 

 this year, which can, I think, only be accounted for hy an actual 

 scarcity of moths. I venture to suggest two causes for this, and shall 

 be glad to know how the matter strikes others, (i.) That the intense- 

 drought of the early part of the year has gTeatlj^ increased the number 

 of the enemies of Lepidoptera, such as wasps, beetles, &c. (This might 

 also, in some measure, account for the strange scarcity of larvae in the 

 New Forest this Jul}^). (ii.) That many pupa? have, from whatever 

 cause, declined to emerge this season. I believe it is the experience of 

 others who are breeding insects, besides myself, that an unusually large 

 proportion of, ap2:)arentl3^, still cpiite healthy puiia' have failed to 

 emerge this jenr. 



The comfort of residence, and ease and convenience of collecting 

 at Wicken, have, according to my experience, been by no means 

 exaggerated b}^ Mr. Tutt in his notes on that locality. I have, during 

 all my visits, Ijeen exceedingly comfortable and well cared for in 

 Mrs. K. Aspland's lodgings. I have been most complete^ and atten- 

 tively arranged for in my entomological work by ]\Ir. Albert Houghton, 

 and I have been punctually and conveniently carried to and from the 

 railway station by Mr. John Bailey in his cart for a most moderate 

 consideration. I therefore fully intend to regard the failure of collect- 

 ing at Wicken this season as being abnormal and exceptional, and tO' 

 repeat my visits next season hoping for better success. — J. C. Moberly, 

 Southampton. Aug7(st, 1893. 



Guernsey. — During my stay in Guernsey during August, I have 

 l>een aide to do but little collecting owing to pressure of business. A 

 worn CaUimor2)ha liera I knocked down and captured in the first Aveek 

 of the month near Bordeaux Harbour, and jjicked up a ^ Bombyx 

 trifolii near the same spot a Aveek later. An exj^edition to Sark with 

 Mr. Luff after C. hera on the 15th j^roved a failure, owing prolialdy ta 

 the early season ; but it is worthy of remark that we cajitured a fine 

 fresh ^ Melitcea cinxia, a very late occurrence, particularly as I took 



